St. Albans was a favorite place of pilgrimage, for it sheltered the remains of the first Christian martyr in Britain. Alban, or Albans, was a young soldier, who, during the persecution of the Christians in the Fourth Century, befriended a deacon named Amphibalus by receiving him in his house. Amphibalus converted him. Alban exchanged clothing with him so that he might escape. Amphibalus was captured, however, and executed near Verulamium. Alban was also beheaded; and a few years after his death a church was built over the spot where his blood had been shed. The north transept of the existing church is said to cover this place. Matthew Paris states that the body of St. Alban was, during an invasion, removed from the church for safety, and afterward placed in its original grave. Offa II. found the coffin containing the remains of the martyr and laid them in a splendid reliquary, taking care first to place a golden band around the head with the inscription “_Hoc est caput Sancti Albani_.” Offa also had the martyr canonized. With a miracle-working shrine, the richly-endowed monastery continued to flourish. The Abbey Church was deemed quite large enough until Paul of Caen (1077-1093) was appointed abbot by William the Conqueror. In about eleven years only (1077-1088) he rebuilt St. Albans, using many of the Roman bricks from the ruins of the neighbouring Verulamium and timber already collected. His was an enormous Norman edifice (460 feet), longer even than Canterbury (290 feet). After a hundred years or so, Abbot John de Cella (1195-1214) made various changes. Money was raised in various ways for the purpose, and among them the abbot persuaded his monks to do without wine for fifteen years and contribute the savings to the fund for building. After him came William of Trumpington (1214-1235), who continued the work of building. He also constructed the cloister. Let us see exactly in what their work consisted: