St Swithun was born around 800 A.D. He was a monk and became Bishop of Winchester in 852 A.D. He was said to be a Saint of great kindness and often built churches where there were none nearby he also repaired those which had been damaged.
He built a bridge on the east side of Winchester and watched the workmen rebuild churches while sitting upon the bridge. It is said that he performed a miracle at this bridge where he restored an old woman's basket of eggs, which the workmen had broken.
He was a learned man and was one of those most intelligent men of the time. He was a tutor to King Aethelwulf of Wessex and of his son, the famous King Alfred, who has a statue of himself in the centre of Winchester.
He died on 2nd July 863 A.D and was buried, according to his own desire, in the churchyard of the Cathedral. His body was buried under a path under his wishes for he wanted everyone going to and from the cathedral to walk over his grave. The clergy did not think it was appropriate and soon removed his body and re-buried him within the church, upon doing so it rained for days on end and did not stop until the clergy buried him once again outside the cathedral in accordance to his wishes. St Swithun's Day is on July 15th and there is a saying which goes like this:
"St. Swithun's day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain;
St. Swithun's day, if thou be fair,
For forty days 'twill rain na mair."