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SUP P L EMENTA L PAPERS

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The A

' ‘ S aXOn BiéhQ S ‘ j o f We lls ” P

AiHistori pal Study in

/ the TenthL C eIiisurx

B y .

J A i D . Im ta e RobinsoIi D g ,

Z ' Fellow of the A éademy

Oxford Un s P ress , iver i

° P rice 'Fzife Shillings net

THE BRI TI SH A CA DEMY

SUPPL EM ENTA L PA PERS

I V

The

S ax o n Bi s ho ps o f We lls

A Histori cal Study in the Tenth C entury

By

A in n D D . J . rmita e Rob so g , . Fellow of the A cad emy Dean of Wells

L ondon

Published for the British Acad emy

B hr M fo fo d s s y Hump ey il rd, Ox r Univer ity Pres

o E C Amen C rner, . . C ONTENTS

1 RS WEL L S . THE FI T BISHOP OF

THE SUBDIV ISION OF THE Wmsm: DIOCES ES Note on the Winchester Charters of 909

THE P L EGM UND NARRATIV E Note On the In troduction of the Name of Formosus Note on the Letter Of Archbish op Dunstan t o Ki ng JEthelred

TH E ORO ATI F I G T L STA BY RC BIS OP ATHEL M A ND T C N ON O K N A HE N A H H , HE ’ AT F S D NSTA N S BIRT D E O T. U H

TH E SUCC SSORS OF IS OP A TH EL M 923— 4 E B H , 7

THE AT R SAX O IS OP S 9 4-1 033 L E N B H , 7

ADDITIONAL NOTES a En f S Of A . The E rly dowmen t O the ee Wells w Th e Name j Ethelhelm or i Ethelm ’ p The D ate Of Athelm s Translation to Canterbury u o s Of A thelm Wulfhelm and L fin at an The T mb , y g C terbury m The Perils Of the Road t o Rome fi S s s on a n o f Three wi C fr ter ity Bo ks m Archbishop Wulfhelm and the Laws Of King Athelstan fi L Bishop Brihthelm and his Namesakes

—I The First Abbots of Westminster F Th e Various Bish ops Brihtwine TH E SA X ON BI SH OPS OF WEL L S

A HISTORICAL STUDY IN THE TENTH CENTURY

TH E FIRST BIS H O P o r WE L L S

TH E o c Of o n o u n a a o in bish pri Wells was f u ded a th sa d ye rs g , the reign of Edward the Elder ; but a reasonable tradition takes back

c c of n no two n . n I n the hur h St . A drew a ther hu dred years Ki g a had c axon on on of o n arried the S C quest bey d the limits S merset, drivi g far n o the British before him as as Exeter . The ki gd m of Wessex had become too large a diocese to be ruled by a single bishop with his seat at Winchester ; so the western portion w as now cut OE and n on of con o n placed u der the supervisi a se d bish p sitti g at Sherborne . was in 705 and n ew o n o of This , the bish p was the lear ed Abb t a r who in 709 in oo n M lmesbu y, St . Aldhelm, died the little w de c c of o n in co of one of co o hur h D ulti g, the urse his epis pal t urs

on l of o . o Of am g the vi lages S merset Brief as was the peri d his rule, oo for o o c Aldhelm wrought great g d his pe ple . Bef re he be ame bishop his learnin g an d his gentleness had done much to persuade the British folk to j oin with their Saxon fellow Christians in keeping

on a d a an d to an on c r n c o in Easter the s me y, ab d e tai ust ms, trivial

m ch o n c n to as o of o . themselves, but is iev us whe lu g symb ls separati n ’ At the same time King I na s generous legislation was treating the con a o on of con o an d two quered as lm st the level their quer rs, the c oon n to co l c I na l new c c of on for ra es s bega a es e . bui t a hur h st e on G on of c c of the British m astery at last bury, east the wattled hur h immemorial antiquity ; an d we may readily accept the tradition that ’ n who n nc it was the same ki g , u der St . Aldhelm s guida e, built the

c c of n first hur h by the Wells St . A drew . The creation of a separate bishopric for the county of Somerset not an o a act w as of o c c if n ot formu was is l ted . It part a p li y whi h,

n was na o o f o c b e lated by Ki g Alfred, the tural utc me o the w rk whi h

A 2 4 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELL S

for n n . n c to on in 87 1 did E gla d Whe Alfred ame the thr e , the

an o an d for of D ish terr r was at its height, the first seven years his reign pra ctically the whole of E ngland was at the mercy (if we may o f n n s say) o these merciless i vaders . A last sta d was made at 1 n and on o u o Athel ey, the hill that rises ab ve B rr w Bridge . It is the ro d o n of o of o a n p u est m me t the hist ry S merset. Here was the r llyi g poin t of the heroic ban d which was to restore the fortunes of Wessex and for n ew n n of n c n prepare the way the E gla d the te th e tury .

nc n o o to o n o and He e we t the S mersets f rth, be j i ed by the D rsets the and to n c c on foe o for Wilts, i fli t su h a defeat the as sh uld shatter the first time the legen d Of their invincibility . n o n who on a These heathe N rseme , had l g h rried the land with

c and o on o n n o for c a ruel widespread des lati , had Sh w regard sa red c or on had c and n c c and on pla es pers s, but sa ked bur ed hur hes m as teries and n on k and n un c on c n , had slai priest, m , su h ly es api g as could pick up the bones of their patron saints and flee into desert and n n n n n places . Religion lear i g alike were threate ed with exti ctio . n c to on of not Alfred tells us that, whe he ame the thr e Wessex, a scholar coul d he find south of the Thames ; few men south of the and not n n o of n n n n of Humber, ma y rth it, k ew the E glish mea i g

n v c - oo or co n n c their Lati ser i e b ks, uld tra slate a Lati letter . Su h was the plight Of the Church which had sent out the learned Boniface to con n an d n c n Of o to c vert the Germa s, had give Al ui Y rk the servi e of o the Emper r Charlemagne . n t on n o n Alfred o ly thrashed the Da es , but he als made Christia s Of n the to n c o them , thus leadi g way a lasti g pea e with s me at least n o o b e co to o amo g them . M re ver mpelled them withdraw fr m the o of and o c of on on co n wh le Wessex fr m the ity L d , and nfi e their settlements to the north ‘ of the Thames ; and he made a compact an d o o n c E n n and n with them, pr p u ded laws by whi h glishme Da es i n on c a should live side by side reas able se urity . Thus he l id the

o n on of new n n c son and f u dati s the E gla d, whi h his Edward his n on n n and d to gra ds s Athelsta , Edmu d, E red were build up stage by n f n n c n r a o stage i the first half o the Sple did te th e tu y . Wh t m re he

fo c n n c on and r on of co o no did r j usti e, lear i g, edu ati eligi is mm n k w

one a o not to o ledge . But gre t ref rm he did live see, alth ugh he f paved the way or its arrival . The wh ole Of Wessex in his d ay had but two bisho ps one sat at nc o r o n and o of o n Wi hester, the the at Sherb r e ; the Bish p Sherb r e on for of as was resp sible all that lay west him . It might seem

1 o B or o o so ca o bark s n a o on Burr w ridge, B r ughbridge, lled fr m the ri i g b ve it f a a as an o o A n s . the e t b k the P rret, mile fr m thel ey it elf THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 5 though some relief was contemplated when the king gave Exeter to

o n m an o o o . Bish p Asser, a lear ed wh m he had br ught fr m St Davids, and whose knowledge Of their language would help him to deal with o of on and o n a — as n the f lk Dev C r w ll the West Welsh, they were the

c . But n c o Of o n alled Asser himself prese tly be ame Bish p Sherb r e, s o a n o ow n th t matters remai ed as bef re . When, h ever, Ki g Edward

Elder n on on for n n or ten the had bee seated the thr e i e years, there

‘ had n for new n a on to o r n in c oo bee time a ge er ti gr w up, t ai ed the s h ls ’ c l o n . c o P le mund one of whi h A fred had f u ded Ar hbish p g , Alfred s ’ m en of a n n now n n to c le r i g, determi ed, with Ki g Edward s aid, fa e n oc of the problem boldly a d as a whole . The di ese Winchester was so as to o for s divided, give a bish p Wilt , with his seat at Ramsbury ; and oc Of r o n n new to o the di ese She b r e was divided, givi g sees S merset an d on co n a co n z Dev . These u ties were alre dy re g i ed territorial on and n co n o divisi s, their alderme had led the u ty h sts in the fights a a n n cc c to co nc g i st the Da es . The e lesiasti al was rightly made i ide with the civil division ; an d thus Wells and Crediton got bishops of 1 own their . If we are asked why remote little Wells was chosen for the seat of - o o not o c of the S merset bish p, and the fam us ity Bath, with its abbey

o two c n Old our n . l c n s me e turies , a swer is ready First, Wel s is e tral to co n no con co r c the u ty, whereas Bath is t se dly, the u t was mu h

in o and n o a an d at Cheddar th se days, Wells lay betwee r yal Chedd r ’ 2 ‘ n Of G on nc nt o Of on the royal isla d last bury, that a ie h me religi , the glories of which were soon to shine more brightly than ever ;

for two n oo no an d not o thirdly, Bath had hu dred years l ked rth s uth,

n l t o c an d vi n n of casting i its o with Gl u estershire, li g u der the rule n c n an nd n the Mercian ki gs . The Mer ia l ds i eed were bei g gradually to n o of o n united the ki gd m the West Sax ns, as they were regai ed ’ little by little fromDanish rule . Alfred s daughter Ethelfiaed was to an of c an and married Ethelred, the alderm the Mer i s, after the disappearance Of the last Mercian king this warrior princess ruled ’ n and n n with her husba d, eve after her husba d s death, as the Lady of c n She in 91 8 c c c the Mer ians ; but whe died, , Mer ia ame dire tly ’ con o and n o n under Edward s tr l, a fresh step was take t wards the u ity f n n o o n to own O E gla d . S mewhere ab ut this time Bath retur ed its c n of o i a a n - o n ou ty S merset ; but it must st ll h ve seemed stra ger t w , ’ and n early two centuries were to run before the bishop s stool was n set up i its abbey church .

1 See the o on Ea En o n of S Of N te (A) the rly d wme t the ee Wells . 2 ’ a s n a M l mo a s t. Duns ta . s e ri S . Reg li i ul , Qf n (Rolls p 6 6 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

o Of fEthelhelm or Athelm The first Bish p Wells was , , as he is 1 o co on H n on m re mm ly called . e must have bee am g the earliest ’ of c on n o H to n fruits Alfred s edu ati al e deav urs . e seems have bee

a to o o his n n o . rel ted the r yal h use, as nephew Du stan u d ubtedly was ’ o Heorstan Dunstan s o n on His br ther , father, had an estate b rderi g Glastonbury to the south-east ; and A thelm may h ave been born in n o oo to c l o that eighb urh d . He appears have been edu ated at G ast n 2 if n n f on on not o o . c c bury, i deed he was a m k the abbey His se rati

c in 9 9 or 9 1 0 o in new oc of may be pla ed 0 . Of his w rk the di ese Somerset we know n othing at all ; but we may be sure that it was

o and oo for n a P le mund in 923 A thelm str ng g d ; whe the ged g died, , 3 n f n r was chose to succeed him in the archbishopric O Ca terbu y . This was a remarkable choice ; for it had hardly ever h appened that an archbishop was appointed from the n umber of existing bishops ; c n n on or o there were pre ede ts i deed, but ly three f ur in the three ’ c n nc n n e turies si e St . Augusti e s death . Whe he was settled at

n A thelm n for n n n Of o Ca terbury, se t his ephew Du sta , a lad ab ut

o n who had n on . n f urtee , bee brought up at Glast bury Ki g Edward

end of 924 on 4 in o ow n died at the , and September the f ll i g year

A thelm no n and c o n n . On n 8 926 a i ted r w ed King Athelsta Ja uary , , he died ; but not before he had commended Dunstan to the new king

c co co not no how and se ured him a place in the urt . He uld k w great

c to n o c n was the servi e he thus rendered the E gland f the omi g days . 4 H n r O e was buried at Ca terbu y , where his bit was kept, and his 5 n o on con o name was i v ked am g saintly fess rs . Here we must n eeds break Off our narrative in order to consider the various historical problems which beset some of the statements c whi h have just been made .

1 See No B on Na JEthelhelm or fEth the te ( ) the me elm . 2 Memorial9- o t D n a S . u st n 1 0 54 . a f a s a f , pp . 7, , f Willi m o M lme bury m kes A h lm a n f G t e o o as on : ibid . . 258 s ta B um 22 A nti o m k l t bury , p ; Ge eg , i . 4 ; q. f ’ Glaston . in a n s A dam Domerham 92 an f s o n He r e of , i . . The C on o Well , impr vi g on s a s a H h o istori a Mai or W a on A S 555 . On t e o thi , m ke him bb t , h rt , . . i . ther an B o on in his Chronicon sa s A th lmus non monachus h d r mpt , , y : qui quidem e fuit , ’ sed o n s a a c sco D r b rn n an um w sd n Scri t Decem m e lii r hiepi pi o o o e ses te c , T y e , pt . ,

838 . G p . The lastonbury Obituary possibly included him as having been Bishop ’ of s a s a s a D ta i Well , perh p l o s uns n s uncle an d thus he may n time have been o of as a nk a i a th ught mo Of the bbey. It s mos t reasonable to s uppose that he h d his ca on edu ti there . 3 ’ See No C on a Of Athelm s ans a on to an the te ( ) the D te Tr l ti C terbury . o n MS N o o 0 . 9 C tt . , er . 5 See Not D on o s Of Athelm Wulfhelm and L fin the e ( ) the T mb , y g . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 7

TH E S U BDI V IS I O N OF TH E WE SSE x DIO C ES E S

The earliest histo rical record which tells us of the rearrangement c new oc o out of nc for i by whi h a di ese was f rmed Wi hester W ltshire, t o n w oc out Of o n for and on and w e di eses Sherb r e Wells Credit , is the famous man uscript presented by King Athelstan to the guardian s ’ ’ Of n . an c con n Of St . Cuthbert s shri e This m us ript tai s Bede s Life f ’ and c n o n c . n St . Cuthbert a metri al arrative the sai t s mira les Betwee co of o and n f n these two pieces me lists bish ps ge ealogies o ki gs . These and similar episcopal lists deserve a critical treatmen t which

not c occ in con nc on enea they have yet re eived . They ur, ju ti with g o c Of n o- on o o in n of n l gi al lists the A gl Sax r yal h uses, a umber ma u c n at o Of co n s ripts which prese t them vari us stages mplete ess . The most important codices are

o on M S . n . 6 0 . 805 C tt , Vespasia B (

o o 1 83 c. C rpus Christi C llege, Cambridge, ( M 5 o on S . . c. C tt , Tiberius B ( onc n l con of n c Our chief c er wi l be with the se d these ma us ripts, ’ n co n on o in o to n Ki g Athelstan s dex me ti ed ab ve . But, rder i terpret

nc r n of of its evide e a ight, we must make a prelimi ary study the list o o n in 6 the West Sax n bish ps give Vespasian B . . This is a composite volume containing B s ed a d e tem oribu if . 1 i . p ( ono c an d o and o If 1 03 ii . Astr mi al ther tables, vari us items ( .

o o of o &c . of n o o f ll wed by lists p pes, , and E glish bish ps, and geneal gies of M c an and o n n fi 1 07 6 er i N rthumbria ki gs ( . ’ n of N wbur h H if 1 1 2 c e s o . iii . In a mu h later ha d, William g ist ry ( on wards) . It is not certain that i and 1 1 originally formed part of the same

M o not no on 1 02 6 to n S . : pr bably they did . A te f . seems have bee n 0 840 co of c of r n writte . , and the py the tra t Bede was perhaps w itte

a to . little earlier . But ii may fairly be assigned a yet earlier date o end L eo 795 — 81 6 o o re The p pes with III ( ) pr bably, th ugh the n n of to c n i ki g the MS . makes it hard say with ertai ty that the next two n n V 81 6— 1 7 an d a c 81 7 not ames, Stephe ( ) P s hal I ( were o n c o n c written by the rigi al s ribe . The p i t must really be de ided by

nc of n the evide e the E glish lists . We begin by Observing that the scribe would seem to have written o 2 7 81 6 a Of o nc of Celc th c bef re July , , the d te the C u il y , at whi h 8 THE SA XON BISHOPS OF WELLS

nc c and L ichfield t Wi the n Wi hester, Lei ester were represen ed by g g , 1 Rethhun and Herewine for these n ames are added to his lists by

con an c n o of oc o n to c . 825 . a se d h d, whi h bri gs m st the di eses d w n n Of Werenberht of c Ald wulf Agai , the last sig atures Lei ester and

fil a n 1 83 . 1 S Of L ich e d re i 8 4 c . . (Harley Charter A ; Bir h , C But in this charter Wigthegn already appears as Bishop of Winchester ;

so the n n o . n that Wessex lists must have bee writte bef re this I deed, if with Bishop Stubbs we accept the date and signatures of the

Winch lcombe c S . 338 o o n on c of e . Spuri us f u dati harter (Bir h, C ) as 2 o a n n c a Wi the n or Wi noth derived fr m ge ui e h rter, then g g ( g , as he n o of 8 1 1 is there corruptly writte ) was already Bish p Winchester in . H m a cc for nc of e y have su eeded earlier still, the last appeara e

Alhmund c o on 26 805 c . S , his prede ess r, is July , (Bir h, C . If now we date the episcopal lists between 805 and 8 1 1 (or 81 4) n two c on c oo we shall satisfy all dema ds, with ex epti s whi h if they st d

For Tidferth Of by themselves might suggest a yet earlier date . cc in 806 an d of n n in 803 Hexham su eeded , Egbert Li disfar e ; and n n f both Of these were added by the seco d ha d . But or these remote dioceses the original scribe may easily have been behindhan d in his n o on for o n o n to i f rmati . As the r yal ge eal gies, the latest ki g be mentioned is Coenwulf Of Mercia (796 NO Wessex kings are included in these lists .

o on o c n of co Pr visi ally, theref re, we pla e the writi g these epis pal

n 805 and 81 c not c o lists betwee 1 . Su h a date is ex luded by palae 3 c con on graphi al siderati s . If we are right in thinking that we have here got back to the original compilation of these episcopal lists — an d there seems t o be no evidence of an earlier stage— they were drawn up at a critical ’ o in histor ' of and f n f peri d the y the Church O the State . Ki g O fa s scheme of a separate Mercian province with an archbishop at L ichfield had been short-lived ; it was finally disposed of by Archbishop

Ethelweard in 803 o Wulfred n c o o f . Alth ugh , the ext Ar hbish p

a 805 a o on Coenwulf C nterbury ( had pr l ged struggle with , the l c n n n of o nc no on in ast great Mer ia ki g, the u ity his pr vi e was l ger

on and n oon to o rc n t ran questi , Ke t was s be released fr m the Me ia y y . The power Of Wessex was growing un der Egbert (802 an d was soon to alter the face of England after the battle of Ellandune

in 825 . It is not with out significance that at this moment of impending

1 2 a an and S n il s Cou c s a . 5 9 . I bi d . 5 4 n H dd tubb , , 4 , iii 7 . iii 7 . 3 am t o sa M r G f s on a of . . son s I permitted y thi the uthority J P. il , O the Briti h s who has n a o t n Mu eum , ki dly ll wed me o co sult him . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 9

c n n new n a o to n to a ha ge, whe a u ity was b ut be give the State, scholar should be m oved to trace the episcopal succession s of the o of n n and to the an c n Of wh le E gla d, thus display te ede t unity the n c c n had in 804 and n oon to E glish Chur h . Al ui died , the la d was s be plunged in the darkness of that ignorance which two generations

o to o co on later Alfred w uld have depl re . We may regard the mpilati ’ Of on e of f o of l uin oo these lists as the last e f rts A c s sch l . The following is the Wessex list of episcopal successions in

. 6 n an n Vespasian B . The ames marked with asterisk have bee

con n c. 825 . added by the se d ha d,

No na e isco orum occid entalium sax num mi p p o . Primus occid entalium saxonum birinus fuit episc0 pus qui c um con silio honoru a ac u n rat b ri ia a ilb rht i p p e e ttan m . ii g e iii uu ne iiii leutherius v haedd e Dein de in d uas parochias diuisus est altera uuentan aecium eccles iae altera scira bur nensis a ( ) ecclesi e . I n uenta(na) ciuita(te) scira(burnensi) eccle(sia) i d anih el i aldhelm ’ ’ ii hun fri é ii for é here iii cynh eard 1 1 1 hereuuald ’ ’ iiii aeé elheard iv ae é elmod ’ v e cgbald v d enefrié vi d udd vi uuigberht * vii cyneberht alhstan viii alchmund ’ " wig é egn ’ " h e refri é

’ The main source of the co mpi ler s inform ation for the earliest

o o n a Hi s i a E f peri d w uld atur lly be the tor cclesi as ti ca o Bede . He ’ has in c c o o n o two , fa t, a tually ad pted Bede s w rds, taki g them fr m

a a a s of o widely separ ted p ss ge his w rk .

1 H is t . Ecol. . 7 E0 o ns Occidentalium Sax num anti uitus ( ) iii temp re ge o , qui q

Gewi ssae vocabant ur nan C n i ilso fid em s s usce it raedicante , reg te y g Chri ti p , p

' ’ i s Bi rzno e is co o ui cum consi lio a ae H lli verbum p p , q p p onorii veneral Brittanz am.

The secon d passage explai ns the riddle of what appears to be the n a ca divis as es u gramm ti l t.

2 Hist Ec . ol . . 1 8 uo se. Haedd e d efun cto e isco atus rovinciae s ( ) v Q ( ) , p p p illin i n d uas arrochias divis as est una a a Daniheli a s r it a a p d t , qu m u que hodie eg ; lter

We are now ready to consider the eviden ce Offered to us by the x in . . . 1 8 . l con n f r Wesse lists C C C C . 3 It wi l be venie t to postpone o o n c a n n n on to of M S . the m me t ert i i teresti g questi s as the date this , and of l h c con n the ists w i h it tai s . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

i o arrochias Nomina ep sc porum xxvi . p d i isa occidentalium saxonum xxvii . u est tempf birin . Fri estan i na n i us fuit epis q ui cum xxviii . p u m te u ’‘ ons o h r i a v xxviiii Fri t estan t a a c ili ono i p pe e . it e lter m

n a r ZE e lstan ost O a. er t b ittanniam xxx . p p ea d

’ ’ II A ilberht S burn ecclesi . g ci re enszs e episcope

iii . n A dhelm pi e i . ’ . leuth rius F r cSh re iiii e ii . o e haedd l e . He r uua d v . iii e d ind in fE’é lm d e e duas parrochi iiii . e o ’ as diuis V D n fri é us est a a u n a . e e . lter ue t cen orum cc si a a i briht e le e lter scire vi . pg burn n si E a1hstan e s ecclesie vii . [ ] uuentane ciuita heahmund tis epis copi viii .

Danihel viiii as elheah . p ’ V I I . Hunfrié x ulfsi e . p g

. C nhear xi ass viii y d . er

viiii . E l aet l r pe heard xii . e pea d

x . Ec bal 2 g d (col . ) xi d udd d e in de in t rw parrochias xii C . ynebryht diuisa est pillens is ec x A iii . lhmun d cles ie et cridiensi( s) xiiii i e . p gpgn eccles ie

’

xv . Herefert Sci reburnensz s ecclesi e

xvi . Ba n x eerstan dhu iii . p

x . Helm tan iiii as elbald vii s x . p 2 v Si lm . 6 b col . 1 x . e (f , ) g ’ x S i é hun vi aelfred viii . p x .

xviiii . Uuillens is ecclesie

x . D n l ae elmus x e e pu f i . p l ri s l l . ulfh mus xxi . F pe tan u e E l h x lfheah . ae fhea x ii . iii

’ xx Cri diensis cecclesze iii . xxiiii Dein Eaduulf . d e uuintoni i .

xxv enS eccla in as I L ae el ar . du ( ) p g

It is at on ce evident that we have here a contin uation of the lists 6 f in . n o . co which we have foun d the earliest stage Vesp B . The tin uator n no n c o and has n c is plai ly trai ed s h lar, he i di ated the fresh

u on of n in a aw nn s bdivisi the Wi chester diocese very kward ma er. He has o mitted even to tell us that the n ew diocese then formed was

oc of c r con the di ese Wiltshire, whi h had its seat at Ramsbu y. He tinues the Win chester list to his own day without any suggestion

of o c n on con on that the area the di ese has u derg e a se d limitati . He n of Swithhun find l o has left a gap after the ame St . we it fi led s me f Ealf h in na o ert . fifty years later Tiberius B . 5 by the me His last three bisho ps are Den ewulf (879 Frithestan (909-31 ) and ‘ ’ lfh h 9 4 on n n o E ea 3 . the Bald ( wards) Stra gely e ugh, he has left T HE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 1 1

’ out n Beornstan who c in on Frithestan s n the sai tly , ame retireme t for two and not on o on n and sat years a half, if l ger. This missi , agai , 5 is supplied in Tiberius B . . n o nc o n to own Havi g br ught his Wi hester list d w his time, he finds it n ecessary to explain that part of the Winchester diocese has for o n a off n s me time bee sep rated and ruled by a bishop of its ow . He oo c to no c a Co co l ks ba k the te, whi h he has lready pied, re rding the first

d on of Of nc and a n o sub ivisi the see Wi hester, he ppe ds a s mewhat ‘ belated note of a similar character : Then (dei nde) the church of c w as nto two oc in of Frithestan Win hester divided i di eses , the time ’ one Frithestan o E an and a Od a held, the ther thelst , fterwards . We o c in o n 925 an d 27 an d n kn w that Oda ame at s me time betwee 9 , we t

to in 942 . A n who c at Canterbury thelsta , pre eded him Ramsbury, ‘ c in o w n new o n in ame , it w uld seem, he the see was f u ded, the time of Frith tan o n es but this is a s mewhat vague i dication of date . h n Let us now see ow he deals with the subdivision of Sherbor e . H c o o n who in 909 to e arries d wn his Sherb r e list past Asser, died , f thelweard n n no an n of c a E . The he i serts a te, the me i g whi h is f irly c o h con c on n d einde lear, th ug its stru ti is faulty : The ( ) it was divided n o oc — Of c ch of and of c c of i t three di eses the hur Wells, the hur h ’ on a — for c Credit . After this we have three sep rate lists the redu ed f n f f oc O o or and or on . di ese Sherb r e, Wells, Credit ’ When did this subdivision actually take place ? Was it o n Asser s ’ or in of 1 Ethelw eard or ? death, the time , immediately after his time

con o an o on of c and Was it temp r e us with the subdivisi Win hester, part of a complete s cheme for the reconstitution of the Wessex oc P n n c Of di eses All that we ca say here is that the evide e this MS . o not afiord c a n to on d es us le r a swers these questi s . The writer has ot n o a c o an o c n g himself i t uri us t gle, fr m whi h he must have bee thankful to emerge and to go forward with the straight lines Of his a n n a h sep rate lists . We shall be u wise if we press his la gu ge wit a o ca n a n rigidly l gi l i terpret tio . He left an awkward problem for his successors when they came to ‘ c on nc i no to o in arry the Wi hester l st . The te as the subdivisi n the time of Frithestan was already out of its proper place what sh ould

d o P c of 5 con n nc they with it The s ribe Tiberius B . ti ues the Wi hester

o a n n of fElfsi e E thelwold and list with ut a bre k, addi g the ames g , fElfheah con n the se d (the future archbishop and martyr) . He the adds a note in which he attempts to combine the two notes of his predecessor :

’ Uuentania eccles ia in duas parrochias d ivisa est tempore fri é estan unam es ’ ’ n frI tSestan et a a ae i arr chias te uit lter m Selstan postea Oda Deinde n . iii . p o a st wiltun ensis will i divis e et en s s et cridiensis aecclesiae . 1 2 THE SAXON BISH OPS OF WELLS

After this he gives the Sherborne list from the time of Aldhelm ‘ ’ d o to own O n Wiltunensis wn his day . We bserve that he has give us as the name of the diocese which had before been left without a n ame in on c and n on o but he gives it the wr g pla e, makes co fusi w rse con o n f u ded . We have now to consider the date and provenance of the two n cr of c o n ma us ipts whi h we have last sp ke .

1 1 83 on Of a His t Dunelm . 1 1 1 8 : ( ) . Sime Durh m ( . . I , - - . 75 o a in 9 25 Tilred o Of le p , R lls Ser . ) s ys that , Bish p Chester Street, cc Wi red in o n a n died, and was su eeded by g , wh se te th ye r Athelsta , ’ on n n ff n o co a o . his way i t S tla d, made gre t eri gs at St Cuthbert s ‘ n t o 934 I n o a shri e. This brings us . the f urth year fter this, ‘ . . h e Weondune o c i e says, was the battle at , therwise alled Etbrunnanw erc or Brunnanbyrig Thus it is quite plain that on of f n to in Sime Durham dates the gifts O Athelsta St . Cuthbert

934 of his x on to an , the year first e pediti S cotl d . o not c in a to cartula He d es des ribe the gifts det il, but refers us a , ‘ ch has 72 o n of as cc c u a whi he already (p . ) sp ke e lesiae art l quae antiquam regum et q uorumq ue religiosorum m unificentiam erga i n n n is o ia d e S Cuthberto psum sa ctum co ti et This is the H t r . , n in o u f we pri ted the same v l me o the Rolls Series . Here read 26 2 1 1 n n a n a a on , p . ) that whe Athelsta was m ki g gre t expediti n o co n n f and a o i t S tla d he visited the shri e O St . Cuthbert m de r yal

et n subscri tum n com osuit et ad c n c gifts, i de p testame tum p aput sa ti

C uthberti osuit : I n no n domiI I i n o r E o p mi e stri Iesu Ch ist. g Ethel n do san cto Cuthberto hun t xtum Evan eliorum sta rex c e g , (many

o o et n nc C uthb erti m etrice et rosaice gifts f ll w) u am sa ti vitam , p scriptum Evidently this deed of gift was written on a leaf Of 1 o n hunc r um the G spels thus prese ted ( te t ) . The cartula proceeds to tell us that Athelstan charged his brother

n to n o to o a in Edmu d bri g his b dy St. Cuthbert if he sh uld f ll the

1 M S. i w on O o . 9 f It s believed that this Book of the Gospels as the Cott th B , o a was sc which only charred fragments of thirteen leaves n ow rem in . It de ribed ’ ’ Hi k s an s En s d ca an c es s Thes aur us . who s by W ley ( , ii give Athel t gli h edi No a Sax n s on of oo to St . C was o . o ti the b k uthbert . This foll wed by t de d i ’ a contulit rex fEth el u a n s a en n in qu e idem stan s . The L ti te t m tum give the Mr d n Histori a d e S . Cuthberto s s t a na on Of s n s . . o so , eem o be combi ti the e e trie H g

n S m Dun . . 1 49 S Soc sa s : is a co of h s c a e Hi de ( y . i , urtees . ) y There py t i h rt r in M — f MS . o t n n S . on a s 21 2 a c will Cott , Cl udiu D . iv . , the fif ee th e tury. It

occ s a so a . 9 b f S and is sa d to a n Ex o P ri ori s ur l t p 3 o the same M . i be t ke libr et concordat cum libro magn i altaris The pas sage relating to Edmund is said E ” t o x o a n altaris . n or of s an is in be libr m g i Neither it, the will Athel t , the ’

a n MS . was and so o bOOk is n o o a . a s Liber Vit e, me ther d ubt me t The Cl udiu W' t o an is not n on c C. S . 685 referred by ley , but me ti ed by Bir h , .

1 4 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

Yet we may be fairly confident that the book comes from Wessex for a o t he Of c o of n on , part fr m list the ar hbish ps Ca terbury, ly the ’ o o o n to t wn Wessex bish ps are br ught d w the wri er s o day . All the o co co to an end o c w ther epis pal lists me bef re . If the riter had been at Canterbury he might h ave done more for these other oc oo for in an d c di eses . We must l k him Wessex ; after Win hester o c o n the m st likely pla e w uld seem to be Glasto bury . This was o on and co n in o a r yal m astery, the urt was freque tly S merset ; n n n o an d c o Du sta was trai ed at Glast nbury, be ame abb t there a few r to to n years after this . St . Cuthbe t was said have appeared Ki g n in o Alfred whe he was hard pressed the S merset marshes, and the parish church of Wells proves by its unusual dedication that the n in ono in n o oo sai t was high h ur the eighb urh d in very early days . A copy of his Life and of his Miracles may have been already at Gl on or n o o no h for ast bury, may have bee br ught fr m the rt the n f oo no o n in writi g o this b k . This is m re tha a guess ; but it fits w ith the fact th at the n ext eviden ce for these episcopal lists is found

n c n o G on conn x on . i a MS . whi h u d ubtedly has a last bury e i

5 o n now . (2) Of this MS . (Tiberius B . ) s methi g must be said It a to of con of n c n ppears be the se d half the eleve th e tury, but its

co a end c 990 o a n o a epis p l lists . . The r y l ge eal gies are the s me as in 6 a co x n o xon Vesp . B . , save that th t de had e tirely mitted the West Sa

n c in two : o n o ki gs . This defe t is remedied ways bef re the ge eal gies of n t of n o c to E Vesp . , Tiberius i serts a lis ki gs fr m Cerdi thelred and a n o t of a n o of I nc fter the ge eal gies Vesp . , it adds ( ) a ge eal gy (which is foun d as the last of the genealogies in and

b n o of fEthelin s Eadward n and E ( ) a ge eal gy the g , , Eadmu d thelred,

on of a c n to I n eld o of I n e . n s s Edg r, tra i g them up g the br ther The it says

’ n h v1 1 . xxx I ngeld w aes i n es b ro é or w estseaxna cyni ges 7 he eold rice . 7 wint ra 7 he getimbrad e pas t beorhte mynster a t glaesting a byrig 7 a fter pam

' ferde to sce petres 7 peer his feorh asealde 7 onsibbe gerest 7 hi begen ’ 2 w n nr d broé ra ee ro ce e es suna.

n o con n o c and o n to c This ge eal gy is ti ued thr ugh Cerdi W de S ef,

1 — 84 The list of pOpes comes down to Adrian 1 1 1 (884 5) the entries from c. 0 o n e in M S o c t o this date may have been inserted by an earlier w r the . fr m whi h w n our scribe as copyi g . 2 Notes which appear to be derived from this Glastonbury form of the gen ealogy

a a an see . 40 are add ed t o A Of th e Saxon Chronicle by very e rly h d Plummer, i - S . n a 855 is a f A . s . . (u nder 688) and 42 (un der The gen ealogy th t o Chro . ,

G as on nc is n ot o n . nc o s where, however , the l t bury refere e f u d The refere e d e n d in Textus Ro ens is appear in the copy of the gen ealogy fou the fi . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 1 5

’ ‘ o son who o n and so on to N ah s , was b r in the ark ; up Adam ,

o o Et o n . 23 a . primus h m . pater m ium qui est Christus (f ) There are other i n dications whi ch point to Glastonbury as the

c of c of For on 23 b a of sour e the ar hetype this MS . f . we have list n o an n nn n Hem il s and n ames with ut y headi g at all, begi i g with g endi g E lfward in ac o of o with . These are, f t, the abb ts Glast nbury ; and fElfward w as cc o of o Si e ar who c o of the su ess r Abb t g g , be ame Bish p in 5 Wells 97 . On the same page comes a list of tenth-cen tury popes ; and then ’ follows an accoun t Of Archbishop Sigeric s visit to Rome (printed by

M emori als o Duns tan 391 of Stubbs , f , The date this visit was

990 . Si eric n o Of on o 980 to 985 g had bee Abb t Glast bury fr m . are o in conn c n c Of We justified, theref re, e ti g mu h the matter c n n in 5 n o . o . o tai ed Tiberius B ( with Glast bury But it is pr bable a M S c to o c n r n th t the . , whi h is be dated ab ut a e tury later, was w itte for o r n for n f w ithhun an d no o c : O . S at Wi hester the ame St , ther,

n n c is e tirely i apital letters . o o 5 co o no We have already qu ted fr m Tiberius B . the mp site te

c c on of oc and whi h des ribes the subdivisi the Wessex di eses, have m n on on to n c To o e ti ed its additi s the Wi hester list . the Sherb rne

ZElfred Wulfsi e Alfwold and Athelsi e list are added (after ) g , g . We ma no in f r nd on w o a . y give full the lists Wiltshire, Wells Credit

’ Nomi na episcoporum umltunensi s JE’ l i . é e stan

Od a . fElrici ii . iii

OSOlf iii . fElfstan iiii .

v VV ulf ar . g ' Si ri vi . ge cus dei

V l l amI us . c

‘ ’ Nomina umlnenszs coolest; ’ A é elm i .

1 1 VV l lm . u fhe

fElfheah iii . ii

Walfh iiii . elm

Brihthelm v .

o a- v y Kyn ewerd

Si e ar vii . g g Nomina episcoporum cridiensis ecclesie Ead ulf i . ’ [ Eé l ar ii . e g fElfwold iii . S d an iiii . i em

fElfric v . ZElfwold vi . 1 6 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

What conclusions can we draw from the study of these episcopal lists as to the date of the subdivision of the Wessex dioceses under Edward the Elder ? The creation Of a n ew diocese out of Winchester ‘ too k place in the time Of Frithestan This vague mann er of Speaking

to c n of no c may be due the mispla eme t the te, whi h perhaps ought to o o Of Denew ulf I n an c a our n have f ll wed the name . y se first i quiry ’ ’ must be as to the year of Denewulf s death and the year Of Frithestan s cc i on a ess .

a . of on c c The P rker MS (A) the Chr i le, whi h was written at Win c o o n n hester, has the f ll wi g e tries W D lf r . 908 . efor enu s aes n int as t e bis cO Her g , e w o ece p

909. Her n Frithestan to biscO d ome on int eceastre ss bisco efor fe g p W , 7 A er p g > é m e ae a S ir r an bi sa t ae c . f er , s w s t c ebu n s op

n are o n in and n The same e tries f u d MSS . B , C, D, but u der the 0 9 1 0 o n na n 9 9 . t o o in years , It is be ted that the rigi l umbers A have been i ncreased by one for all the years from 892 to 928 : SO that A now appears as giving our two annals as 909 and But the f o n n n o o of of . N o rigi al umberi g A has the supp rt the Annals St e ts, where we read

nno Dccc x . s s e isco us Scirab urnensis O i i et Frithestanu A A( ) er p p b t, s susce it e isco atum Uuintoniae p p p .

’ A yet earlier date (908) is assign ed for Asser s death in the A nnales Cambriae an d n on A ss er ‘ c . , Mr . W . H . Steve s de lares ( , p lxv) that it ’ iffic l to c c is d u t say whi h is the corre t year . If we accept the year 909 for the accession of Frithestan and for n of n ot n on o the subseque t death Asser, we may u reas ably supp se that the whole s cheme for the Wessex dioceses came into operation 2 end of a at the th t year.

h Note on the Wi nchester C arters of 9 09 .

’ Of c a s conc n l i in h ster o s and a There is a group h rter , er ed with c e pr pertie d ted

9 c s a of i s on Of l V inch ester n o tw o dioceses b n E a i n 90 , whi h pe k the div i i t y Ki g dw rd E an d s Of B s o Frithes tan a c a n anc n an s ma the lder , the reque t i h p th t ert i ie t gr t y

1 in a n o na n a on of o I can not follow Dr . Plummer reg rdi g the rigi l umer ti A fr m ' ll n o a s k n . is a s n a o o s 892 t o 928 s mi ta e It s eriou misfortu e th t, f wi g Th rpe xa has n altered ures onl i n his x for nc Of is e mple , he give the fig y te t the evide e A i n cons eq uen ce perpetually mis q uoted . 2 ’ o c a ss s s cc sso is n i n s s as fEthelweard If it be bje ted th t A er u e r give the li t , and that the n ote which d escribes the subdivis ion Of Sherborn e follows after his ’ na ma he d 1 a a Of ss s a a ns n c a n me , it y replie ( ) th t the ye r A er de th rem i u ert i , n o and (2) that ZEth elweard may have d ied soon after hi s consecration . We k w nothing Of him apart from these lists : the charters in whi ch his name occurs d on cannot be relie . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 1 7

s mellifluous ona ons — if ma al o to be confirmed t o him . The e d ti we y be l wed ’ use the phras e of A rchbishop P legmund s attesting clause — all come from the MS n s o M u . . . a os Winchester Register (Brit . s Addit m t u tru tw rthy One of o has a so a s a a x s nc as a source . them , h wever , l ep r te e i te e H rley

a 1 i s a n an is nd o d Of a Ch rter 43 . C . it be utifully writte , but the h d u ubte ly l ter nc f a ha n n is date than 909 . A s the evide e O thes e ch rters s bee so Ofte quoted , it 1 t an a n ecess ary that this charter a y r te should be subjected to examination .

a E Ead rd us d na lar i ente c A x num r x o ( ) go uuea ivi g lementia ng ulsa o e , temp re uO d iucesim Uuentanae cc s a i n d as d s arrochias Obnixae ro atus q e le i e u ivi i p , g fui a Frid estano nc raedictae cc s a e isco um constitueram ut novarum quem tu p e le i e p p , asti ulation e litterarum Sanc a cc s a s a n a O ab anteoessoribus p t e e le i e te t me t , uti lim meis Cynegi slo atque Cynepalho multisq ue eorum successoribus devote tradita a a a a fuerant confirmans no a tque rest ur t , re v rem ’ The phrase tempore q uo diucesim Uuentanae ecclesiae in duas divis i parrochias recall s the episcopal lists in 1 83 where we read Deind e Wintoniensis ’ cc s a in d as arrochias d sa e st o Fri estani Bu u Of e le i e u p ivi temp re p . t the se 2 d nn x n a a iocesis in this co e io m y possibly r ise our s uspicion . b terram a undi ue adiacet civitati a in x o Christiana reli ioni s ( ) qu e q qu e e ordi e g , B no n a sco o raedicante a o o ei us ue coa ostolo a o iri ve er bili epi p p , be t Petr q p P ul ’ n s co cessa fuer t . The writer here and els ewhere in the charter has doubtless drawn his informa tion from Bede but this particular statement is un fortunate for Birinus sat at ’ o c s a c c was o d for and n t n Cenwalh s n D r he ter, where hur h pr vi ed him o u til reig s sit at nc s did a bi hop Wi he ter . c lari ilit m (o) n ulli se u um m u looks like a later phrase . (d) beati Petri apostolorum principis auctoritate praecipimus does not s eem an a a n a s d n o ns P l m und and his l gu ge th t the ki g would h ve u e , eve though he j i eg

as i d o n . s uffraganei with him . The phr e s repeated and enlarged lower w (e) The reference to Archbishop Theodore and his forbidding the alienation Of

B . 5 s s as c c o s o s o nc Of o H . E. hur h pr perty by bi h p (C u il Hertf rd , ede, iv ) eem little ’ k to n n as nc to B s o Denew ulf Frithestan s c sso li ely be ge ui e the refere e i h p , prede e r , wh wa on s a as a n a ff in s a ad anima o s ly ju t de d , h vi g speci lly o ended thi m tter e uae periculum (f ) Ego P legmund archiepiscopus mellifl uam d onationem praefati regis ’ ri si um s nacu o n a s ubsc p c ig l sa ct e crucis . Elaborate attestations Of this kin d d o not s eem to come in genuine charters a a a c n a till bout h lf e tury l ter . 1 had noted these poin ts as casting more or less Of s uspic ion upon this charter ’ o ca ac oss S s n s con na o n A sser bef re I me r Mr . W . H . teven o dem t ry judgeme t ( ,

322 c o c w xc on of s whi h I here repr du e These texts , ith the e epti the fir t B i . . c Cart. Sax. . 283 n are o nc s [ e ir h , ii , o . derived fr m the Wi he ter c a a and S wh ar . o s h rtul ry , they e all of a very su spicious nature Bish p tubb , o acc s d nc a x cs in s a s a ept their evi e e s fi ing the division of the bishopri thi ye r, t tes a c a at 28 x i - c a a th t the h rter p . 3 e ists n an original tenth century h rter (pref ce t o a s esta Be um n is o c in M lme bury, G g , ii , p . lvi , ote It repr du ed the Brit.

1 is n d in B l ad c Cartu . Sa n 620 . o s are t o It pri te ir h , xo , no . The ther be re

sue nos . 623 625 62 628 2 , , , 7, , 6 9 . 2 is o so s in f C l th It , h wever, u ed the decrees o the Council of e chy B 1 8 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

M Fa s n - n us . c . 1 0 an d i n i a s a a c . iv , pl , s writte n wh t mu t be very l te te th e tury

an is o e o a an a n -c n one is one Of on h d, but m r pr b bly e rly eleve th e tury . It the l g s eries Of forgeries inten ded t o establish the red uction of the hi d age of Chilcomb

o a n s to one a n o n ca ons a s c c ons ot fr m hu dred hide . We h ve i di ti th t u h redu ti h d a on no n n o on of an and n o nc i ti were k w before the i tr ducti D egeld , evide e beyond the l V inchester charters that such reductions were made by royal ’ a ch rters .

S n a n s a Of an Whether Mr . tevenso m y ot have unduly depres ed the d te the h d

n is a y ma acc writi g ques tion for the experts in palaeograph . But we y ept with o ut any hes itation his judgemen t that the whole s eries Of these charters is an e laborate Winchester forgery and we must content ours elves with n oting that at W n c s n s oc n co os i s on Of d oc s i he ter, whe the e d ume ts were mp ed , the div i the i e e

n o two a w as t a a n an 909 S c a conc s on i t p rts held o h ve t ke place not later th . u h lu i might eas ily have been drawn from the episcopal lis ts i n conjun ction with the

nc s co Of on c c as a n o na a 909 Wi he ter py the Chr i le , whi h , we h ve see , rigi lly g ve ’ as a Of rit estan s a n the d te F h ccess io .

TH E P L E G M U N D N A RR A TI V E

The story of the fivefold division of the Wessex dio ceses at the

n on of o o o and Of con c on c o i stigati P pe F rm sus, the se rati by Ar hbish p P le mund of n o on one d a has on n c g seve bish ps y, l g bee dis redited . c o o n on a of ac an d But, fi titi us th ugh the arrative is, it rests a b sis f t, ‘ it is closely conn ected with One of the m ost vexed i n ciden ts of n - in I n 905 o o o on o o . A gl Sax Hist ry The st ry brief is this F rm sus,

o of o o to n of n s an d co a n P pe R me, wr te Edward, Ki g the E gli h, mpl i ed that the West S axon s had been left fo r seven years without a bis ho p n ot n o la c on n n if this were ame ded, he w uld y a urse the E glish i stead

f n r n So O the blessi g which the h oly Pope Grego y had se t them . the

n co n c and c con n of a c o ki g held a u il, de ided, with se t the r hbish p, t o a tw n c m ke five sees where before there were but o . The the ar h

o n to o and o w as to an bish p we t R me, the p pe pleased remit his ger and to acc n ew c n P le mund n co ept the s heme . Whe g retur ed he use

c a in one n o n for nc r and o n r ted day seve bish ps, amely, Wi heste Sherb r e,

for new of an d on an d for two the sees Ramsbury, Wells Credit , o c n to c n TO o of on ther sees whi h happe ed be va a t . the Bish p Credit o in o n a a n — P olltun C ze llinc an d three pr perties C r w ll were ssig ed , g L an duuithan— to the i ntent that he should visit the Cornish folk

c to con r o r r o for o s o far ea h year, ve t them fr m thei e r rs ; bef re this,

1 S f M l s t . m bur es ta Re um 1 40 n . a 1 1 . o O a es . s ee so . ff tubb , pref W y , G g , I l liv . , a is isc at where the m tter d ussed length . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 1 9

co and not o n to as they uld, they resisted the truth, were bedie t , the o o c Now all o c in no Of ap st li al de crees . this the p pe de reed the Sy ds of a who o c n o n the Church St . Peter, th t he sh uld ha ge this s u d n n cou sel might for ever be dam ed . n o n for s o o o in 896 n n It is u f rtu ate the t ry that F rm sus died , i e years before the date of his letter ; his acts were twice cancelled by

cc o and o con c to his su ess rs, bish ps se rated by him were required be

con c a a . o o co se r ted fresh M re ver, the epis pal lists which we have already cons idered refute the notion that the West S axons were left

for n a o o . o as o seve ye rs with ut a bish p But, gr tesque the st ry is, it o to n n o o c n is yet w rth while i quire, Whe d es the d ume t first appear, and with what motive is it likely to have been composed ? The earliest Copy has hitherto been held to be that which is foun d 1 one Of tw o n a in the Leofric Missal . It is e tries t the beginning ‘ c n o o a c to whi h Mr. Warre , the edit r, w uld s ribe quite the latter part ’ o cco n o Of the eleventh century . Bish p Stubbs a rdi gly pined that the story acquired its present form s oon after the middle Of the eleventh ’ c entury . I n 1 895 o ca on of o , h wever, the publi ti the Crawf rd Charters proved

at all n n c of ca o o that eve ts the substa e it, as the uti us edit rs remarked, ? must go back to an earlier period For a letter whi ch is regarded as having been addressed by A rclI bishOp Dun stan to King ZEthelred n n nc n f c . 985 con n a o o O c on ( ) tai s all its m i p i ts, i ludi g the w rst its hr o o n f f o ca o . c e O o o oc n l gi l err rs This letter, whi h is a gr up d ume ts

conn c on c a a n Ec briht a n e ted with Credit , de l res th t Ki g g , h vi g sub

to o n o ni dued the West Welsh, gave Sherb r e three C r sh estates

P olltun C aellwic an d L andwithan . I n a n admo , fter times, whe the nition Of Pope Formosus led to the creation of new dioceses (an d o n in o n n here the st ry is give utli e), these estates were assig ed to ‘ Ead ulf new o of on to n f , the Bish p Credit , be u der the authority o

o of on ca o of o had the pe ple Dev , be use they (the pe ple C rnwall) 3 o n o n o Of on f rmerly bee dis bedie t, with ut awe the West Sax s ’ Eadulf s cc o fEthel ar r n n o s n n a su ess r, g , etai ed them, twith ta di g th t n an n o c Of orn to on n Ki g Athelst had give the bish pri C wall C a . But

n an s cc onan n o n s whe D iel u eeded C , Ki g Edred gave the C r i h estates

1 B W . 1 MS a n . M Ox o odl . . 5 9 . o c ssa w f rd , 7 , ed rre p f The Le fri i l as so on o an Of o a n and anc as- a a written mewhere the b rderl d L rr i e Fr e, the Arr C mbr y s c a o 925 a to En an in s cond a f and was at G as on di tri t, b ut it c me gl d the e h l , l t a f t c os o n c n . bury the l e , the te th e tury 1 C a o d a s a and S nson A necd ota Oweniens ia r wf r Ch rter , ed . N pier teve ( ,

h . c . vii 3 The reason given in the P legmund narrative— the ecclesiastical irregularities B an — a d Of the ritish Christi s had perhaps by this time ce sed to be understoo . B 2 20 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

W lf i to A nd in n n d to u s e . him . like man er Ki g E gar gave them g Wherefore the archbishop declares that they ought to be held by the f o n n w Bishop o C r wall o . With the help of this interesting letter we can place the original n For co o o o a story in its historical setti g . its mp siti n is m st e sily explained as the ass ertion of the right of a Bishop of Crediton to h old estates which might not unreasonably be claimed for the newly

f n w of E thel ar s c o o . No o erected bishopri C r wall the death g , Bi h p f n of on oo c c . 95 3 and con c on O to t e Credit , t k pla e , the se rati Da iel h n 955 see of Cornwall was certai nly n ot later tha . Just at this time probably when n ew bish ops were entering upon both sees— the transfer f o n a w a ff c o c n c out O the C r ish est tes s e e ted . The d ume t whi h sets

c of on and a a nc on ma on the laim Credit , gives it p p l sa ti , y reas ably be referred to the episcopate Of fEtb elgar (934 or at latest to the

o n n o to peri d immediately after his death , whe the tra sfer was ab ut take plac e . This conclusion is borne out by the existence of a copy of the

oc m n c to c no c Of o n d u e t whi h seems have es aped the ti e hist ria s . When I began to in vestigate the early succession s of the Bishops of

n . n o n Wells, my frie d the late Mr Edmu d Bish p ki dly referred me 1 h t . 7 38 in c n o o Addit . MS the Britis Museum, whi h, as he had ted

an a o to con n Ple mun d o . m y years g , was said tai the g st ry He could not r m to a oo at as eme ber h ve l ked it himself, but it was attributed to the eleventh century he thought it might possibly be the earliest o n c on b o n u copy that we p ssess . His a ti ipati has een m re tha j sti fied n c in on con n Of c n . The ma us ript questi tai s a strip par hme t,

1 6 c 6 nc Of n of P le mund o in hes by i hes, feri g a text the g st ry which in o c d n closely agrees with that the Le fri Missal . This ocume t was

n to in 1 828 o n n of prese ted the British Museum by Sir J h Trevelya ,

co co . o on o co n Nettle mbe, S merset, am g wh se family re rds it had bee to o Of preserved . I am permitted say that the auth rities the Museum n ow c a n to n c n n attribute it with ert i ty the te th e tury . I am ot a o z to o c on to n uth ri ed be m re pre ise, but I have reas thi k that if we c a o of c n — to w n pla e it b ut the middle that e tury that is say, ithi the episcopate of [ Ethelgar Of Crediton— our decision will not be seriously

c n . o not o n oc n halle ged If, theref re, this is the rigi al d ume t itself, it is probably one of a set of copies circulated at the time Of its co o on mp siti .

One c o o o n a o nc and was n py d ubtless f u d h me at Wi hester, tra c in co Of n o -c n s ribed urse time i t the twelfth e tury Register (Addit .

’ . o c c n ar S aa MS fr m whi h Bir h has pri ted his text (C t. . ’ co o r no n n n This py, a ther at Ca terbury, might have bee in Du stan s

22 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

d evotatione and threatened to sen d maledi cti onem instead of bene ’ di ctionem ; so we may be sure that our document was in the forger s

n n o in n o ha ds . I deed its preservati n the Ca terbury Registers is s lely due to the fact that the m onks th ought that it would len d verisimili

to o o nc nc n oc in tude what f ll wed, if they i luded this a ie t d ument the

co of rivile i a o no n o n re rd their p g , th ugh it had beari g at all the

on in cco n an o n n questi dispute . A rdi gly it st ds just bef re the i th ? privilege under the title M emorabile f actum It occupies the same ’ ac and in Eadmer s con on of pl e, bears the same title, se d editi his His ori a N m 61 l a f M l t ovoru o . 2 o a m (R lls Series, pp Wi li m es i G P on oum n n bury gives the p r vilegi a in his es ta tifl (p. i cludi g

of o o not P le mund n . the letter F rm sus, but the g arrative This he f G s m n o or e ta Be u . c reserves his g (I, p where he i tr du es it with ’ o iocundum o m emoratu o a c on the w rds put . Thus the mem r ble fi ti

o n n x o of n c f u d its way i to the orthodo hist ry the E glish Chur h .

o o n i x f oc n ro . 7 1 8 The f ll wi g s the te t o the d ume t f m Addit MS . 3

' An n o illo q uo transacti su nt a n atiuitate d II i ni' i ihu xpi D ccccv Misit formos us pontifex apostolicus romam; mcclesiaa in te rram A nglorum ad regem ead ueard um m otus cum magna i racun d ia ac d euotation e Et man daui t ei cum s uis om n ibus maledictionem contra benedictionem quam beatus papa gregorius per sé m niram ag ustin um genti anglorum antea mis it Nis i cum gpiscoPis i ns tituisset d estitutas parrochias aapiscoporum Secund um antiquam t raditionem quae trad ita es t genti anglorum a s ed e sci petri Nam per -vii o an u os plen e d estituta est regio ieuuissorum ab omn i gpiscopo Quo factO cong regauit ead uueard rex syn od um senat orum gen tis angl orum I n q uo prgsid ebat plegmund us archiaeps reg i recitans et d isputans districta n erba aplicas legationis quam mis it beatus papa formosus Tunc s ibi re x c um s uis et plegmund us archiaeps salubre consilium inuenerunt as sumentes s ibi domin icam s ententiam m essis quidem multa est operarii nero pauci Sing ulis tribus i euuissoru s ingul os constit uerunt aapiscopos et singulis aepiscopia constituerunt Et q uod d ud um d uo habuerunt in quinq ue di uiserunt A ctO illo cons ili o cum h on orificis mun eribus plegmund us archiseps romam redut aplicum formosum cum magna humilitate placauit regis de creta et se niorum regionis enuntiauit quod et aplico maxime placuit Redien s t em t em

~ ~ ad at rI am I n d orObernia o vii i sco os vn a ccle sns I n uno d I e ord i nauI t p urbe ep p . Frythe stanum ad ae cclam v ventanie n sem fEthilstanum ad aecclam Coruinen se m V uaers tanum ad aecclesiam sciraburnen sem ZEthilhelmum ad aecclam fouta n iensem Ead uulfum ad aecclam Cridienen sem I nsup addid erunt illi tres uillas in Corn ubia quorum n omina pollt un ceellincg land uuithan ut inde singulis an ni s ui sitaret gemtem cornubien se ad exprimend os e orum errores Nam antea i n

1 B s d v t MS. e o io c n n o A dd . ns n d f ir h , pri ti g fr m it give , i stea o l i d evotatione a a ns a l o a o s . , g i t the ther uth rit e 2 SO in two a M S Of nn n of C nterbury S . the begi i g the twelfth century F d s 3 a s Of the sa an a s na . 6 a . co x d C o a a E . 1 u ti B Cl u iu A (p rt me de ) , le p tr . See d sc ss on in H Bo Die Falschun en Erz bis cho the full i u i . ehmer , g f L anf ranks con 1 ant bur 902 . C er y , THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 23 quantum potuerunt ueritati resistebant et non d ecretis apostolicis oboediebant Sed e t aliis prouinciis constituit duos australibus saxonibus uirum idoneum beorneh ordi nauit et mercionibus coenuulfum ad ciuitatem quae dicitur d orce ceaster Hoc autem totum sic papa apostolicus in synodis aeccle siaa sé i petri conclusit ut d ampnaretur in perpetuum qui h oe salubre mutaret consilium ’ iné s diuisi n E I n d orso. Se cont o e s atuum m um pta p p ppm for os .

o ur of is cor c P le mund n r If view the matter re t, the g ar ative was a n oc n not co n n on of fighti g d ume t . It was mposed with the i te ti

c n on co on of oc a pla i g re rd the divisi the Wessex di eses, but as state ment Of the claim of the Bishop Of Crediton to three estates i n

n c o c c o to Cor wall . The impre at ry lause with whi h the p pe is made give a perpetual sanction to the whole scheme bears out this idea of a claim to prOperty : it would hardly be n atural as the sanction or safeguard of a rearrangement Of dioceses . ’ The writer s knowledge Of the history of the papacy in the period when the divisio n took place was curiously deficient ; but he was probably right in his statement as to the appropriation of the Cornish e Of n f n on estates to the new s e Credito at the time o its fou dati . The three properties returned to Crediton when Cornwall was again merged in the Devon see under Bishop L yfing (1 027 whose successor Leofric moved to Exeter in the days Of Edward the Con fe or I n o oo one of n c on ss . the D mesday B k the three, if the ide tifi ati Caluui tona co c w as in n of n with be rre t, the ha ds the ki g ; but the o two P autona and L an uitetona o of ther , g , were held by the Bish p

of now a on on a of Exeter. The last these, L whitt , is still held beh lf l a c o on the Church by the Ecclesi sti al C mmissi ers . What other facts can be gathered fro m his narrative ? It is plain from our examination of the episcopal lists that the year 905 can not be accepted as the date of the division of the dioceses ; and that the papal complaint that Wessex had been seven years without a bishop

c on . On o n a o c o of is pure fi ti the ther ha d, the sserti n that the reati n five Wessex sees i n place Of two was a single act of policy is highly

o a and o n no n o c nno o pr b ble, we have f u d thi g hithert that a t be br ught n o n of 909 or 9 1 0 ffic n i t harmo y with it . Either the years will su ie tly

n n Of c n w c meet the ge eral requireme ts the ase . That the e dio eses corresponded with tribal divisions is a point of interest which the o no c o o n Of writer has quite pr perly ti ed . M re ver, the ames the o o P le mund to con c Off no ffic bish ps wh m g is said have se rated er di ulty, ow r co to E th lweard Of o n if we all but a very b ief epis pate e Sherb r e .

Nor an n n m o n c is there y i here t i pr bability in the stateme t that, su h c c nc s o con c n being the ir umsta es, seven bi h ps were se rated at Ca ter

1 See Craw ord Charters . 1 0 f , p 7. 2 4 THE SA X ON BISHOPS OF WELLS

n d a n of n o l an bury 0 11 o e y . This is the ki d eve t that w u d make on and o b in n n r impressi at the time, w uld be remem ered the ext ge e a

on o n o oc n c to ti . If, theref re, we elimi ate fr m the d ume t all referen e n n on of o o o and the i terve ti P pe F rm sus, judge it simply by its state n to oo c in n an find on to me ts as what t k pla e E gl d, we shall little reas a quarrel with its historic l statements .

N t n the I ntroduction o the Name o Fo osus o e o f f rm .

The most s urpris ing feature of the document which we have been d iscuss ing is the name of the pOpe who w as called in t o give perpetual sanction to the arrang e a s n ason for ca n in a o s o a ment . We h ve ee the re lli g p pe but why h uld it h ve ? 1 been the unfortunate Pope Formosus It might be suggested that the writer a n f n had access t o a m nuscript containi g lists o popes and bishops . O e s uch had n n s o t en a s o oss at G as on for n s an to bee writte me ye r bef re , p ibly l t bury , Ki g Athel t ’

o s s n . The a a s o na s on and n o pres en t t St . Cuthbert hri e p p l li t w uld give me ly

d a s and a on na i as s c d . is o a c r o s te , wr g me m ght e ily be ele te It , h wever , u i u in nn x on a s i n MS s d t c ircumstance this co e i th t the li t the . ju t referre o 1 83) has no pope later than Had rian 1 1 1 (884— 5) and it is still m ore curi ous T B 990 an d a so conn c d G a s i n s . 5 co o. as n th t the li t iberiu , mpiled l e te with l to s o s sa o a o its n a on is con n t a f bury , t p with the me p pe , lth ugh umer ti ti ued o llow o a on of n o n a s a i s a o n c i n the dditi eleve m re me ; th t , b ut the umber whi h , judg g o s c n o to n from the previ u e tury , w uld be required bri g the lis t down to the

’ a writer s own time . This shows an extr ord in ary lack of interest in the papal ns and difli cult c m a n an n s uccessio , the y whi h ight tte d i quiry concerning them W i n s of En an . e s co d o to s os a the we t gl d eem mpelle , theref re , upp e th t some ad on conn c na of o os s ac of P le mund tr iti e ted the me F rm u with the prim y g .

us n n t o s o of o o os s an d s f r i Let tur , the , the t ry P pe F rm u , eek o a poss ble poin t 2 of con ac n and our a c s o . Born o a at t t betwee him r hbi h p , pr b bly Rome , about

a 81 6 was ad B s o of o o i n 864 a o c a 1 the ye r , he m e i h p P rt by the gre t P pe Ni h ol s .

S an as o a a a to men of two n a ons a tr ge it w uld h ve ppe red the ge er ti l ter, this very

m n s a d in s of hi s con o a s for a a c a prefer e t di qu lifie him the eye temp r rie the p p l h ir , s nc a s o n ss x l o n c was n o t ermitted i e bi h p, u le e pel ed by vi le e, Qp to pas s from one I n 8 3 an see to an other . 6 Formosus with other bishop went as papal en voy to co of Bo oris na M c a n c n the urt g (re med i h el) , the ewly o verted king of the

B a ans : for o his o had n an z G e ss ona ulg ri , th ugh pe ple bee ev geli ed by re k mi i ries, w n he was n o seeki g further i nstruction from Rome . The king wished t o retain

o os s os a o s had n os s cc ss and t o a F rm u , wh e l b ur bee m t u e ful , m ke him his a c is o o c o as s s on o nd a a n r hb h p but P pe Ni h l refu ed thi , the gr u lre dy me tioned ,

1 It is curiou s to fin d the name of Pope Form osu s again i n the Anonym ou s C on c of th e a c s o s of Yo n aft d a of hr i ler r hbi h p rk , writi g er the e th Thurs tan

He inform s us that St . Oswald rec eived the pall in 972 from Pope Stephen

o S on of a os o s he is ac ua co n at this th ugh yme Durh m , wh e w rd t lly pyi g poin t, ‘ ’ had sa o o B n d c n ad s a a id fr m P pe e e i t . The he d th t by concess ion Of Pope ’ o os s S n s s cc sso a n the s ee of o c s a F rm u , tephe u e r, he ret i ed W r e ter long with the a s o c Hist c a n . York . S n w r hbi h pri (R i e, of , ii tephe VI as succeeded by s i 1 Formosu n 89 . 1 For a o o s see Bu A uxilius und u wh t here f ll w mmler, V lgarius THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 25’

a a s o s not a n s fo an o os s was a a a n th t bi h p mu t le ve o e ee r other . F rm u v lued ge t

of Had I a . n x o an I who i n 869 a his n o to o . the e t p pe, ri , m de him e v y L th ire II Th e a of a n n s ss o a n ff c a s de th th t ki g preve ted thi mi i n from t ki g e e t, but three ye r a he n on an ass to o G a l ter we t emb y L uis the erm n . A s his o n s n n C s a 8 5 n c o n d fter thi f rtu e udde ly tur ed . At hri tm s 7 Joh VIII r w e

C a s a as o . Soon a a d s at a s nod d on 1 9 h rle the B ld emper r fterw r , y hel April , he threatened Form os us and certain persons of the first rank in Rome with ex co m n ca on n Ma 9 to a s s m u i ti , givi g them till y m ke s ubmiss ion . Formosu him elf w as accused of conspiring agains t the emperor and plotting to d ethrone the pope d Y hi a r an a his ac . et s c ac s ood and s a an a Hincma t ke pl e h r ter t high , uch m s ‘ Of Rheims was at this time seeking the friend ship of the Apostle of the ’

a an s . fl ed t o an c and o nd o Bulg ri He Fr e f u refuge with Hugh , the p werful s a Abbot of Tours . It eems probable that the pope was moved by person l an os : s an c a of c a wh n im ity the tr ge h rge omplicity with the S racens , o were the

a n n o ma a a s a fl n a had thre te i g R me , y h ve ri en out Of the story th t the eei g p rty ft c a o n n I n os on of o os s was le the ity g te pe behi d them . July the dep iti F rm u con and a o é é of o a B f I n 8 8 o firmed , pr t g the p pe bec me ishop O Porto . 7 the p pe

V s an c and n his ban a Fo os s i ited Fr e , re ewed t a council held at Troyes . rm u a a d and s was n n on and ppe re ubmitted ; but he o ly received i nto lay commu i , that after taking an oath never t o enter Rome again or to seek res toration to W his Off c . n o o n d in 882 was s in x and s d n i e he P pe J h ied , , he till e ile re i e t a S n t e s .

n x o was Ma n s who had s i n x a n n a a The e t p pe ri u , ucceeded e pl i i g w y the a at n He Objection th t o e time he had been bishop of an Obscure Italian se e .

o ormosus to his s f o a n him oa c rest red F bi hopric O P rto, bsolvi g from the th whi h

d a n n co a d ha s on . A s s f os s con c he t ke u der mpul i Bi h op o Porto, Form u se r te

S n in 8 H ha n o ca Pope tephe VI 85 . e d then recovered lost grou d ; but p liti l s co ca cc s ias ca af a s in and had n s wh o trife mpli ted e le ti l f ir Rome , he bitter e emie o c as to I n S 891 ca o were f r ed yet bide their time . eptember he be me p pe but his o of ac on was a d and s as his c sso had n freed m ti h mpere , ju t prede e r bee o to c o n G o of S o o so o os s had to a a his SOI I as bliged r w uid p let , F rm u dmit L mbert

o n o . I n a 896 o a n was c o n d at j i t emper r Febru ry , h wever , the riv l Ar ulf r w e as on 4 o os s d I n his s o t ontificate had a l t ; but April F rm u die . h r p he high ’ f w n s a n r o a o an d b e s o St . s . t o co a s repute o m r l vig ur, re t red Peter The u t g i t him — his former bishopric and his oath Of ren u nciation — were forgotten for the

was n c a n a a o c d time he ever h lle ged while he occupied the p p l thr ne , but re eive universal recogn ition .

His s cc sso n a an w d S n a c u e r lived but fiftee d ys , d as followe by tephe VII , fier e O on n of o os s o o ad n cons c a s o of pp e t F rm u , by wh m , h wever , he h bee e r ted Bi h p

na n a s o n was now no n t d n and in new A g i five ye r bef re . Ar ulf k w o be yi g, the a 8 r - I a a s no w as ye r ( 97) Lambert e entered Rome in triumph . n Febru ry y d ca at d s n w a d in a a o s con lled , which the i i terred Formos us s veste p p l r be , tried , d emned n oc his n c n n cut ff hi con , u fr ked , be edi tio fi gers o , s body buried with tumely and s n n His a a ac s pre e tly u earthed again and fl ung into the Tiber . p p l t were d hi canc an s na ns a d . elled , ordi tio were declared to be inv li

n ca a ac on and S w son . Of n x o The me re ti , tephen as thrown into pri the e t p pe , o an s is no n t B who o o at R m u , there thi g o tell . ut Theodore II , f ll wed him the c os of s n a n a s an re l e thi eve tful ye r, though he reigned but twe ty d y , beg the

ns a n Of o a o s s o ac o s as s d i t teme t the utr ged F rmo us , wh o e b dy , mir ul u ly it eeme , had n o n I 8 ca o a S s bee thr w up by the river. n 89 John IX be me p pe, fter ergiu , 26 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

an old n of o os s had for a on s s a s s o nc e emy F rm u , few m th e t bli hed him elf by vi le e i a had n o d a n d n a a c . o n who o the p p l h ir J h , bee r i e by F rmosus , completed the

o c o o had n . s at a s no in o an n at a w rk whi h The d re begu Fir t y d R me , d the great

co nc in a n na con n oss ck n ss Of ock a . u il R ve , he dem ed the gr wi ed e the m tri l All the acts of Form osu s were now rein stated with the sole exception of the crowning

Of n a s n s n at co n c . S s and his a Ar ulf, L mbert him elf bei g pre e t the u il ergiu p rty ’ con n a s and as nac a o s r s n a s were dem ed fre h , it e ted th t the emper r epre e t tive s a a s s n at n a n f a mu t lw y be pre e t the co secr tio o pope . I II J une 900 Ben edict IV succeeded and it i s to be n oted that on Augu st 31 he confirmed to Bi shop A ngrin of Langres the use of the pall which had been an ormosus I n 903 L eo a t d s Of was im gr ted him by F . V , f er thirty ay rule ,

son d s o h who in n was son S s c o o s at pri e by Chri t p er , tur impri ed by ergiu , vi t ri u

as aid of s a s Ma oz a s a a o w as to . l t by the the h mele s r i , who e p r m ur he reputed be

S s d o J an a 0 n h n 1 1 t a s of ergiu III rule fr m u ry 9 4 u til is d eath i 9 . With hre t violence he forced the clergy of Rome t o a syn od which ren ewed the cond emna on c S n had ass on o os s o n I X who had ns a ti whi h tephe VII p ed up F rm u . J h , rei t ted

was to a os ac s had n o a d . The c him , held be mere usurper wh e t v li ity lergy o a n ormosus n n a d as S n ac a rd i ed by F were ot o ly degr de , by tephe , but tu lly o c to o na n f r ed re rdi tio . ha n ow t o as k and so t a x n En s c We ve whether, if o wh t e te t , the gli h Chur h was af d f Was an n at all t o fecte by this strange series o events . there ythi g ? connect Plegm und with Pope Formosus and the vicissitudes of his fate P l ’ - d a of e mund ac n i no S C n . a s s c ss o s t c a n . A . o c The te g e i ert i The . hr pl e the

d a of c s o JEthered in 888 and a s no n on Of his s cc sso . e th Ar hbi h p , m ke me ti u e r But a later han d has inserted u nder 890 the election of P legmund to the arch

s o c. n a a s in E o o on of the on c bi h pri A like e try ppe r , the Peterb r ugh editi Chr i le i can no a i o ns n s a but it s written in Latin . There be d oubt th t n b th i ta ce Can a i on is in on and as a a a n t terbury dd ti q uesti ; , we sh ll here fter h ve reaso o n s i f a o nc of Wo c s s a of thi k , thi evidence s o little v lue . Fl re e r e ter put the de th

JEthelred and acc ss on f P le und in o ne an d sa a na in the e i o gm the me ye r , mely ,

889 . A s O of JEth lred was c a at an on n 30 is the bit e elebr ted C terbury Ju e , it o a a his s cc ss o was a o n o en d of a t pr b ble th t u e r pp i ted bef re the the ye r , whe her the a 888 or 8 ye r be 8 9 . Now a Canterbury tradition say s that P legmund received his pal] from Formosus but this may merely have been a conject ure based on the belief (for which we h A S ave only late Canterbury evidence) that P legmund was con secrated in 890 .

o os s on ca o S . 1 9 891 cann o ass an con nc F rm u ly be me p pe ept , , we t ert with y fide e 1 a w a wh P l g mu d th t it s he o bes towed the pall on e n . Nevertheless it is right to consider a suggesti on put forward by Bi shop Stubbs a a a n o s o an Ethelwear s poss ible explanat ion of the problem . We le r fr m the hi t ri d

a in 908 P le mund n to o ca n a s for o and for th t . g we t R me , rryi g lm the pe ple E a f hi h n s s n . I s ad n o o s s to dw rd their ki g pall bee give him by F rm u , thi vi it Sergius III might have been prompted by the des ire to se cure his pos ition before he

oc d t o cons c a s o s r t a an d c s s a an a f s pr eede e r te bi h p o o re rr ge io e e . The dv t ge o thi suggestion is that i t Offers a possible reason for the connexion of the name Of

1 of G as c 1 205 s o had own n o his s c a on By the time erv e ( . ) the t ry gr i t con e r ti o ormosus Hic ain rofe ctus a o oso a a sa r t by P pe F Rom p F rm p p c atus es , palli um u su e it t l i din otes C e sc e o o an en tu em tatis . S. q p metr p lit i p p ( erv R . ii . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 27

o os s a n f Pl mund A s to o to anx as to F rm u with the ctio o eg . vi it R me, due iety a of a al] n s n n a s o o os s ans the v lue p give eve tee ye r bef re by F rm u , might be tr I t s at formed through s heer ign orance into a visit to Formosus himself. mu t n For any rate be allowe d that no other solution of the problem i s forth comi g . the statemen t commonly mad e that Formosu s had already shown an interest in the affairs of the English Church re sts wh olly on the evidence of the forged

’ ’ f a s letter which form s one of the spurious pfl cilegza of L an r nc time .

Note on the L etter of A rchbis hop Duns tan to Ki ng E thelred .

— The editors accept this d ocument as a gen uin e letter of Dunstan not indeed as o na a n at the end of n or nn n of the rigi l , but as copy writte the te th the begi i g s a n ot so as as to s on c the eleventh century . I h ll be r h q ue ti their verdi t, although a case might be made out for the view that the letter was composed by a Corn ish ecclesiastic to counter the claim of a papal sanction for the assignmen t f a a o the properties to the see of Crediton . It might be urged th t the e rlier

’ history of the land s in Egbert s time would be a conjecture founded on the

n o-Saxon on c anno 81 3 n t a n is sa d to a o n o n a A gl Chr i le , whe h t ki g i h ve verru C r w ll ’ from east to west that the tithing of the lan d would come from fEthelwulf s ’ ona on and d ca of a n n i n En an o s -kn o n D ti , the e y le r i g gl d fr m Alfred well w

ac s . s all co s a n no o P le mund n a a . Pref e After thi me , pl i ly e ugh , fr m the g rr tive Then the history from Dan iel onward s would probably be wel l within the ’ s own n o and in n a s d writer k wledge , might ge er l be tru te .

But o d o n ot o os to s its n n n ss n can a th ugh I pr p e di pute ge ui e e , I thi k it be m de c a a n h n a and s so o d le r th t the docume t as bee t mpered with ; , if thi be , it w ul s to o o a w as s cons s n at end of n or eem f ll w th t it till idered u eful , eve the the te th nn n of n c n in o o s at con o s w as the begi i g the eleve th e tury ther w rd , th the tr ver y

o n a a n and a a n o a ca s ton co a a s c a a a a re pe ed g i g i , pr b bly be u e Credi uld lw y l im p p l san c n i T a n a a of tio n it s favour . o m ke my poi ts cle r I must t ke the liberty

n n in t n a f a c z n o d s c pri ti g full the ra sl tio n o the letter , it li i i g the w r whi h the d o s n o us are n ano o as a con o a e it r i f rm writte by ther , th ugh they believe temp r ry , C w an ra ord Charters . h d ( f , p

s t n a c s o s nd s t o hi s o d JEthelre d n . Thi wri i g the r hbi h p e l r , , the ki g It happened that the Wes t Welsh (the inhabitants of Cornwall) rose against King

Ec briht . n n n t and s d and a a n g The ki g the we thither ubdue them , g ve te th a of an H a t to God and d s os of as s to . e o p rt the l d [ ] , i p ed it it eemed fit him g ve

S o n P l un ael w i w an a n d t s a s o lt C l c L and i . A nd a so herb r e hree e t te , , , p th t rem i e for an a n n m y ye rs u til heathen h ordes overran this cou ntry and occupied it . The

ca an o a a n c s a and a there me ther time fter th t, whe the tea her fell aw y dep rted from England on accoun t of the unbelief that had then assailed it and all the k n d o of s Saxons s ood for s n a s a s o i g m the We t t eve ye r without bi h p . Then

o os s o s n o o and a on s d n E a d and c F rm u , the p pe, e t fr m R me, dm i he Ki g dw r Ar h s o P le mund to a n did bi h p g mend this . A d they so with the con sent of the pope and all the witan of the English nation they appoi nted five bishops where there

o two one at nc s a was Fr estan a s con at a s were f rmerly Wi he ter , th t yp , e d R m bury, a was JE elstan a at S o n a w as e s an a at s th t p , third herb r e, th t t , fourth Well , that was z E elm a at d on a was Ead ulf and to Ead ul fi , fifth Cre it , th t him ( f) were ass n h s a s in a s n a t a of ig ed the t ree e t te W le (Cor w ll) , o be under the uthority the o of on ca s f pe ple Dev , be u e they (the people o Cornwall) had formerly been 28 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS d so n o awe of s t Saxons n i bedie t , with ut the We . A d Bishop Ead ulf enj oyed thes e an s n his s o JE el ar a t in ann Then i t ha ened l d duri g life , Bi h p p g f er him like m er. pp ‘ that Ki n E elstan ave to Cunun the bisho ric a a d n g f g p s f r as the Tamar fl owe . The a n a n Ba a co n an t and a it h ppe ed th t Ki g dr d mme ded D iel o be con secrated , g ve s a es as an a s to - G a the e t t , the wit dvi ed him , the bishop stool at St . erm ns . A ft a s n n Ed a a cons c a Wulfsi e and all our erw rd , whe Ki g g r b de me e r te g , he bishops said that they did not know who could possess the estates with greater t an s o of c s n rig h th the bi h p the dio e e, s eei g that he was l oyal and preached the

of God a and o his o d n o s so belief right l ved l r (the ki g) . If then thi s bishop d e now kn o not s o n ot o of a d ur o , I w why he h uld be w rthy the estates , if God n o l rd n an F it d e (the ki g) gr t them t o him . or oes not seem to us that any man can poss ss them more r i ht ull than he and i an other man ta h hims l ma he g f y , f y ( ) ke t em to ef , y ’ ’ have them wi hout od l t G s b essi ng or ours . con n n to a s a on in I n It will be ve ie t t ke the e three dditi s reverse order . the last of them the editors have noted the chang e from the first person s ingular of t o s son a an d s s a n s a s on the letter the fir t per plur l , ugge t th t Du stan here pe k a f i f i con beh lf o h s s u fragans as well as himself. They think that the hand s a i s to o o na . a s o r not temp r ry with the rigi l writer Whether th t be o , it be

h f r an 1 o s a e s o o s f r am 1 9 . 6 b erved th t write p while the f rmer write o p (p . l ) ’ ’ ’ rihtlicor for rihtlucur for f 25 26 and s gif gy (ll . , ) hi (three time ) ’ n acc n as a a n u e ted , g i st hi (five times ) with the accent .

s con ns on is sa a n a for s The e d i erti by the me h nd . Room has bee m de the fir t portion of it Then it happen ed that King E thelstan by eras ing what stood

o a n i s n s r a n n as o s there bef re the rem i der i e ted bove the li e . We ote , the edit r ’

a n o d a n s na is s sa s an as i n . 1 3 s h ve te , th t the ki g me here pelt be t where l , ju t ’ a o B s o of Ramsbur s n a had n n as as elstan a so fin d b ve , the i h p y me bee give p We l s n c n as a a ns c n six s A n x s n nc i ns the pelli g i g g i t y g ( time ) . s the e t e te e beg ’ Then it h appen ed that the editors have s uggested that the scribe s eye pas sed

on and s o o s in s on u . t o a l ac co n , the w rd que ti were left o t But his w uld h rd y u t ’ for s of n a i a a n the era ure The it h ppened that and its being written n g i . ’ o o as o n a sa s a elam ae co c in M re ver , where the rigi l writer y p g p p t , the rre t g ’ an d s a elam hit W a is s c a n s n is a a c z e h write p g p f . h t pe i lly i tere ti g th t the it li i d o s o a a s o ca are n ot n c ssa to a n : for w rd , h wever v lu ble hi t ri lly, e e ry the rgume t a a n Conan is not supposed t o have held thes e lan ds at all . What m y h ve be e d t a o f r w eras e o m ke ro m o the n e piece of information we canno t tell . ‘ ’ as o d s a was JE elm are a o n sa L tly , the w r th t p dded ver the li e by the me ’ ’ \ ma i un co c o . V no a s w s for aes c s a a s rre t r e y te th t he write é w , whi h lw y acc n in o na oc n o s was o ss a sc a e ted the rigi l d ume t . The mis ion d ubtle merely rib l

a of the c os r error on the p rt omp er o a copyist .

IV

TH E N AT N o n NG T H E L TAN BY H B H P ATH E L M CORO IO KI A S ARC IS O , ’ A N D T H E DATE o r DU N STA N S BIRTH

The limits of the epis copate of A thelm at Wells cannot be deter n W h a o c n x cc on mi ed it bs lute ertai ty . We have fi ed his a essi with

o in 909 . I n 923 as o n to pr bability , it w uld seem, he was tra slated

30 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

o c of n o on . o not c o c s ur e i f rmati His purp se was stri tly bi graphi al, but rather to compose chapters of n arrative to be read as the lessons ’ n Dunstan s . at M atins o St . feast ’ Adelard makes no statement at all as to the date of Dunstan s

r c c o on birth, but he tells us that he e eived his first edu ati n at Glast ‘ n he oc : n now o of o w as bury . The pr eeds Whe the fl wer his y uth

o n in o G a on and o n gr wi g years , he departed fr m l st bury, j i ed himself ’ A thelm c o of n nc o n r to , the Ar hbish p Ca terbury, his u le the fathe s

and n to . arc o a n side ; he bega reside with him The hbish p, dmiri g

ac of God i n and c n o n of the gr e that was him, per eivi g the t ke s future n n o c n o o a a c and aff c ona great ess, i tr du ed him i t the r y l p la e, e ti tely

n to n A s n o had ano n comme ded him Ki g thel ta , wh m he i ted with the n n and ro d a to d a nc d in all sacred u ctio there f m y y he i rease virtue, ’ 1 a in of n and his nc and became gre t the sight the ki g pri es .

a o a n and o s This is straightf rw rd stateme t, if it be true it d ubtles

old a c o n a as now came from the r hbish p himself, whe he t lked , we k

a o n o a o his a . co ona th t he did, with the y u ger f lk b ut early d ys A r ’ a an inefiaceable on on a o n c a tion would m ke impressi b y s mi d, espe i lly

n n . not a co if his uncle had crow ed the ki g If it is true, wh t uld be the motive of its i nsertion ? We know that Dun stan w as closely connected with the royal house it was not n ecessary to i nvent s uch a story to explain how Dunstan came to court ; and it w as quite

t a to an r n co w as s o o n superfluous o t ke him C te bury, whe the urt fte

a o w as o co o o on an d at Chedd r. But the st ry with ut rr b rati , it seemed

n c ono o c nc . a n c w as to co flict with the hr l gi al evide e Wh t that evide e , we m ust co nsider presently : meanwhile we turn to the charter of

n o which we have spoke ab ve . ’ con a n in r a r of . n n This is t i ed the g e t Registe St Augusti e s, Ca ter

now i n . n o bury, the British Museum (Claudius D writte ab ut n n oc n n n the end of the fourtee th ce tury . The d ume t is e titled Ki g ’ ’ 2 na n of a c a n n i n han not r c Athelstan s do tio ert i la d T et . It is st i tly n c a o an on a c speaki g a harter, but very full mem r dum based harter, whic h may have been too i ndistinct fro m age to be entirely legible ; at any rate the monk who wrote the Register foun d great difficulty x n n c h o cc in find in reading the Sa o ames whi urred it . Here we the ‘ statemen t that in the year of our Lord 925 (I ndi ction i n the

a f n of n n on of co on on first ye r o the reig Ki g Athelsta , the day his r ati , ’ o non of c a n n being the day bef re the es September , ert i alie ated o n to on con n property was rest red by the ki g the m astery, with the se t n of certain persons amed .

1 ls t. unstan . 55 Memoria of S D , p . 2 t. ax n B c Ca o no 641 . a . 1 0 . 1 85 r S . Cl ud . D , f ir h , , THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 31

The document occurs in the Register under the heading De M ch etro 1 85 f M nstre f . begins with a donation by King Cnut of the manor o e ‘ cum corpore beate uirginis M idrede Next is a confirmation by w n n co on on of n King Ed ard the Co fessor . The mes the d ati Ki g n o o : Athelsta , as f ll ws

I t m d na i A thelstani d e uadam t mi n Taneto rubr e o ci o Reg s q er ( . )

- ° ° A nno ab i ncarnacione domin i DCCC XXV ind iction e X I l I primo anno n s A dalstani consecracionis s rid ie n onas Se tembris rex reg i regi , die eiu , p p , Saxonum et A nglorum A dalstan terram q uatuord ecim aratrorum dedit s co s no a in ns a an a n o n Werbur inland ro Augu ti , que terr i ul Th et h betur , mi e g , p d o aie s ue c a a a fuerat iniuste a SEE s no a os annos reme i , que ei m r pt Augu ti per m lt , s ed d eo ann n rex A dalstanus restauravit illam t erram SE s no ue te iterum Augu ti , n r r i o n cum conse su epo um octo et p inc pum duorum q u rum omina h ec s unt . Adlem archieps Alla cps Siglem eps Wlfl em eps Wlbred eps Berneth e ps Eatol p eps Winsi g eps Ordgar princeps A elwald prin ceps et Odda minister s et Cened a as t A lf th a d s et a s Alfeth ac s et monach us regi bb e e s cer o liu s erdo .

We note the followi ng points i n favour of the trustworthiness of this document :

1 n c on co c n ( ) The I di ti is rre tly give .

2 I n 925 4 n a an a o a d a i n o ( ) September was a Su d y, ppr pri te y th se s for a corona on time ti . ’ 3 a a n ar of n n ( ) The d te f lls withi the first r e the ki g s reig . A con n of c a of n an are o co n siderable umber h rters Ki g Athelst f rth mi g,

c d a m on an d a of o ur era and n ar whi h give the y, th, ye r , the reg al ye of n canno all but an xa n on of the ki g . They t be trusted, e mi ati ’ them leads with fair certainty to the result th at Athelstan s accession

oo ac a c 24 924 and o an a 1 925 H e t k pl e fter De ember , , bef re J u ry , .

o o a to a co to on in 924 or in 9 5 w uld, theref re, be s id h ve me the thr e 2 , according as the year was reckoned from Jan uary 1 or from Christmas

. I n c r 4 925 o as our oc n Day either ase Septembe , , w uld be, d ume t

in a of n o n says, the first ye r his reig . If it be th ught stra ge that his co on a on o s o on a to o n to r ti sh uld be l g del yed, we have but p i t the

c n of n his a who not c o n n pre ede t Ki g Edward, f ther, was r w ed u til W - n a o n had on c o 26 in hit Su d y, th ugh Ki g Alfred died O t ber the c n a pre edi g ye r . (4) The witnes ses whose names are recorded present no chrono o ca ffic on ow a c s o Athelm l gi l di ulty, if ly we all th t Ar hbi h p was still n at in on n a c o livi g the time questi . Their mes are uri usly misspelt, but the fault must be attributed to the scribe of the Register : pos s ibl o n n n - for y he wr te them dow from dictatio . The A glo Saxon 6 ( th) has been written as d ; and elm appears constantly as lem : so 32 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

i that A thelm has co . Alfeth c n f be me Adlem Again, is twi e writte or

A lfheah A l he e c to A lfech ( p g ) perhaps the s ribe meant it be read as , as e and t are hardly distinguishable in his writing : so too Berneth

or Berneeh n for Beorne e now ( ) is writte g . We may , with the help ’ of o Re is tram n co n Bish p Stubbs s g , ide tify the epis pal wit esses or Elfwin L i hfil 0 6- 5 P c e d 9 9 92 3 . Alla Ella ( ), x ( ) Si lem Si elm o n 9 8 g g , Sherb r e 1 x Wlfl em Wulfh lm 9 1 - e : 4 923 transln . to Canterbur , Wells [ v.

Wlbred Wilferth o c : 922 — 28 , W r ester .

Berneth Beorne e : 909— 31 g , Selsey .

Eatol Ead ulf on : 909— 34 p , Credit . Win i W — s insi e o c 909 x 9 26 34 P . g g , D r hester : ( ) It is plain that no difficulty is presented by the attestation of all ’ a f n in 925 to these bishops t the time o the king s coronatio . As the other witnesses : Ordgar dux and z Elfwald dux attest a charter f 1 o 926 c . S . 659 and n or (Bir h , C ) Odda attests as mi ister thegn d 941 d a n 925 an . S 649 Cene a betwee (C . , bb s is the same as C naht w ho t in 9 5 S and a a a n y abbas a tests 2 (C. . appe rs g i as Kenod abbas among the E nglish names ins cribed for prayer in ’ n of Gall on occ on of o K newold s the m o astery St . the asi Bish p y visit in

two E lfh ahs n n f c a n The e prese t poi ts o pe uli r i terest . A little ’ later in King Athelstan s reign we shall find tw o fElfheahs attesting ’ c o One c o Wulfhelm s the same harters as bish ps . will be Ar hbish p cc o o fElfheah a o of su ess r at Wells ; the ther, the B ld, the Bish p

n c who n s n n n to o Wi hester, persuaded Du ta , his ki sma , ad pt the mon c an d o n to oo asti life, rdai ed him the priesth d . Our document speaks of Alfeth sacerdos et alius Alfeth sacerdos et monachus I n a Copy of the Gospels i n the British Museum 7 1 5 b on an on of Ead elm and (Reg . I . B . , f . ) there is a Sax m umissi c n n n an c his hildre , gra ted by Ki g Athelst immediately after he be ame

n E lfheah a - an d B rnstan a - ki g , m ss priest y , m ss priest, were n s to a t wit e ses the c .

o no i n a It w uld seem, as is likely e ugh itself, th t these three priests ,

1 ’ T s is Ord ar s as a a anc hi g l t ppe r e . 2 M Hi 1 Con raternitates on . st. erm . 00 1 36 se Piper , f ( G , pp , e the Note n n a n Bo (F) o Three Swiss Co fr ter ity ok s . 3 This is unfortunately mi stranslated by Birch 639) as before he became ’ ’ n oc n is n and ans a in a ki g . The d ume t pri ted tr l ted H rmer s English Historical ’ ’ m nt JE Docu e s no . xix ns s é lstan c ( ) . It begi thu e yng gefreod e Ead elm forra é e > > pass

’ w ho in n o nn n of n were the ki g s empl y at the very begi i g his reig ,

c o all be ame bish ps . l . The z Elfheah w ho stan ds first in both documents goes to Wells ’ 0 9 ‘ 29 . a n of EElfh in 9 . 26 . The earliest attest tio eah bishop is

2 B rn ta n in 931 . y s n goes to Wi chester . 3 E lfh h w ho o and n B rnstan . The ea is b th priest m o k succeeds y nc s c 934 Rudborne A n li a S acra 21 3 a at Wi he ter, . . ( g , i . ) says th t ’ ‘ after Byrnstan s death Elphegus ex m onacho Glastoniae eligitur ’ Wentan a c a fElfheah o to n e e clesi e . This w uld seem have bee the yo unger of the two ; and that may be the reason why he w as given ‘ ’ na a to n o m n o a sur me ( the B ld ) disti guish him fr his se i r, the f I n ur n n c on n Bishop o Wells . o docume t the disti ti is draw by no n a w as on ti g th t he a m k as well as a priest . Before leaving our document we may note with interest the S omerset con nexion of the witnesses whose n ames we have chiefly n con n c o A thelm bee sideri g . Here is Ar hbish p , lately at Wells, the

nc of n an who ma a had c n co u le Du st , , if we y trust Adel rd, re e tly me to o a on A nd n fElfheah G . o him fr m l st bury here is the y u ger , the o of nc no n an of n n and future Bish p Wi hester, a ther ki sm Du sta , him s a a on on n a c o co nc nc a elf Gl st bury m k . Agai , it is uri us i ide e th t we

find o con and o of n t gether here the first , se d, third bish ps the ewly c a of in on of Athelm Wulfhelm and re ted see Wells, the pers s , , the

of t wo fElfhe ahs not co nc n c a elder the . Perhaps it is mere i ide e th t S omerset an d its bishops are so prominen t in conn exion with the

F n a n a to o a o s co . or n as c Wessex urt Du sta w ert i ly rel ted the r y l h u e, Z whether more or les s closely than his kinsmen Athelm and rElfheah

canno A nd on c the Bald we t tell . Glast bury is des ribed by the

o a as r e alis ins ula E thelfled a n c bi gr pher B g . The Lady , a ie e of n an n o n of n n ad Ki g Athelst , and a ki sw ma Du sta , h built herself a o of c c and to n n o h use west the hur h, used e tertai the r yal family d e . too n n an there There, , a little later, Ki g Edmu d was buried, aft r n wh n Nor con o w as o n c o . him Ki g Edgar, i deed b r l se by had the ’ nexion of the court with Somerset begun with King Athelstan s r l n e g . I cannot feel the least hesitation in accepting the stateme nt of our

oc n and co on n a n f to c d ume t, the rresp di g st teme t o Adelard whi h it

n c n n c to n bri gs su h striki g confirmation . But it is e essary exami e

nc c and to the evide e whi h has been adduced on the other side, n o to e deav ur test its validity .

c n f o First, we must o sider the record of a purch ase o pr perties c o Wulfhelm 923 co om by Ar hbish p which bears the date . It mes fr

of nc f r c o c an . the Register Evide es Christ Chur h, C terbu y Bir h has 0 34 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

7 1 21 2 an d Bodl . n S . 63 o two . pri ted it (C. ) fr m MSS , Lambeth n n 223 o o Ta er , as f ll ws

W E I EA L DENSTR ETE WA DL A ND L FR D GL A ND .

[DP A]nno d omin ice I ncarnationis DCCCCX X I I I WL FEL MUS arch iepi scopus com aravi d enariis a n iuxta s t ratam a dicitur p t un decim agros . mille puri rge ti q u e a n ci n esdic EA L DA NSTR A TE in occidente Haeuuininglan d in quilo e g . Item comparavit q uosdam agros qui ab incolis n ominantur WA DL A ND 7 WL FR ETBI NGL A ND iuxta locum qui n ominatur ryther ceap Hiis termini s circumd atur praenominata terra in orien te publica strata i n au strali parte terra

Brithulfi I n occidente civitas Doroberniae in aquilon e Burhuuare boc aceras .

in n not c a a o an . This its prese t shape is a harter, but b re mem r dum

o I n c on n and n o na of n c N di ti is give , mes wit esses by whi h we might test

a on of c o Wulfhelm the date . The first trustworthy ttestati s Ar hbish p to occ in 926 c S 658 659 an d appear ur (Bir h , C. . , ) this, as we have

e n o a of n a on o to an r . s e , is the pr b ble year his tra sl ti fr m Wells C terbu y It is on the groun d of this memoran dum that the particular year ’ 923 has n n of Wulfhelm s cc on an d con bee chose as the date a essi , ’ n of A thelm s a c nno nc seque tly de th . But this a t be regarded as evide e of the same value as that of the document whi ch we have been d n n . o to an studyi g It is imp ssible verify the date, we must explai ’ of co ca n it as the result a pyist s reless ess .

n am M a . 1 21 2 con n on n x I deed the s e S . (L mb ) tai s the e t page a charter by whi ch the eleven fields are made over to Ar chbishop Wulfhelm in 939 733 (B . C . S . )

[44 A]nn o domin ice incarnationis DCCCCX X X I X in diction e X I I I I an no ’ JEé elstani regis Ego Wuh elmus concedo Wlfelmo archiepiscopo aliq uam partem terre iuris mei id est undecim agros a merid ie Doroberniae circumdata his terminis ab oriente Ad red eslan d a meridie publica strata ab occidente Brihtelmeslan d ab a on Cin eslan d quil e g .

Hanc d onacionem ego Ath elstanus rex cum s igillo crucis confirmavi .

> < E o Wlfelm fi av I g us con rm i .

4 E o Teod red us L und oniensis e is0 0 u ubscri i { g p p s s ps . 4 E o Alfe us Win i i u ri i 4 g g ton ens s s bsc ps . 4 E o Odo Scirburnensis subscri i 4 g ps . E o Cenuuald us e isc0 us s ubscri si m g p p p .

o are con o a o n The bish ps temp r ry, th ugh the sig atures have perhaps n d bee mo ified in form by the copyist . We have n ow to face a far more serious task— the examination of

n c of n o- on on c c ac acc on the evide e the A gl Sax Chr i le, whi h pl es the essi

of Wulfhelm in 925 and a n to a a of , ssig s the s me ye r the birth 1 n an . nc to acc o o a Du st If this evide e is be epted, it is bvi us th t the

1 ‘ I n what follows I am indebted to a paper on The Accepted Y ear of ’ ’ St . Dunstan s B M r o s f M Ed n irth by . Toke , which emb die the results o r . mu d THE SAX ON BISHOPS OF WELLS 35

statement of Adelard that Archbishop A thelm i ntroduced Dunstan to ’ the court of King Athelstan is an absurd mistake ; n or will A thelm s ’ coronation of the king remain at all probable . si nce th at ar chbishop 5 8 death was commemorated at Canterbury on January . We shall u n n begin o r exami atio by pres enting the evidence in brief . 1 a on c as n an a a in ( ) A (the P rker Chr i le), it at prese t st ds, s ys th t 923 Archbishop P legmund died ; and that in 925 King Edward died an d l Wulfh lm n cc . n an w as o n and e Athe sta su eeded, St Du st b r ,

became archbishop .

2 has n 925 the n as in s a o ( ) F u der same eve ts A the me rder, ’

Dunstan s an a . except that St . birth st ds l st ( 3) E at first recorded the death of King Edward an d the accession of an n 924 : n w as canc and n 925 Athelst u der the this elled, u der was ‘ en n o Wulfelm o an d a tered, The Bish p was hall wed, the s me year ’ Eadw ard K . died ’ ’ 4 an d c n d a and s n ( ) B , C, D pla e Ki g Edward s e th Athel ta s election as King of the Mercians and his coron ation at Kingston

un der the year 924 . 1 n n . o o o o c c The m st imp rta t auth rity is the Parker Chr i le, whi h n at nc n s as far as 891 n was writte Wi hester . Its first ha d write the

n n a n 1 001 o a it is co ti ued by succession of hands u til . At s me d te a n c and for a on n o n fter this it left Wi hester, l g time further e tries in were made it .

I n co of oo c to n o not urse time the b k ame Ca terbury, pr bably

o 1 070 n 1 002 an d 1 070 ten bef re . Betwee the years there are but

n and n o o n c of n an c . e tries, the f ll w the Lati A ts La fr . Mr Plummer, 1 os acco n of . a fo o has n o n wh e u t the MS I h ve ll wed, disti guished f urtee

n n c o o n n han ds in the writi g of the Chro i le . Of these the f ll wi g belo g 2 to this later Canterbury perio d : 66 No . 1 1 o 1 002 to 1 0 xc n n c a o the . Fr m (e ept the se te e b ut

co and c a . n of met, the h rter at Mr War er, the British

s n 1 075 . Museum, dates thi ha d as late as

No 1 2 n n c of 1 066 and o on of 1 070 . . . The last se te e the first p rti 70 n d 1 31 No 3 n of 1 0 a c 0 . . 1 . The remai der the harter at

N 1 4 a n c of an n c and o of co a o . . The L ti A ts L fra s me the epis p l

. an of of an d on to end of lists This is the h d the writer F, bel gs the

c n . xi or nn n f c n o a Nos . 1 3 e t the begi i g o e t . xii . It is p ssible th t an d 1 4 n c may be ide ti al .

’ B s o s n s a ons and i s n in The Bos worth P salter Gas u and i h p i ve tig ti , pri ted ( q et B s o 1 33 ff : a oac o s n i h p , pp . . but I have ppr hed the wh le que tio from a ff n s an o n di ere t t dp i t. 1 2 Two Saxon Chronicles . xcv . I bid xxv , II . II . . 36 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

Now these same Canterbury h ands can be traced as m aking i nter

o n o o na nna of n c n o v polati ns i t the rigi l a ls the te th e tury . The m ti e plai nly w as to supply the defect of the Chronicle in respect of the see of Canterbury ; for it contain ed n o notices of bish ops other th an of nc n 994 n of c o Si eric those Wi hester u til , whe the death Ar hbish p g

o o to out an inter o was rec rded . It is w rth while set these C terbury p lations in refixin to ac n of an to c full , p g e h the umber the h d whi h it is ascribed .

1 for fer Ple mu b ( 1 ) Her p de ge nd arce isceop. 7 ° 1 ’ 2 Sce unstan wea a a 1 2 9 5 . j D ré k enn ed

( 1 4) j Wulfelm feng to pan arcebiseop rice on Cantuare byri . wa Wulf m ar bis fi 1 4 941 . a s el ce co on Ca t ( ) p p .

1 1 942 . ar ( ) cebis ceop.

4 . Ea n n S D G as s t in eberi betaehte ( 1 2) 9 3 ( Her dmu d ci g . un stan e l ) g g 1 ’ ’ ’ Se s é f an se s a d w r é er he y re t bbu ea . fl aemde S e ns an u f 1 2 956 . a é t o an ( ) j Du t l de . ‘ ’ sae n f S D f c on ( 1 2) 959 . Her he te e ter ee unstan e j gae him bri e a Wi ra a tr eer g c s e j {S safter 13b rice on L un dene .

1 2 1 ewat Odo arceb S n a ar brice . ( ) 96 . Her g j tie Du st n feng t o ce

no n of No 1 1 o We may te first the e tries . . Mr . Plummer supp ses ’ ‘ that P legmun d s death was entered in 923 by a purely mech ani cal mistake the interpolato r having put it un der DCCCCX X I I I instead

f n D CCCX I I I I an o o u der C . Yet it is str ge that he has mitted

Athelm a o c n on A n li a S acra . 4 a o out lt gether . Bir hi gt ( g , i ) ls misses

A thelm an d a P le m und - o an d , m kes g sit thirty f ur years ; the Register

of o n of a r i bid a s n n - o a Pri r He ry E st y ( . fter as ig i g thirty f ur ye rs

t o P le mun d ten to A thelm and on n to Wulfhelm . g , gives , ly thirtee Gervase had candidly admitted th at he did n ot know how long these 2 c s o s sat ar hbi h p . The mutilated entry un der 942 Plummer would complete with the

' words (Her forESferde Wulfelm) on the groun d th at this w as the year ’ of Wulfhelm s a no a 942 c w as o na de th ; but he tes th t , whi h rigi lly n n ow a n o 941 and c n 941 writte , is m de i t , likewise the pre edi g 0 into 94 . ’ No . 1 4 m a n n x Wulfhelm s cc on n y be take e t . a essi is e tered at 5 n lm 9 2 . s to 923 A the Stubbs has as ig ed it . But if it be true that c o n an on 4 925 and on an a 8 r w ed Athelst September , , died J u ry , we

1 The figures 923 and 925 ( originally 922 and 924) were before these Canter bury glossators ; for the change had been made at least as early as the date

0 . 1 025 of M W n o on S . d heloc ( ) the bur t C tt edite by (W) . 2 ’ See further in the Note (C) on the Date of Athelm s Translation t o an C terbury .

38 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

nc of n o - axon on c c w as Thus the evide e the A gl S Chr i le, whi h at

so o n c o n n on to a ant first sight imp si g, is redu ed exami ati C erbury - a o of a of tradition of post Conquest d ys . S me the mist kes this tradition may perh aps be accounted fo r by the loss of documents in ’ c o o to Dunstan s the great fire . But the uri us err r as birth deserves o to be followed up m re closely . we con an n in c a o n in First, must sider e try the Pas hal T bles f u d

1 5 n 988 . run ac o Calig . A . . The tables begi with the year They r ss ' h 1 326 1 33a and - n of con is t e pages ( , ), the right ha d half the se d page n for n of b nna Now 988 a of left bla k the e try rief a ls . is the first ye r an n c on and a o of n c of n n n I di ti , ls the first year the Lu ar Cy le i etee ’ a o a of Dun t n a n . s a s . years But it is ls the ye r St . death Th t eve t

co n n as of nna ac rdi gly is e tered the first the brief a ls . Then it seems to have occurred to the scribe w ho made this entry ’ Dun n to co . s ta s as o that it was desirable re rd St birth well, th ugh it f n not a n o o . cco in to did f ll withi the peri d the tables A rdi gly, the p n of two a n 925 n out margi the p ges he e tered the year , missi g the

c on n c and o o of ua c a Indi ti , but givi g the Epa t s me ther the us l parti ul rs f n n n n n ac (part o which have bee shor away in bi di g) . Whe he re hed a of a n o ac for nn a n the p rt the m rgi ver the sp e reserved a ls, he bega an n c o n to n to ca o n e try whi h , wi g its le gth , he had rry d w the right 1 ‘ n n a to o o n ff c : I n ha d margi s well . It is the f ll wi g e e t this year n n o n and x - a and in was St . Du sta b r , he lived si ty three ye rs, the ’ - o 1 3 Jun sixty f urth year he died, Kal . .

ann who nna in Un edruclcte A n lo Lieberm , edited these a ls his g g Normanni to end s che Ges chi chts quellen ascribes the MS . the of n c n a c an co the eleve th e tury. It is Christ Chur h , C terbury, dex, and nna far a 1 076 in on e an n are i n the a ls as s are h dwriti g . They

a co for a on So a all p rt pied word word from the P rker Chr icle . th t

o n an a on c ac we have f u d is the same C terbury tr diti , whi h pl ed ’ Dunstan s in a 925 birth the ye r . ’ n n of Dunstan s to 925 has n o c The assig me t St . birth i tr du ed

o con on n o c rono o of and c n seri us fusi i t the h l gy his times, has led re e t scholars to reject historical statemen ts which wo uld otherwise have

n cc t o a n o can now e n to bee a epted wi h ut hesit tio . The err r be se o n in s cri torium of s c an u have rigi ated the p Chri t Chur h at C terb ry . The neglect of Duns tan challenged more than one of the m onks of ’ L anfranc s o o Osbern - o and c n o rest red h use . , the sub pri r pre e t r, was

o to new of n and to to a oo of m ved write a Life the sai t, add it b k

1 ’ H a a n o s a i u an a ere g i Mr . T ke di gram s helpf l : but I c not agree with him th t the handwriting of the marg in is d ifferent from that of the first an nal in the text

see Bosworth Psalter . 1 41 . , p THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 39 his miracles but his younger contemporary Eadmer foun d s o much ’ historical inaccuracy in Osbern s work that he wrote yet another

in a con c to o Life, wh t he eived be a style m re suited to the simple

No w t Osbern . on fo r reader , whe her was himself resp sible the

on o n i n on c or not n a n to err e us e try the Chr i le , his la gu ge e ables us a n how s o w see pl i ly the mi take ar se . He had before him the t o ’ a o a n a a of . n n s o of th a n uth rit tive rr tives St Du sta life, the w rk e no y

o a o and n co o who m us uth r B, the subseque t Life mp sed by Adelard, had a of Osbern n n ‘ n n himself m de use B . begi s by sayi g : Reg a te m a nifico A n lo rum ZEthelstan o nno g g rege , a quidem imperii eius primo natus es t puer dei Dunstanus Wess axonicis Angliae parti ’ 1 o a c z o bus . The w rds it li i ed are derived fr m Adelard : Natus ergo ’ 2 u i s a ro a a o intin tu a n p er de c est l v cr c s . Adel rd is sile t as to the of b ut has o n nc of c date birth , he bef re him the se te e B , whi h is the a o c of con on ultim te s ur e fusi .

For who o c in a o n n o c n an B , rej i es flamb ya t style, i tr du es Du st

: Huiu s e fEthelstan i o o i ur u r thus s [ . ] imperii temp ribus r t p e strenuus in -Saxonum finibus c a Heorstanus West , uius p ter , mater ’ 3 ’ r Now nc of im eri o C nethr dis vocitatu . um ver y y , si e the times the p of n x n o 924 to 939 and nc o Athelsta e te d fr m , si e the writer is ab ut to n n cc o 939 c n an tell us that Ki g Edmu d , his su ess r ( alled Du st to as o ne of nc co n o and n him him his pri ipal u sell rs, prese tly made

o of a on on Abb t Gl st bury, it may fairly be questi ed whether he is even ’ attempting to fix the date of Dunstan s birth in his somewhat vague phrase huius imperii temporibus o ritur puer strenuus in West Saxonum finibus For he co uld hardly h ave made Dunstan a royal co n o and an o o n -one o r n n u sell r abb t bef re he was twe ty , i deed whe he

w as n cc 943 for omo on as o . but eightee , if we a ept the year his pr ti abb t Adelard m ay indeed have been representi ng oritur p uer st renuus n o so o w c on by his atus erg puer dei but, if , he sh ed his dis reti by

n of n For n o mitting the limitation to the reig Athelsta . he prese tly goes on to tell us that Dun stan was residing with his un cle A thelm

u a o n an c to on at Canterb ry b ut the time whe Athelst ame the thr e, ’ l n to new n no c . Osbern and th at A the m co mme ded him the ki g s ti e , ’ ’ o acce n A d elard s n o as a n h wever, pti g atus erg puer dei the equiv le t of o ritur puer strenuus makes the best he can of huius imperii ’ ’ o x on n as a of temp ribus . He fi es Athelsta s first year the d te ’ Dunstan s birth and when he comes to the appointment to Glaston

n a n o bury he mitigates the s ca d l by maki g it appear that, th ugh

a of n n on ca a o entrusted with the bbey Ki g Edmu d, he ly be me bb t

had c c and of c s and a an after he rebuilt the hur h fi e , had g thered a b d

1 ‘ 2 3 I . . 6 . mori als St. Dunstan . 1 . I bid . . 5 4. bid Me Q/ , p 7 , p , p 40 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

o n a o n has to d a cal of worthy m ks r u d him . He e l drasti ly with his auth ority B i n order to get this result ; for he is fo rced to can cel ’ ’ s o of Dunstan s n a a on n in o a the t ry i st ll ti by the ki g the abb t s se t, ’ and to reduce the king s action to a gran t of the possession of ’ a o to o n out a Osbern s o on the bbey . It is w rth while p i t th t s luti is xac a c No 1 2 c of n o c n o e tly th t whi h . (the s ribe F) has i tr du ed i t the ’ a n of a on c : for a n n Duns tan s m rgi s the P rker Chr i le , h vi g e tered 9 5 h n 2 n co to 943 : . n birt u der , he says whe he mes Here K Edmu d

n s . un n on a terwards e tru ted St D sta with Glast bury, where he f ’ ca o be me the first abb t . Whether Osbern originated or only adopted this solution can be but a m atter of conjecture ; but the misplaced i ngenuity of the

n c o a a on run f o cc s Eadmer Ca terbury s h l r had l g o mis chiev us su e s . escaped the trap by a judicious silence ; perhaps he kn ew s omethin g of x o of No 1 2 a of a o the e pl its . . But Willi m M lmesbury, th ugh

too ot as c c of Osbern w as c it an d so he wr e a riti , aught by ; it

ca o . o n c of o c o o o be me hist ry Fl re e W r ester, h wever, sh ws m re ’ c on for Dunstan s o o on a o 942 n auti his date pr m ti as bb t is , but u der 924 he prudently i nserts the ambiguous sentence c uius temporibus o ritur puer strenuus Dunstanus i n West-Saxoniae finibus He

a co n z of a n a o n must h ve re g i ed the absurdity m ki g him bb t at eightee , and h ave consulted the origi nal auth ority o n which the calculation

n o o a n to was based . It is i deed quite p ssible that the bi gr pher B mea t ’ say no more than that in King Athelstan s day there arose a mighty ’ o in o o his no y uth Wessex . It is m re likely, h wever, that k wledge ’ of chronology did n ot suffice to fix the date of Athelstan s accession w n t en or n a c o a and ithi fiftee ye rs . Whi hever it be, he wr te v guely, s o n t n has had the mi f rtu e o be i terpreted precis ely .

V

TH E S U C C E S S ORS OF BIS H O P A TH E L M 923 74

n A thelm w as an a to an in 923 his cc o Whe tr sl ted C terbury, , su ess r ’ w as Wulfhelm and on A thelm s a n a 8 926 at Wells ; de th (Ja u ry , ) Wulfhelm w as cc o a n at n m a his su ess r gai Ca terbury . If we y trust n -c n n a on Wulfhelm n in the eleve th e tury Ca terbury tr diti , u dertook

927 n o o n to o and c his al] o the da ger us j ur ey R me, re eived p fr m 1 o n X who n x . os s b o J h , perished the e t year It is p i le, theref re, that the see o f Wells remain ed vacant u ntil he could consecrate a n e w

1 See a o . 3 s ee a so o E on s f a b ve, p 7 l the N te ( ) the Peril o the Ro d to Rome . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 41

o a o o n n I n 929 find c o bish p with full uth rity his retur . we Ar hbish p ’ Wulfhelm s n ame e ntered in the C onfraternity Book of the m onastery f h c o . a n an w as a n n c w o St G ll . Ki g Athelst sple did pri e ultivated

o n n s and of his a o n Co n f reig frie d hips, five sisters were m rried the

tinen t . Two of a w s n to axon n n these l dies ere e t the S ki g, He ry the o a c oo one of for son w ho w as F wler, th t he might h se them his , after

a ou as o G a m a n in w rds to become fam s Ott the re t . It y have bee

o conn x on h a a a i n 929 K newald o s me e i wit this m rri ge th t y , the Bish p of o c n a o on G an ona s a n W r ester, we t t ur am g the erm m sterie , be ri g 1 c n n . I n c o ca to . G ri h gifts from the E glish ki g O t ber he me St all,

and n s n a of a on a n To foun d the mo k keepi g the festiv l their p tr s i t .

o n o on an a anc of a c the r yal ge er sity they resp ded by lli e pr yer, whi h

nc n a of n n c o Wulfhelm an d i luded the mes Ki g Athelsta , Ar hbish p ,

n n o a o an d o a on seve E glish bish ps, besides bb ts n bles . L st the list

n of Keondrud w ho o to i is the ame a lady, , w uld seem be r ghtly

n fi o K n ed ritha o of . ide ti ed by Bish p Stubbs with y , the m ther St

n n o o n a ac in of s Du sta . Thus S merset f u d pl e the prayer the Swis

on n a o n a o n an and Wulfhelm m ks e rly a th usa d years g . Ki g Athelst

a o o cc in on a n oo of c n a c m a a ls ur the C fr ter ity B k Rei he u, whi h y perh ps 2 a n h ve been vi s ited o n the same j our ey . The activities of Arc hbis h op Wulfhelm in conn exion with royal councils an d legislation are attested by several referen ces to him in 3 n co the Laws of King Athelstan . Of his work at Wells o re rd is preserved but to the Abbey of Glastonbury he is said to h ave given 1‘ w n D verel c W l o n of G a on b s at e o . . t e ty hide , i ts The f rtu es l st ury ’ n were begin ni ng to revive t oward s the end of Athelstan s reig . The ’ a w as a a n in n n and w as n bbey pp re tly the ki g s ha ds, ruled by theg s

1 a a s s to a a n ac in a n of 929 see Dummler The m rri ge eem h ve t ke pl e the utum , W a a a a Otto der rosse . 1 0 n . 1 . e m o son s os B G , p , y theref re re bly upp e th t ish op

’ ’ Kynewald s primary m is sion was to con duct the two princesse s to the German

court . 1 See No on S ss n a n o s the te (F) T hree wi Co fr ter ity B ok . 3 See o G on Wulfh lm an a f n a the N te ( ) Ar chbish op e d the L ws o Ki g Athelst n . A thirteenth-century li s t of the charters which were contained in the very ’ anc n e rrarum of G as on is n d o n o ie t Liber T l t bury pri te (fr m the Tri ity C llege ,

a M S . a n u . 3 0 ff n o . a n in his J ohn o l sto b r . H C mbridge , , 724) by He r e f G y , ii 7 ere

' a w W h m a t o s Eth elstanus d e D v r l d at . lf e o et s we h ve the title e e e , qu m ip e ’ s d G G . e . la i V f i h a t n ae . d d u rd v rel d at . Os r t o G s o e e e e s . [ de it ] I em , qu m ip e

s c a s o of a s n o A nti . las n . The e h rter were bef re W . M lme bury whe he wr te ( q G to '

a . H a n A d d W . e Dom ham lh l a hi iS us d D v er . 0 e m rc e CO d rel p e r e, , i 7 ) p p e it e e xx h d as assensu i O fri u d W v e us dem s se. Eth elstani . s c s erd e erel i , regi [ ] de it , ’ hoc est M unecatone x O f f i h i as cf. ibid . s erth or Os r t s f , hid ( , , first o the d uces in 930 C a Oh ' o B S . of. . . a a a ( r wf rd . iv, C he ppe rs to h ve bee n of B th e o a o s . . S . 5 5 T r y l h u e ( C 3, here is a cluster of Deve rills on the 42 A \T THE S X O. BISHOPS OF WELLS

1 w ho a o o n in n a . n n n an were bb ts ly me But Du sta was there , setti g example of true monas tic life ; and to this may be due the consider able numbe r of benefactions to which the charters of the perio d bear f n s s . of a w ho c A helm a on o wit e William M lmesbury, laims t as m k

G a o n a no c c m in ca of Wulfhelm l st bury, m kes su h lai the se but it

not o a a Wulfh lm t a on is impr b ble th t e oo received his educ ti there .

o n a 1 2 and was c o He died Febru ry , buried, like his prede ess r, 3 at an C terbury . ’ z Elfheah became Bis hop of Wells after Wulfhelm s translation to ’ an in 9 26 had e n o ne of n n C terbury . He be Ki g Athelsta s mass

n o in o a a n ca priests, servi g, it w uld seem, what w uld l ter h ve bee lled 4 C anc o in his h ery . He appears t have died

cc o a con Wulfhelm o n m o cc in His su ess r was se d , wh se a e urs

c a r o 938 to 9 55 c o nc to in h rte s fr m . There is a uri us refere e him

w l of n w ho o co . o the il Ki g Edred, died at Fr me, S merset, o 23 95 5 n a an to Q n Ed iva N vember , . The ki g le ves his l ds uee g

Ead ifu o c on of o a c ( g ), his m ther, with the ex epti s me est tes whi h he

e to on e nc o no wo giv s the m ast ries at Wi hester . But his m st te rthy ’ for o l as o f x n n o n h bequest his s u s rele e is a gift si tee hu dred p u ds, t at his people may be able to purchase for themselves relief fro m want and o n a n so to on fr m the heathe rmy, if they eed [ The m ey was to be deposited o n trust as follows the archbishop w as to receive o n re o n for men of n s x and f ur hu d d p u ds the Ke t, Surrey, Sus e , Berk ‘ ’ and a t him n on to o to shire ; , if ugh betide , the the m ey is g the Christ Church monastery un der the supervision of the chief m en of

o fElf i e to c o n the shires . Bish p s g was re eive f ur hu dred at the

stream which bears that name s outh of VV arminster in Wilts Longbridge M n n D a f s . x on . o o . an d n s n . s o Deverill , Hill D Bri t D kt Ki g to D The l t the e

na s a a n o n s t a o s . Can a W lfh lm i hi s me g i p i t o the roy l h u e it be th t u e , l ke d c sso A thelm w as conn c o a a ? pre e e r , e ted with the r y l f mily 1 5 a E The list of abb ots in Tiber ius B. pl ces Cuthred and cgwulf immediately an N of s son s occ s of a o i n before Dunst . either the e per ur with the title bb t ’ a a d r t co s d c a tw a i St Ga ch rters but the n me Cu e me ire tly fter o bbots n the . ll ’ Confratern ity Book on the occasion of Bish op Kynewald s visit i n 929 s ee the C n a n Boo B ar n a s n a Note ( F) on Three Swiss o fr ter ity ks . oth e fou d tte ti g ch rters as thegns . 2 ’ W a n i i B. S . hi a i and ulfhelm s first attest tio s n 926 ( C . s l st n 941 ;

Oda h i s a s s i n. 942 . For con s n o a on i n , s s ucce s or , tte t the fu ed i terp l ti the

n a . 3 . da i s o an O a Chro icle see bove , p 7 The y fr m the C terbury bitu ry

(Nero C . 3 ' Se N on o s of Athelm Wulfhe lm and L fin . e the ote (D) the T mb , y g 4 See a o . 32 . b ve , p ’ 5 i s in 28 B 3 664 for I Elfh a a n as s o 9 . S . 66 eah s first s ecure ttest tio bi h p ( . C , ) A 2 i s na His as a a anc is in 93 and his B S 660 . D . 9 s o . . C . . ( 7) que ti ble l t ppe r e 7,

s uccessor attests i n the next year but the charters are of d oubtful value . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 43

o - oo of nc — two un for am one fo r bish p st l Wi hester h dred H pshire,

and one for o — o on in ca of Wilts, D rset with the like pr visi se his ‘ o n n to c two n o n death . Item, Abb t Du sta is re eive hu dred p u ds, an d to at G a on for o o f o and on keep it l st bury, the pe ple S merset Dev and n n a n to a an n a to o o , if a ythi g h ppe him , rr geme ts simil r th se ab ve ’ ’ a o o z Elf i n n sh ll be made . Als Bish p s ge is to have two hu dred pou ds at nc s to to c n Wi he ter give whi hever shire shall eed it . Lastly,

o Ose tel n at o c wa at o to a Bish p y (the D r hester, after rds Y rk) is h ve n n o n for c an n o o the remai i g f ur hu dred the Mer i s . The f ll ws the ‘ enigmatic sentence : Now Bishop Wulfhelm has that sum of four ’ 1 n o n hu dred p u ds . We kno w fro m the biographer B that Ki ng Edred relied chiefly on n an i n a n on of n o an d a com Du st his dmi istrati the ki gd m , th t he mitted his ch arters and treas ures to his keeping i n the monastery of

Glastonbury . I n his last illness the ki ng desired to dis pose of his

o and n n an to n a o G a o n pr perty, se t Du st bri g the tre sure fr m l st bury, 2 o on n o n can but he died while the abb t was his retur j ur ey . We

n an o ha to n n an d not to of two u derst d, theref re, t t Du sta , either the

o w as ac n for co n s of o rs and bish ps, the leg y e trusted the u tie S me et

on how o Wulfhelm of s c to in os Dev . But Bish p Well ame be p ’ session of four hundred pounds of the king s mon ey remai ns 3 n a n d u expl i e .

Wulfhelm i n 95 6 Brihthelm I n o to II w as succeeded by . rder

n n c n conn c n u dersta d the story whi h has bee e ted with his ame, it is n c a o c n of o e ess ry to recapitulate briefly the p liti al eve ts the peri d .

n n d on in 9 39 at a e of n Ki g Edmu d ha come to the thr e , the g eightee 4 a n an on of G a ton n n a o ye rs . Du st , the m k l s bury, bei g the b ut thirty,

ca one of nc a co n o co w as at a be me his pri ip l u sell rs . The urt Chedd r, ’ and Dunstan s rivals contrived to bring him i nto disgrace with the n h c But who u s im o . ki g, s mmarily dismi sed fr m his servi e imme diately after this King Edmund n early lost his life while hunting a c ff n as stag that dashed o ver the Cheddar li s . Bei g saved by a ac at onc s o con c a o n ns n and a mir le, he e ught re ili ti with Du ta , m de

o of G a on s n an had r a n nc him Abb t l st bury . After thi Du st g e t i flue e

1 B 0 . 1 2 . ans a on o n i n d c S . 9 The docume t s pri te by ir h , I give the tr l ti fr m ’ m ts n xi Old En s and a n Ha n l al D cu en o . x . rmer s E g is h His tori c o , The gli h L ti n ansa n B o vers i ons pri nted by Birch grossly mi srepres e t the whole tr ctio . ef re the name Wulfhelm s tan d s f) in the manuscript n o reasonable explanation of 3‘‘ this i s offered ; the s entence is pes u n e hwfpii pulfhelm biscop c aet feoper d ’ hun d pun a . 2 l u mori a s o St. D nst 31 . Me an . 29 f , pp , 3 o s It may be that both he an d Archbis hop Wulfh elm were of the royal h u e . ’ '

B E H R . xx 5 1 fl . F r s acc . av n a n . x . o thi I ept Mr e e s rgume t, . ii 7 44 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

o n m n an d ro E who b th with Ki g Ed u d with his b ther/ dred, reigned 946 to 9 5 5 from . ’ n Edred s a n of bo Ki g e rly death was the sig al disaster. The y ’ n son ca to h o of n . Edwy, Edmu d s elder , me the t r ne at the age fiftee He was u nder the i n fluence of a court party which resented the power wielded duri ng the last two reigns by Abbot D unstan and

Ed iva n- o of a con c g the quee m ther . The estates the l tter were fis ated, and ns n w as n n x in n and Du ta drive i to e ile ; he took refuge Fla ders, f n or of o of . G . was a time the guest the ref rmed abbey St Peter, at he t

’ co n o v n and n c n Meanwhile the u try was misg er ed, prese tly the Mer ia s ’ o c oo n n o n o as n . rev lted, h si g Edgar, the ki g s y u ger br ther, their ki g o of n n n to o h o n Thus the w rk three ge eratio s seemed desti ed be vert r w , and n of n and u n o onc the u ity E gl broken p o ce m re . Edgar at e

‘ c n n an d a of an a a o . re alled Du sta , by the dvice his Wit m de him bish p

w as con c c o w ho now to a He se rated by Ar hbish p Oda, seems h ve ’ n o m n co w as n of withdraw fr Ki g Edwy s urt. He give the see

o c and to was n a o of on on . W r ester, this soo dded the versight L d Meantime the see of Wells had fallen vacant by the death of

Wulfhelm in 9 5 6 o had co to on . II , sh rtly after Edwy me the thr e

new s o Brihthelm who o to n n The bi h p was , is th ught have bee a ki s m an of the king : in any case he must h ave been the no minee of the n in o Two c o c of an party the p wer . years later the ar hbish pri C terbury c n A n n da Goo o n i n fell va a t . u worthy successor to O the d was f u d

‘ j Elfs i e o of nc fElfs i e of co g , the Bish p Wi hester. But g perished ld in o on w a to o to c . n the Alps, the y R me fet h his pall The , it w uld 1 Brihthelm of a c n for n seem, Wells w s hose Ca terbury 5 but he had

ot w n n c o 1 9 59 . hardly g there he Ki g Edwy died, O t ber , Edgar was at once accepted as ki ng of the reunited realm Brihthelm was sent

c to s an d n an ca c o of an . ba k Well , Du st be me Ar hbish p C terbury

new and a ac era had n . n w as on A pe eful begu Edgar, i deed, ly

x n n an w a a a n c n of n o si tee ; but Du st s g i the hief mi ister the ki gd m, and his rule in Church an d State cro wn ed the work of Alfred and his

a ucc so e a n n w as na and gre t s es rs, with the r sult th t E glish u ity fi lly for c ever a hieved . ’ ’ Brihthelm s epis copate covers practically the whole of King Edgar s 2 n . in 974 an d was . o reig He died , buried at Wells His bit was at G a on on 1 5 a n om of kept l st bury May , as we le r fr William 3 a s who n c ai a on of a . M lme bury, i deed l ms him as m k the bbey 1 See n rih i the Note (H) o Bishop B thelm an d h s Namesakes . 2 . n n d F s ub a m rt u e si s i n . Wi rn . nno 9 : Su n n Cf the e try i erte lor go , 73 e e isc0 us Brihth elmus o in W llum humat us est ui s uccessit M p p biit, et y ; c iddel

t unensis a as Cineward us for a s e 2 . bb but the ye r e below, p . 47, n . 3 ‘ A nti la t a a d me ham Man . s on . n A . d e Do r . s o q G . p He r e, , i 94 Idu biit Brihtelmus e isco us Wellensis monachus Glastoniae p p ,

46 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS of n an an d to o a o o a Du st , like him was related the r y l h use ; it is pr b ble,

o a was o man and a m on of a on r . theref re, th t he a S merset k Gl st bu y

w ho n an to a on c vow and It was he persuaded Du st t ke the m asti , he o rdained to the priesth ood on the same day Dun stan an d his frien d

l n n n G a on Ethelwo d who o o to . , prese tly f ll wed Du sta l st bury There for ten or m a n a n n o o n re , it y be, fiftee ye rs Du sta w rked quietly , building the abbey an d training young monks in the faithful observance ’ of n c . to o n o n o St . Be edi t s Rule Up this p i t the m veme t was wh lly

n in c a ac and w as n ot aff c i n an w a s o far as E glish h r ter, e ted y y, we

can n nc o a o . tell, by i flue es fr m br ad The correspon ding m ovement o n the Continent had begun a genera

on a . n had n o n in 909 o of ti e rlier Clu y bee f u ded , just ab ut the time ’ Dunstan s birth and the accession of his uncle A thelm to the n ew see

of . o in 930 an o of n Wells Fleury was ref rmed by abb t Clu y, but it

n n n nc and n ot so n o a retai ed its i depe de e did , like ma y ther bbeys,

c to n ac o G a become subje t Clu i rule . Ab ut the same time er rd of o n a o an d of Br g e was busy with simil r ref rms, the abbey St . Peter at G n n an a c n he t, where Du st was afterw rds re eived duri g his exile, was

conn x on of n n and on n n revived by him . The e i E gla d the C ti e t was so close during the reign s of Athelstan an d Edmun d that the English churchmen must have been well aware of the reforms i n France and 1 f an . n a o to a Od a Fl ders I deed, the f me Fleury is said h ve led the Good t o seek the m onastic habit from that abbey when he w as pro o to of an of n c n as m ted the see C terbury. Oda was Da ish des e t, was

Osk tel n n c o of o and n o in y his ki sma , the Ar hbish p Y rk ; we may te, ’ n x o n c n passi g, the e tra rdi ary fa t that seve ty years after Alfred s Peace o f o o c o of n n of an Wedm re b th the ar hbish ps E gla d were D ish o rigin . ’ What immediately con cerns us here is that Oda s brilliant young n a x of c o ephew Osw ld, disgusted with the la ity the lerks ver whom n to in ona at nc d t he had bee set preside a m stery Wi hester, esired o

o o and co a on . n o m an g abr ad be me m k Had he bee a S merset , he o o n n an and Ethelwold at G on n w uld have j i ed Du st last bury, the o e E nglish house where he could then have found the strict observance ’ o n unc c to that he s ught . As it was, he we t, by his le s advi e, Fleury . a at n ca a o c He w s le gth re lled by the ged Oda, but bef re he ould reach

an u n c and n on to Osk tel at o C terb ry his u le was dead, he we t y Y rk . n n an o n out and co n to n The Du st f u d him , mme ded him Ki g Edgar to of o c c ca fill the see W r ester, whi h he had just va ted . Whilst

a w as at Ethelwold conc s t o o Osw ld still Fleury, eived the wi h g there

1 So of on s f St . B n wh o had s to ac me the m k o erti , refu ed cept the reform of G a d of B o n in 9 44 set sa for En an and a d k er r r g e , il gl d, were pl ce by the ing in a of Ba F lc uin s ta abbatum S rtini P r S o e . Be e tz . G S . x the bbey th ( , G , , M . iii . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 47 also ; but the queen -mother warned Edred of the d anger of losing

and w as - n off t co an on o G a on to him , he se t wi h mp i s fr m l st bury

o an c n ona of n on ca a o rest re the ie t m stery Abi gd . Thus it me b ut that Dun stan hims elf w as the first link between the revived English monasticism and the great contin ental reform s ; and it w as to a

o a n an o s o n ot o m n a of L th ri gi h u e, ref rmed fr Clu y but by Ger rd

o n a o nc of his x o Br g e, th t the pr vide e e ile br ught him .

I n 963 Ethelwold w as a o of n c an d a m de Bish p Wi hester, there fter,

s o c an d n an at an on a c with O wald at W r ester Du st C terbury, the m sti m o n n o a a c nn a to veme t we t f rw rd pa e . It is u ecess ry follow it farther f a n so ar o r c to our o . here . Wh t has bee said is, h wever, di e tly purp se For n ow all the m ore eager spirits among the young English church men ou n n i n ona c onc a a n s ght their trai i g the m steries, whi h e g i had

co n o of o on and n n is a n be me livi g h mes dev ti lear i g . The result pl i ly

n for n x sho s ix of see at Wells, where the ext si ty years the bi ps, them in cc on c o n o on a o s of con su essi , were all h se fr m am g the bb t the re

on r s stituted m aste ie .

of C n ew ard o of on or on The first these was y , Abb t Middlet , Milt

in o . o n o n n an Abbas, D rset This h use had bee f u ded by Ki g Athelst ,

D Br d l w ho c c of . s on of O1 and . a wa ader pla ed there reli s St Sam St , given him by the Breton refugees who crossed the Chann el when the 1 an a n un r w as one of o D es were rav gi g their co t v . It the first f ur

n o n n a and s r o n a o mi sters ref rmed u der Ki g Edg r, the fir t ef rmi g bb t

C neward who n a n n n at G on was y , had bee tr i ed by Du sta last bury . ‘ in n o- axon ron c n a 964 We read the A gl S Ch i le u der the ye r : K . Edgar drave out the priests at Winchester from the Old Min ster and o New n an d o and o M iddelton fr m the Mi ster, fr m Chertsey fr m , and s ettled them with mon ks : and he placed Abb ot ZEthelgar at the

n as a o an d Ordbriht an d C neweard at New Mi ster bb t, at Chertsey y ’ M iddelton .

Cyn ew ard became Bishop of Wells in and ruled but one

1 ’ nn il 1 n r t é an B a Die He i en En lands . 9 S on e es e s c s an Lieberm , g g , p ( ) p tu r w alatrus se bis ceop on pam mynstre aet Middeltune (C) Donn e is on Middetun e sancte Bran wala ris hé af d bisco es and sancte Sam s on es ca bisco es and g te o P , rm , p , ’ fi his . nas 350 n d : ac erice Among the relics described in Mo t. ii . we Br hium et ’ lura ossa sanc Sam s nis archi raesulis and ac sanc Branwalad ri p ti p o p , br hium ti ’

sco . On n of B n c s see Bos worth Psalter . 53 112 epi pi the i troduction reto ult , pp , Cl r - Mc u e B ti h l . 1 60 if and ri s P ace nam s . , e , pp 1 C n eward a B S c n s a c a y ttests as bishop in 974 ( . C . . Bir h pri t h rter S B l a B . 1 02 rihth e m a s s s an . . 3 o MS 1 5 350 in c s o d ( C ) fr m Addit . . , , whi h tte t bi h p w d a a f r 4 n a f C ne ar s o . i s s a d 984 o a o 9 . o c o y bb t it mi d te , pr b bly 7 A Wilt h rter

9 4 . . S . 1 304 a so a a s ass s o c s 7 (B C ) l h s both n me . Kemble p e the f rmer, but reje t a A s on a r a 9 3 is ns n in the l tter . the ly uth ority fo the ye r 7 the i erted e try o nc of o c s n acc 9 4 a d a Fl re e W r e ter, we shall be more prude t if we ept 7 s the te . 48 THE SAXON BISHO PS OF WELLS

1 o a o n un 28 9 75 ten ay o n d a . sh rt ye r ; he died J e , , d s bef re Ki g E g r So it w as th at Cyneward was buried at Wells just before the ki ng

G a on and n are n w as buried hard by at l st bury, their ames li ked ’ together in the poem o n King Edgar s death which is preserved in the Chroni cle A glorious man Ten n ights before o B a n n Fr m rit i we t , The bishop good

na o c By tive f r e ,

Wh ose name was Cyn eweard .

n x o ca o m G a on b . Si e ar or The e t bish p me fr l st ury g g , Sigar, 2 n i of a bo to . ns n stands n ext but o e n the list b ts St Du ta himself.

at l o 975 to G on o o He ruled Wel s fr m last bury sh wed his t mb, 4 a of Beni nus c to a on n ear to th t St . g ; but Wells laims h ve his b es n f and a n a in c SI GARV S be eath his e figy, with them is a le de t blet s ribed WEL L ENSI S EPC .

o no o c n a o Th ugh we k w but little ab ut him , it is ertai th t Bish p

n No ho for s o Sigar m ade a great impressio i n Wells . bis p had sat

n a — w n -two I n a as lo g time t e ty years . after d ys he was regarded f n a n no wn the earliest bishop o the see whose ame w s certai ly k . He f f 1 1 7 n d in a s o o in ocu n o c . 5 a he d the list bish ps a Wells d me t ,

no oc n two n s a a c a ther Wells d ume t hu dred year l ter . He he ds a mu h

a s in n c of n o- axon Go n e rlier li t a Bath ma us ript the A gl S spels, writte

0 1 090 and a m orex s ur risin o c . ; , wh t is p g still, he h lds the same pla e — n nc oo of c . 1 030 a to a n o n a i a Wi hester b k th t is say, ge erati fter I n o of c o two o his death . s me these lists he is pla ed bef re the bish ps

Br h lm nd C n d h c a n c i the a ewar . o w o ert i ly pre eded him, y All this g es

m n who a a to s how that he was a a left m rk on his times . He

1 ‘ \V i a n i rn . s t en t o The e try inserted into Flor . go ye rs o late : 985 ’ w d W ll f u si Si a K ne ar o e ensi sco o d e uncto s cces t rus a as . W f y epi p g bb Cf. . o

lm la d D m h m . s H a n A . d o r a 4 Ma esb . A nti . ton . a . e e 9 a o a q G p e r e , , i Qu rt K lend . ’

I ulii o Kene uald us e isc0 us monachus G as on . A s s da n biit p p , l t thi y (Ju e 28) is d n i - on n d n ca o c n A . S . c co c i di te by the ti e the Chr i le, we lu e that Cyn eward is

an and not C new ald B s o of 1 V orceste r . me t , y i h p 2 s . 5 ns an fElfric Si e ar fElfward . s s w Tiberiu B Du t , , g g , Thi li t as d rawn up ’ f M l i B . me n s o S a s see a o . 1 4 . o a sb . ut su ra 85 i h p ig r lifetime b ve , p W p , p . , ’

o s o a c a nno 130 0 0 0 v E o Ed arus S a o a a & c . q u te fr m h rter A g g ig r bb ti , The ’ d a m a co c S a a s a s a on as a te y be rre t, but ig r s e rlie t tte t ti bb ot seems to occur in 9 B C . S . 74 ( . 3 T s ar a Hi s a he e e prob bly the correct dates . s fir t ttes tation as bishop is in

9 9 . i Di l hi n 95 . Cod . s as 9 . . 7 (Kemble , p l t (K C D 1‘ W M . f lm s o a b . K e ut su ra . 93 a o al I ulii u Si e ar s p , p Qu rt . ob t g g u ’ Wellensis e isc Gl ia Hi ia r f o us a as aston e . c c e . p p , bb e ert ur sub san cto Benigno There is a happy uncertainty aboutf ertu THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 49

n o con a n n c entered i t fr ter ity with the Old Mi ster (i . e . the athedral c c c and a o for in hur h) at Win hester, he was ls prayed the New

n of can n o o Mi ster, afterwards the abbey Hyde . There be d ubt n of a on o ca for that, whe the figures the S x bish ps were rved their m onuments in the church at Wells at the beginnin g of the thirteenth c n o a o of who r e tury, Bish p Sigar was reg rded as the ldest all we e 1 buried there . The n ext Bishop of Wells w as also an abbot —but this time from n n n as n n a Westmi ster . St . Du sta was regarded a seco d fou der t

n to a on o Westmi ster, where he is said h ve settled twelve m ks br ught

o ow n a of a on n on fr m his bbey Gl st bury . Westmi ster, like Glast bury, o n an to n o ut o o o s o beg se d its abb ts as bish ps . The m st famous was Wulsin w ho n to o n in 992 an d St . , we t Sherb r e he would appear to n cc o A lfw or EElfwin who in n have bee su eeded as abb t by y ( ), his tur 2 to in 997 o a went Wells . It is pr b ble that it was a Somerset m an who ca c o n to thus me ba k fr m Westmi ster Wells . There is a strange statement about Bishop fElfwin in a Wells oc n n o 1 1 75 to ff c n d ume t writte ab ut , the e e t that he suppla ted Sigar ’ in o c an d a o the bish pri , that fter Sigar s death he lived as bish p 3 n thirteen days and the expired . It has been suggested that Bishop Sigar in his old age may have had ZElfwin as his coadj utor ; and we can well understan d that he might wish to hat e one of his former

on to a c . o o n m ks t ke his pla e It is , h wever, p ssible that there has bee

o co on o of o E i n to o s me nfusi with the st ry a later Bish p lw , wh m we n shall come prese tly . The obit of Bishop [ Elfwin would seem to have been kept on 29 c of o c a an n August . In the alendar the Le fri Miss l there is e try ’ n a itu ZElf in by a l ater ha d on this d y : Ob s w i episcopi . But it is o t p ossible that some other bish p is referred o . I n charters of 99 7 and 998 we find the signature of Bishop [ Elfwin 4 and f n a na L fin L fin o of also o a bbot med y g . This y g was the Abb t co c had n o n in of n I na Chertsey, . Surrey, whi h bee f u ded the days Ki g

f n c Er on c o o o . . c ( . t gether with the abbey Barki g, Essex, by St o of on on a on a o of wald, Bish p L d . This we h ve the uth rity Bede

1 For the details of this paragraph I may be allowed to refer to a paper

- i W lls in A ha l ia v l . lxv n E ies Saxon Bisho s at e rc eo o o . 95 1 e titled flg of p , g , , pp 1 2 (1 91 3- 1 4) 2 H m n lf a a W t i st . 8 A w us s os a i ist. es er e s us Flete, of , p 7 y bb , p te p cop ’ F ntan i F f S No s o s o s ns . u ens s . ee the te (I) on the ir t Abb t We tmi ter 3 ‘ ’ Histori ola & in E c s a a n H n f r a , c . c le i stic l Docume ts edited by u ter o the C mden Soc 1 4 Alw nus ui sub lantavit Si arum ab e isco atu iety p . y , q p g p P ci m ’ S ae os s obit xii diebus vixisset e is us x iravit . (M . fi) p t cuiu um cum j p 0 0 p e sp

. 6 8 0 K . C . D 9 , 70 . 50 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

- H . E A . S . n o ( . iv. The Chro icle tells us that Chertsey was ref rmed in 964 n c and , at the same time as the mi sters at Win hester at

on Ordbriht o n o L fin Middlet . was then app i ted abb t ; y g may have n cc o L fin o of in bee his immediate su ess r . y g attests as Bish p Wells William of Malmesbury tells us th at he was also named 2 n or n Ethelsta Elsta . n1 01 3 El h n I 3 n to an u . e e he was tra slated C terb ry . St p g had bee n on 1 in o and murdered by the Da es April 9 the previ us year, the

ac h d nc oo can c o L fin o oo prim y a si e st d va t . Ar hbish p y g pr bably t k ’ 1 01 4 a prominent part in the making of King Ethelred s Laws in .

n o n to c o n n on in 1 01 6 and It was his stra ge f rtu e r w Edmu d Ir side , n o o n in 1 020 cco n to two C ut in the f ll wi g year . He died , a rdi g

n c of on c . on an c ma us ripts (E, F) the Chr i le The ly m us ript (D) ‘ which places his death in 1 01 9 describes him thus : Then departed xElfstan c n L ifin and man the ar hbishop . He was amed g ; he was a ’ n n — o exceedi g prude t ( razd ftes t) alike before G od and bef re the world . w as co n n a reed He ready in u sel, as Ethelred his master was U re dy ( 4 leas ) . ’ O11 L yfing s promotion to Canterbury in 1 01 3 the see of Wells

z Ethelwine o of . on as was filled by , the Abb t Evesham His attestati d o in of 1 01 2 . an abb t occurs a charter July (K C . D . the co ac n Brihtmaer and ZElfward Evesham re rds pl e him betwee , the latter of wh om is said to have been appointed in fEthelwine o o 1 01 8 to 1 022 a in co n Briht attests as bish p fr m , alw ys mpa y with wi n o in 1 01 8 Brihtwi o Brihtwi ne e bish p and (except ) with g abb t . This - o f n n A S . is pr bably the Bishop o Sherborn e : he is me tio ed in the . n l h to Chro icle (E) as present when King C nut translated St . E p ege

n 1 0 3 Brihtwi o of G a o w ho Ca terbury in 2 . g is the Abb t l st nbury, to cc ZE h l n n 1 024 was su eed t e wi e at Wells i . William of Malmesbury is responsible for the statement that ZEthelwine c o Brihtwine Brihtwine was eje ted fr m his see by , that c and [ Ethelwine on to c was then eje ted, that returned, ly be eje ted Brihtwin e for con o o by the se d time . It is p ssible that the st ry has arisen from an attempt to interpret the confusions of the ancient 6 co of and of o n for o epis pal lists Wells Sherb r e this peri d .

1 . . 03 . K C D . 7 1 - E est. P ont 33 1 94 so A . S on . o o . G . , pp . , ; . Chr ( ) , qu ted bel w 3 - A S . E . Chron . ( ) . 4 For his o s of Athelm tomb at Canterbury see the N te (D) on the Tomb , Wulfhelm and L fin y g . 5 ’ M Monast c S on s D Ew w a . S . 229 i on . 26 o MS. of Sir es n , ii , fr m the im d ( o H rl )

f. His t. o Evesh. c R s . 81 f ( oll p . B i win See the Note (J) on the Various Bishops r ht e . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF W' ELLS 5 1

Brihtwi Beorhtwi or Brihtw con c in 1 024 or g ( g, y) was se rated , i 2 possibly at the en d of He was also called M erew t . He was c ono on b co a o cco n mu h h ured at Glast ury, where he had be me bb t, a rdi g to a of in 1 01 7 and c c o Willi m Malmesbury, , where he had aused a r ss to and a o an - on co o and be made, ls altar fr t de rated with g ld silver 3 and o w as in no n a of iv ry. He buried the rther apse, at the ltar

I n o n c n ax an w as o n . w c St. J h Baptist the f urtee th e tury a dle kept

n n o o and nn sa o c bur i g bef re his t mb, his a iver ry was bserved with mu h

1‘ n d 1 2 1 033 n o a a solem ity . He ied April , . This we lear fr m a v lu ble 5 oc n n o G o n cc o one d ume t writte by Bish p is , his ext su ess r but the 6 con n o- o n c Brihtwi was year is firmed by the A gl Sax n Chro i le . g at on ce the last bish op of the English race an d the last of the long series of o who had co out of o ona abb ts me the ref rmed m steries . We may bring the period to a close by recapitulating their n ames C n eward o on 974— 5 y fr m Middlet , a o G on 975 — 97 Sig r fr m last bury, ; E lfwin o n 997 — 9 fr m Westmi ster, L fin o 999— 1 01 3 y g fr m Chertsey, ;

1 ’ lwin as na i 2 w JEthe e s s s in 1 02 . . Briht i s a s s l t ig ture (K C . D g till tte t

a o in 1 023 and on in 1 024 as s o . . 3 39 a as bb t , ly bi h p (K . C D 7 7, 7 , The d te

S s i a 1 . n s s 0 1 of a s o . 1 027, give by tubb , b ed W M lme bury (cited bel w) 1‘ ont 1 9 a G M r hwit A -S est. P . . 4 os s . . . . 1 40 e e . . o G p , B th pel (C C C C ) , Chr n . x i M H s o ola 1 5 E o . ch i . 42 ere h t 1 033 . c i t ri . . ( ) ; C tt . (K . C D . 7 ) yy , , p 3 n M I Brithwius a as consti ut ti . laston . a n . 8 n o t us A n q G (He r e) , p 7 A XV bb a an a a a o et a n o et cho olimitani et crucem Hic fecit tabul m te lt re, ur rge t re p , an n s susce ti re imin is in isco um W l n m t lec u 94 post d ecem o p g ep p e le se es e t s p . ' A nn incarnacionis V o Brihwius e isco us Wellensis a as o MXXXI biit p p , bb ’ ia Hic iacet in a ona ortic u ad sanc I ohan nem Ba tis tam Glaston e quil ri p tum p . 4 h la t a . n 2 Ha c H a n Jo n o s on. . 363 o n . o l . n o. 4 e r e , f G ii (fr m Tri C l , C t 7 ) e ° l t e r a a in s acc n deb n t . . rocessiona es e e ei maioris su nt annivers ri q uibu e di e ii p . iiii . m ius nae s Brithwoldi et B thwi isc orum o a a s formae re oc I regi , ri ep op , R berti bb ti ‘ n i ri Willelmi a a s . Sciend um eciam o d e raenominatis se o s , bb ti ll qu d multi p qui in eccles ia Glastoniensi re q uiescunt singulos cereos habent ante locum suae s ulturae c Ed arus Brithwold et Brithwi Robertus in ep , videli et g , , meridie Will lmu in a on a a s in ca o E n as s n o in a on et e s q uil e , bb te pitul dmu d e i r quil e , ’

E mun n o Ed nd ons d in an a s a a . d d us iu i r [ mu Ir i e] meridie, te m iu lt re 5 His tori ola 1 5 nno d ominicae incarnationis Cnuth , p . A rege Da rum et orw nensium O tinente a rinci atum totius Brittanniae no N ey p eti m p p ,

Br th eri e is0 0 us Welliae cc s a Merech t co nominatus . s s y p p e le i e , yy g , ii idu Aprili o et in Glasstin ensi coenobio in uo an e isco atum a as est biit, g , q te p p bb fuit, ’ ltus n na nc s o s a a was o n a n s epu . I ter l evide e h w th t the ye r rigi lly writte

of Malmesb ut s u ra . 94 s a as xxx . W . . , p , p , give the ye r m iv The ’ Ma a a a an riht i e n d on o o C C 5 h s n b . Abi g rtyr l gy (C . . . C . 7) the e try (by l ter h d) p g p ’ on 3 1d . . Ja s s Catalo ue . Apr ( me g , I , p G ‘ ’ A -S on E 1 033 Her on s a for éferde Merehwit on . . Chr . ( ) : pi um ge re b Sum rsmton is beb r d n Glaestin ab ri e j he y ge o g y g . D 2 52 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

[ Ethelwine o 1 01 3— 24 fr m Evesham, ; Brihtwi o G on 1 024 g fr m last bury,

o . nc a n n r The abb ts had had their day O e ag i , as u der Edwa d the ’ an d A n n a - — c a n w ho Elder thelsta , the ki g s m ss priests the hapl i s formed his Chancery— became un der Cn ut and Edward the Confessor

o c o ch o A nd the usual s ur e fr m whi bish prics were filled . these last

n on n — one n o n a me ti ed ki gs the a Da e , the ther E glish by his f ther, o n o and an a o uc on and but N rma by his m ther, N orm ls by his ed ati — in his sympathies cho se foreign priests for the work of their c n and n n c o n n to . ha ery, the rewarded them by app i tme t E glish sees

c in c Dudoc on w as Wells was typi al this respe t . , the Old Sax ,

o n o m a n oo men followed by Gis the Lothari gian . B th y have bee g d the second certainly stan ds high i n the roll of meritorious achieve

n . c n o a o to o a c n o me t But the ha ge fr m bb ts r y l haplai s, th ugh n c c n of ona c v a perhaps e essitated by the de li e the m sti re iv l , marks a o Of n r o on in c o and o peri d ge eral etr gressi , whi h ambiti us w rldly c a n to c in c and o lerks att i ed the highest pla es the Chur h , s metimes held sees in plurality as the reward of co ntinued political servi ces .

co n n . Better days were mi g, but the i terval was very dark Wells o n n o oc o was perhaps m re happy tha ma y ther di eses, partly fr m the fact that Bishop Dudoc had a longer episcopate than any of his c o and s o o c nc of wo prede ess rs, the see was saved fr m the ha es un rthy and n on ac o n n c n c an eve sim i al app i tme ts ; partly be ause, whe a h ge c a o n oo o in G o of o n w ho ame at l st, it btai ed a g d bish p is L rrai e, ,

n n n nor o n co n bei g either E glish N rma , uld mediate the better betwee con o an d con and who on n an o quer rs quered, ruled yet l ger tha y bef re him- from the last years of the Confessor through the wh ole of ’ n n o a of s on uf n n d William s reig i t the d ys his R us . The , i dee ,

c c of o c n ot co for alamity befell the Chur h Wells, fr m whi h it did re ver

o n a n on . n n of a c n m re tha ge erati O ly whe , after the lapse full e tury, ’ on n sat in o a c n of a a m k agai the bish p s se t, ame the daw brighter

day . VII

ADD ITION A L NOT E S

The E arl End owment o the S ee o Wells A . y f f

It is a m atter of some i nterest to inquire wh at provision was m ade

for n ew o of n oc con c. 909 . the Bish p Wells, whe the di ese was stituted

1 s o s who o o : Dudoc an Old Sax n 1 033 G so The bi h p f ll wed were , o ( i , a n an 1 1 o n of o s 1 088 G a G an a Loth ri gi ( 06 J h T ur ( odfrey , erm 1 1 2 -35 o n of s 1 1 36 ( 3 ) R bert, mo k Lewe (

5 4 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

’ in co n of o c was n were the u ty S merset, whi h u til after Asser s death o on of o n oc c in a p rti the Sherb r e di ese . They are thus des ribed the 1 c : a eolin tun terram m anentium et harter tres vill s, id est p g de sex ,

Bocland terram n m anentium L id eard terram . . qui que , atque g xii ’ manentium . o oo o o of D mesday B k sh ws that the Bish p Wells held, ’ had o n and and held T . R . E b th Welli gton and Bishop s Lydeard we learn from another source that Buckland formed a portio n of ? Wellington We are therefore o n fairly secure ground if we suppose that these ’ — W on c n and o three estates ellingt , Bu kla d, Bish p s Lydeard , situated

n o of o and a o on j ust withi the b rder S merset, sep rated fr m Dev by the

ac o n ar of o na n o n of Bl kd w Hills , were a p t the rigi l e d wme t the bishopric of Wells when it was created o ut of Sherborne in the be nn n of n c gi i g the te th entury . To these distant properties we must add the large estate of Wells h f h f n t e o o c c o . itself, immem rial heritage the hur St A drew, where ’ o oo now c of n c the bish p s st l was set . A harter Ki g William, whi h claims to have been drafted by Bishop Giso hims elf (Wells Reg . o o o of n as s o n iii . th ugh pr bably spuri us, is i terest h wi g the ‘ range of the Wells estate i n the territory of Wells and the villages

o on n 5 0 mansas— P aulesham Wok Hentun theret bel gi g are , y, , G rdle Bleddenh th Bladne Eastun Wes tb ri y g (Yardley) , y ( y), , y g, Wok o ZEbbeu rth Burcotan M idd eltun and y H le, y , , Other Middle tun xEt P aenne Horn nin d une an d Hornnin dune , tham , g Other g , Hwite c c Denrenn n Dultico tan Welsle Wuormestorr ir e, (Di der), , g, , Celicotan Chilcot Be enhan ra n Wandestreow and ( ), g g (Bi egar), , Hlittun We m ay now turn to the Domesday Survey and note th ose pro perties which belonged to the bishop in the time of King Edward the n o o out uc no to a Co fess r . Fr m these we must rule s h as we k w h ve mbe o G o n a u o . c o a been added by Bish p is , amely, ( ) C (C mbe St Ni h l s), 3 c o c o z o son of To rold who whi h the bish p pur hased fr m A r, , held it h Banwelle o Of o 0 J atane a ton T . R . E . ( ) , sp ken ab ve ; ( ) (Y t ), held o n n d Wedmore n w T . R . E . by J h the Da e ; ( ) , given by Ki g Ed ard 4 on o e L i tune L 1 tton o o o the C fess r ; ( ) ( ) , b ught by the bish p fr m 5 6 ZElfred M ilvertune n Q n . (f) , give by uee Edith

1 B C s 290 . c S 61 0 o . ir h , . . , fr m Well Reg . iii 2 s c. D 81 6 . Well Reg . (iii . Kemble, . 3 4 s Re . 255 b. I bid . . 1 6 Well g iii . , R i . 7 . 5 1 4 s is sa on as is c on as a f R . i . . Thi the me Litt re k ed p rt o the Well s in a a f n a territory the gener l ch rter o Ki g Willi m . 6 1 8 R . i . . THE SAXON BIS HOPS OF WELLS 5 5

The remainder of the properties recorded in Domesday Boo k would appear to have belonged to the bishopric of Wells in the earlier days ; but we cannot determine how many of them formed a part of its o n n n o o n : rigi al e dowme t. They are the f ll wi g

’ Chi n es herie Cerdre and I n telande on oo g , , Ex . b k)

. n co and o to i . e Ki gsbury Epis pi, Chard, a small estate pr bably be c on co 30 re k ed with Huish Epis pi . These make up hides . Wi veles combe 1 5 : hides . 1 E ri 0 vrec z (Evercreech) 2 hides . Wi n sh m 1 0 o e a : . . hides This, th ugh held T . R E . by Elsi, was an 2 nc n o of and co o G o a ie t pr perty the see, was re vered by Bish p is . Chi e 30 n d n n ee : . a c . hides This is Chew Magna, i ludes Du dry

The nam E l lm . e [ the he or E thelm B .

The n ame is n ot uncommon in the ninth an d tenth centuries : the

on n o o A -S on find same pers appears u der b th f rms . In the . . Chr . we Z 1 837 I Ethelhelm E thelm o n of o n in ( ) ( B) eald rma D rset, slai a fight n o n 2 887 E thelhelm o n of with the Da es at P rtla d ; ) , eald rma Wilts . , ’ takes Alfred s alms to Rome ; 894 (ZEthelm A) he defeats the Danes n on o fEthered fEthelnoth o n of at Butti gt , t gether with and , eald rme Z ’ on o 898 . Ethelm 3 I n n Dev and S merset ; ( A) he dies . ( ) Ki g Alfred s ’ c S 553 n n to fEthelm o Will (Bir h, C. . ) la ds are gra ted , my br ther s s on 4 I n f n His i ns o York 4 5 o . tor a . 0 ( ) the Life St Oswald (Rai e, f , i ) xEthelhelm on of o n w c a knight, , is patr the y u g Oda, after ards Ar h ho of n an d to o 5 fEthelhelm bis p Ca terbury, takes him R me ; ( ) , o n of E lflaed con of n a eald rma , was father , the se d wife Ki g Edw rd f Ges a Be um 1 37 6 fEth lm a o t . e ba the Elder (Will . Malm . g , i ) ( ) b s attests a ch arter granted by King Edward and ZEthelred of Mercia 0 0 3 7 f in 9 3 . 6 3 o o . nc . o (B . C S . fr m St we xxi) ( ) The Wi hester MS Bede (late tenth century) has a colophon recording the n ame of a s cribe ZEd elelmus : it is followed by a note in very corrupt I rish . It is p ossible that both colophon and note were C opied from an ‘ in co o on ro n .E delelmo earlier MS . The mistake the l ph , p a ima

sic to out o . ( ) seems bear this . It is th ught that the MS may have a Glastonbury origin but it would be haz ardous to assign its original ’ l B d e 1 ex to our xEth m e . . e ; see Plummer s , f On on n n : for the C ti e t also we meet with the name as, example, ’ 1 n Flo doard s nn 92 1 A delelmus Alleaume A als (ed . Lauer, ( ,

1 W stbe n o is nc in r o of s e rie, which comes next i rder, i luded the te rit ry Well ’ W so a so Wandestreu c c aft in King illiam s charter cited above : l , whi h omes er

Wedmore . 2 3 B f W s Hi t ri ola 1 . oss s o o . s o , p . 7 P ibly the future i h p ell 56 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

o of aon 921 932 A delelmes co Alleaume o n Bish p L , mes ( , C u t of 936 A delelm us Silvanectensium raesul o Alleaume Arras) ; p biit ( , o of 948 clericus L audunensis no n Bish p Senlis) ; quidam , mi e

Adelelmus .

’ The Date o A thelm s Trans lati on to anterbur C . f C y . The Canterbury writers at the end of the eleventh century placed ’ P le mund s in 923 an d n to ac of g death , assig ed him a prim y thirty

o . o was on 2 c on n o f ur years As his bit kept August , the re k i g w uld not ncon n n a of cc on be i siste t with the Ca terbury d te his a essi ,

viz . 890.

c n o are in n 91 4 of But re e t hist rians , agreed givi g as the year

of P le mund and cc on of A thelm o the death g the a essi . The s le authority for this date is the statement foun d under that year in ‘ o c of o c s : A thelmo W llensi co o in archie i Fl ren e W r e ter y epis p , p Wlfh lm ’ sc0 atum Dorubernensem o s uccessit e us . p levat , This is n in M on His t Brit in oo -no n one of give by Petrie the . . . a f t te, as bei g

n on in o . on 1 5 7 n the umerous additi s made A (C rp Chr . Ox . ) it is ot o n in co Un ortunatel Thor e rinted i f u d the Lambeth dex. f y p p t without comment as a art o the tea t o c n p f , th ugh he reje ted sile tly the ’ on of n 924 c co A thelm s a and parallel additi A u der , whi h re rds de th ’ ’ Wulfhelm s cc ion to o o {Elfheah s n a ess Canterbury, f ll wed by accessio 1 to Wells .

o n o to co o ca of It is imp rta t, theref re, dis ver the hist ri l value these ’ n f n A o in . o o . add additi s A S me them are desig ated by Petrie as . ‘ ’ c two to : o A ali a manu su h are the just referred thers as . . But of c c and o n to they are the same hara ter, fte refer the same sees . a n and a n o to o o o n o a Ag i ag i they pr ve be bvi usly wr g, s metimes by s ? much as a hundred years This is what Petrie himself says about them in a note to the year 5 43

Abhin in c d A occurrunt ad i m nta a tam in t xtu a in c o . d ta e plurim e qu m

a n diversis c anti uis manibus exarata. e isco orum A n lorum m rgi e , li et q Ad p p g ’ s s s c an lerum ue x Gestis P ontificum Will ielmi Malm s erie ferme pe t t, p q e e

buriensis a s a . oad chronolo iam ad s a vid entur h u t Qu g , fere libitum po it ; sed cum ex h oc vel simili codice in textum Fl orilegi s ive Mathaei Wes tmonasteriensis i rre serin t et n ut s est in aliorum Ch ronicis obti nuere o p , i de, veri imile , l cum , a MSS di um vari c a n . co c etates re raesentand a d uximus h e eti m i ter p .

n had a n a i o c U til I ex mi ed the L mbeth MS . (L) w th s me are, I had hoped that a distinction might be drawn between the entries of episcopal successions which are foun d in A only and those which are

1 See oot-n i M H B n 924 the f ote n . . . u der . 2 S Eal 5 o d orht and Esn n 8 2 and 88 a c n . be e u der 7 , e tury too late THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 57

l o o in . now an for o a s f und L But I see that, at y rate the peri d with

c conc n n o . whi h we are here er ed, they are all equally u trustw rthy

do not co o o nc in n n nc They me fr m Fl re e himself, but are ma y i sta es ’ u c o of Ges ta P ont cum. q ite ertainly derived fr m W . Malmesbury s ifi But on what principles the years to which they are assigned are 1 c o n fo r o h se is the m st part quite obscure . C od nd f r . A is u oubtedly the most important authority o the text of o nc of o c n o on of Fl re e W r ester . But it is loaded with i terp lati s

o t . o of are in a n for o vari us da es S me them the m rgi s, but thers oo n f f n of r m has bee made by erasure o po rtions o the text . Ma y n o ons not to n in a an c these i terp lati are be fou d the L mbeth m us ript,

c c or n c o and n a o whi h is derived dire tly i dire tly fr m A, was writte b ut

of a n n a quarter ce tury later for the monastery of Abingdo . The en try with which we are here concerned is a good example of the of an f n x f value this m uscript (L) or controlli g the te t o A .

n A D . 91 4 a in . 1 1 8 o U der the year . we re d L (f ) after the w rd ’ cons truxit o n nc Hiem s n a n et the sh rt se te e, p imis m g a dura , with c nn c o ow cons trua’it n n o on whi h the a al l ses . N in A e ds a li e ; a p rti of n x n c on the e t li e was, we may assume, filled with the brief des ripti of n n the hard wi ter, which the i terpolator thought might well be

. o c and o spared The erasure was m st arefully made, thus the wh le ’ lin e was available for the entry as to Archbisho p A thelm s accession

c n o o whi h has bee qu ted ab ve . n o o w ho n o in a a This i terp lat r, may have bee at w rk the l st qu rter of c n o n to co the twelfth e tury, has added ther e tries as the epis pal cc on end of na of 924 a su essi s at Wells . Thus at the the an l he dds

o o n the two o n n c end of n the f ll wi g, first w rds fi di g pla e at the a li e, the rest runn ing o ver into the m argin

Defuncto Athelmo a c sco o s uccessit Wlhelmus cui ad W llensem r hiepi p , y m ecclesia successit lElfe us illi ue Wlfhelmus illi ue Br thelmus . g , q , q y

or who o o o n If Th pe, mitted these w rds alt gether, had bee equally

n to o n o a on n an o an sile t as the f rmer i terp l ti , it is u likely that y hist ri ’ would ever have suggested the year 9 1 4 for P legmund s death an d n on of h lm the tra slati A t e to Canterbury . Accordingly we are thrown back on the Canterbury date of 923 for

d of P le mund and n nc for cc on of A thelm . the eath g , by i fere e, the a essi Its earliest auth ority is a note inserted into the Parker codex (A) of - n o xon C on c n c 1 075 . the A gl Sa hr i le by a Ca terbury writer . There appears to be no reason for questioning its correctn ess : there certainly

1 S e a acco n and n e c f s n s . S nso further u t riticism o the e e trie by Mr W . H . teve

i A s er . 1 08 in h s s , p . 5 8 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

1 no c n for or n i is harter evide ce that can be pleaded either agai st t . ’ Now ac A th l a in n 926 can that we have pl ed e m s de th Ja uary , we

l two n n stil give him full years a d rather more at Ca terbury . If we ask how the interpolator of Florence could have been led to ’ c oo 9 1 4 of Athelm s ac on find o h se as the year cessi , we may a p ssible n on of Gesta P ont cum c a swer this wise . The MS . the ifi , whi h is believed to have been written by William of Malmesbury himself o to n own a on for (Magd . Oxf rd and represe t his alter ti s the

n f i 1 3 1 4 . 20 o co o o o n cc . se nd editi his w rk, has bk . i, , (p , R lls n of s c c c o n Series), the umber year whi h ea h ar hbish p ruled i serted o n Ple mund - o A thelm ver his ame . Thus g sat thirty f ur years, twelve, Wulfhelm n w add o thirtee , Oda t enty . If we these years t gether we c o of n -n n Ple mund c a c o in rea h a t tal seve ty i e . But g be ame r hbish p

889 or 890 d in 958 or 959 . n two n , and Oda die Betwee these eve ts - - n n n not n n n . a the i terval is sixty i e years, seve ty i e Here was fruitful o c of co u on ou o o ou P le s ur e nf si . If y w rked f rwards y might put g ’ n in 923 in cco nc n on . mu d s death , a rda e with the Ca terbury traditi ’ ou o ac w o 959 A thelm s cc o o in If y w rked b k ards fr m , a essi n w uld fall 9 1 4 to n on not x n n . It is fair me ti that this will e plai the subseque t ’ entry which speaks of A thelm s death under 924 ; but this may have ’ been suggested by the immediately preceding notice of A thelm s

co on o of n n c o . r ati n Ki g Athelsta , whi h has als been antedated

The Tombs o A thelm Wu helm and L in at anterbur D . f , lf yj g C y .

The bo dies of A thelm an d Wulfhelm rested at first i n the church or a of o n ch c o b ptistery St. J h Baptist, whi Ar hbish p Cuthbert had ’ to of axo n c c L anfranc s n ew built the east the great S hur h . In c c o c o c in r b n hur h they, with the ther ar hbish ps, were pla ed the t i u e r of no n on n f c w as an o gallery the rth tra sept, the easter side o whi h ? apsidal chapel with an altar at which mass was celebrated daily After the attempt of a foreign m onk in 1 1 2 1 to carry off the body

of Bre win n and c o P le mund c St . g , that sai t Ar hbish p g were pla ed - 3 n f G o o c o t . behi d the altar o St . reg ry in the s uth h ir ransept It may be that A thelm and Wulfhelm were mo ved at the same

1 xx no xx1 1 i s i a an S . 638 is o S o c a t . s Birch , , fr m t we h rter iii ) Th gr t by 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 CC X X a Archbishop P legmund which is dated DC C . But XX i s written over n as s l s ar o na and a s DCCCCV er ure . The fir t five etter e rigi l , the d te mu t be ,

which corresponds with the I ndiction (viii) . 2 I n a uil nali a voltum sin uli sub sin ulis s locellis q o p rte s uper g g liguei , ubi ’ s sa rifiii sa a s celebratur os s n Eadmer Vita quotidie my terium c c lut ri , p iti u t, ,

B wini A n li a Sacra . reg ( g , ii 3 d s a G rv 1 5 . I bi . ee lso e . i . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 59

o and ac in a c n time fr m the gallery, pl ed the apsid l hapel be eath , where Gervase tells us they were in his time — Athelm behind the

of . n c to Wulfhelm o to altar St Be edi t the right, and bef re it the left .

o n G o us The gallery itself was pulled d w , ervase further inf rms ,

o of o a in o to sh rtly after the murder St . Th m s, rder give a better view of the n ewly erected altar in the Martyrdom? I n later days the ’ in n a apse which St . Be edict s ltar stood was destroyed when Prior — Goldston (1 449 68) exten ded this ch apel to m ake his new Lady

" a n o not n c Ch pel, but this rebuildi g w uld e essarily have in terfered

n - c of our two a c with the resti g pla es r hbishops .

c o L fin who n o to an in 1 0 1 3 Ar hbish p y g, we t fr m Wells C terbury , ’ was o in L anfranc s c o to rem ved time, like his prede ess rs, the gallery of no n and n o a a to f the rth tra sept, the s mewh t l ter the left o the altar of a n i n n o t n of two a c r St. M rti the r her the pses whi h p ojected from - no c o n . I n 1 1 80 n new c o w as n the rth h ir tra sept , whe the h ir fi ished , he was placed in a corresponding position ; and G ervase adds that

Q n a who o of 1 1 73 had r o n uee Ediv , bef re the fire ep sed u der a gilded eretrum o in of o n n w f s mewhere the middle the s uth tra sept, was o 2 o of M arti ii n eretrum of L fin dep sited at the altar St . , u der the f y g . I n a m anuscript of the middle of the fifteenth century there is an Oratio ad omn es sanctos quorum corpora in Cantuarien si continentur ecclesia Here we find mention of both Athelm and Wulfhelm in the followi ng prayer

’ a i Omni o ns s n s c s in efiabil i rovidentia o os Or t o. p te empiter e deu uiu p gl ri i a s o as erased Al he us as s Sa as con fessores ue c m rtire [Th m ] , p g , Bl iu , lvi , q tui lu idi Dunstan us O Wilfrid us A nselmus Aud oenus Cuthbert us Ath l ar , d o, , , , , e dus,

Bre w n us P l mun d us Alfricus Athel arus Ciricus Wulfred us A th lr d g y , eg , , g , , , e e e us, Wulfelmus Celnothus Fleo ild us Ath elmus Wul anius celeberrima ue o , , g , , g , q virg S bur is n cnon et c teri o in Cantuariensi continentur y g , e e qu rum reliquie eccle sia a V riti an o t uorum co o s n ascri ti a , precl re ite me s s ct rum llegi u t p : prest ? uesumus q , dye

The P eri ls o the Road to Rome E . f .

’ The following illustrations are from Flodoard s Annals

92 1 A n lorum Romam rofii ntium n n . g p c sce plurimi i ter a gustias Al ium la idibus Sarraceni n obruti p p a s su t .

1 G v 1 1 er . . . i 2 Gerv 24 n Ed iva o of n E a E and . i . . Quee g , wid w Ki g dw rd the lder mother of E n : s a h had n to s n ee o . 44 . S e c M ham Ki g dmu d b ve , p g ive Chri t Chur h ep ,

c a and o s a s Gerv 1 1 . 49 . Pe kh m , ther e t te , . 3 S 1 3 M 9 9 se B w h alt r . 1 2 an : e os o t Ps e 4 . a Slo e . r , p f where it is said th t ’

n S L anfran and a na . other lists i clude . cus Ediv regi 60 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

923 M ultitudo A n lorum n n . g limi a sa cti Petri orationis gratia etentium n a Sarracenis trucidatur p i ter Alpes .

929 . A l ium a Sarracenis obs essae Rom am Viae p , a quibus multi

roficisci volentes revertuntur p impediti .

93 1 Graeci a c no . S rra e s per mare inseq uentes usque in Fraxi nidum

a i sorum t nd r di n I al m dulis s ltum, ubi erat refugium p e u e eg e e tes t ia se raedabantur incursibus Al ibus a occu atis c d eo ro itio p , p eti m p , eleri, p p , internecione roterunt a reddentes A l ibus I taliam p , quiet m p Rotbertus epis copus Turonensis ecclesiae Roma rem eans sub Alpibus no tu n n c i fra te toria cum comitantibus secum interimitur a latronibus .

933 . Sarraceni A l ium occ n et c n uae ue oc meatus p upa t, vi i a q q l a d e raedantur p .

936 . Sarraceni in Alemanniam raedatum er unt et revertentes p p g , multos Rom am etent s int rimu p e e nt .

939 . o c diversorum homin um Romam etebat C lle ta , quae p , a Sarra c n v a et int r m e is per as e e pta est .

94 1 . o c Trans marinorum et Gallorum Rom am C lle ta , sed , quae

etebat revertitur occisis eorum non ulli Sarracenis n ee otuit p , n s a ; p

an o c no vi cum monasterii n c Alpes tr sire pr pter Sarra e s, qui sa ti

M auricii occu av r n p e a t . 942 r I talia o no Fr xinido rum . Idem vero ex [ e] Hug Sarrace s de a eo munitione n tur disperdere co a .

95 Sarra ni mea um A l ium ob idente V ia ri u R mam 1 . ce t p s s a to b s o i u etent b s a acci iunt et sic eos n ermittunt . p tribut m p , tra sire p mml r O o d r Gross e 1 1 3 Dii e tt e . . See further , , pp f

Th is n r a ni Books r . F . ee Sw s Co f ter ty

I n 1 884 Paul Piper published in the M onumenta Germani ae His tori ou

on a n oo of . G c n and a n the C fr ter ity B ks St all, Rei he au, Pf fers ( ear Ra atz n L ibri Con raternitatum S ancti Galli A u iens is g ), u der the title f g Fabarie s A n n n c on of oo n nsi . i teresti g des ripti these b ks is give by ‘ o o n in oni ac of o n . 343 ff . Bish p G . F . Br w e his B f e Credit pp - n n but he is concerned only with the eighth ce tury e tries . The

oo n passages which here follow from the St . Gall B k were repri ted

o m ri als o St Duns tan x if o in M e o . . by Bish p Stubbs f , pp l xv , fr m ’ ’ Gold ast s n o x o x in n i feri r te t . I give , theref re, Piper s te t full, addi g

a w o p ssages of a like character from the other t o bo ks .

5 . 5 P i r . l Cod . Sa all . 91 e I . . ng , p ( p , p Anno ab incarnatione domin i DCCCCX X V I I I I indic tione II Keonwald venera l s e isco us rofectus ab An lis o n s monasteriis totam Germaniam bi i p p p g , m ibu per , cum oblatione de argento non modica et in id ipsum a rege Ang[e]lorum eadem

62 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

rad Bersten Odmar Ath alger Kielelm Athalsi A thalbold Liman Odmun d Athalsuit e ic Wlfl id Bolo Gundwin Uro Wecin 1 Duva

G . rch is ho ul lm n th L aws o i n A th ls t n A b p W f he a d e f K g e a .

‘ nn Die Gesetz e d er A n els achsen . 1 46 : e ehte Lieberma , g , i mid g p ’ Wulfh lme n r i id 48 e s a cebisc0 es So b . 1 no [mi es] p . . This last sy d ‘ a r l i i E ll S i t d on 5 m w s G eat e cf b d . 1 66 : a e s w ees ese te a at y, . g no aet Greatanlea e on ram wees aercebisceO mielan sy p g , 1 se p Wulf eallum 7mm ae elum n wiotan Se E elstan helme mid 1 p man um 7 , h ’ c nin e ad rian y g g g .

I bi d . 1 70 c 9 28 of o o men of [ . Letter bish ps and ther wise n n n n for l o G reatle now o Ke t, tha ki g the ki g his egislati n at y, and als ‘ in concilio apud Fefres ham

I bid 1 73 if c 930 c m e isco orum et aliorum a n . . [ . De retu p p s pie o on in adiectione iudiciorum Greateleiam et tum L nd . que apud

Exoniam n n et a unresfeldam . 1 0 Q o i stituta su t, item pud p . u d sapientel o mnes d ederunt vadium suum ins imul archiepiscopo apud unresfeldam n o ZElfeach St bb et Brihtnod us Odonis filius p , qua d y venerunt conc o Greatle n ad ilium ex verb regis (first at y, agai at n Fevers ham and o at Thund ersfeld co Exeter, the at , f urthly ) ram c co o et e isc0 is et s a ientibus o rex nominavit ar hiepis p p p p qu s ipse . ‘ 1 2 o n nc itlanb ri P . qu d rex dixit u iterum apud p y g (Whittlebury ) sa ientibus et c o n c co o et c e is c0 is p suis, pre epit ste di ar hiepis p eteris p p am arcibis cOpe be Peodrede biscop]?

i h r lm and hi Names akes B s o B ihthe s . H . p

Our nc for Wulfhelm of in 95 5 I n 956 last evide e II Wells is . we find n n n of n n on c ‘ m a o. eo Ki g Edwy maki g gra t Ken i gt , Berks, ’ fideli B rhtelmo res t ro Od a and 97 b e . 1 y p y Edgar attest (B C . S . ; o n o n c o o 972 fr m Abi gd hartulary) . This is f ll wed (B . C . S . ) by a Saxon document recording the exchange of Kenni ngton for Greedy ’ ’ d co on o Ethelwold xEl ifu n Bri ge, . Dev , with Abb t . g the ki g s wife and E thelgifu her mother attest : s o do Bishop Coenwald and o not and Brihthelm now o thers ; but Oda Edgar. is a bish p . This ’ ’ o Coenwald s in 957 n is bef re death , but after Ki g Edwy s marriage and n of Oda and o co the retireme t Edgar fr m the urt .

o o a Brihthelm w ho in Fr m this it w uld seem th t the priest, is

1 f Some o thes e seem to be English names misspelt . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 63

o o co o o end Of 956 fav ur with the r yal family, be mes a bish p, ab ut the . no o new o of ano on He d ubt is the Bish p Wells . If ther Abingd c to w as a of n harter is be trusted, he relative Ki g Edwy . This c 1 1 1 1 59 co on n -c n harter Camb . , f. ) mes am g the sixtee th e tury transcripts of Abingdon charters now bo un d up with the Bath c r a n no a conn on n to ha tul ry, but havi g re l exi with it . It gra ts the n a o t o an o a and Coenwald ewly pp in ed bish p l d at St we . Edg r attests, , but not Oda it is dated in

I n a and n l 959 find two Brihthelms n this s me year, u ti , we attesti g c o One of o of on on who harters t gether. them is the Bish p L d , has been attesting since 95 3 : his limit is given by the appointment of n to on on in 959 Du stan L d .

Now o 959 [ Elfsi e n on to an Brihthelm ab ut , g havi g g e C terbury, a

cc n nc o n of su eeds him (appare tly) at Wi hester . And the death fElfsi e on to o Brihthelm o n to an g , his way R me, a is app i ted C ter

r oon c to for n n bu y, but is s sent ba k make way Du sta . What Brihthelms are these ? Two attest together under Dunstan as c o n 963 n ZEthelwold co o of Win ar hbish p u til , whe be mes Bish p h c ester . The Win chester Brihthelm is called a kin sman of King Edgar

. 1 074 o to (B C . S . , We are theref re tempted identify him

Brihthelm n n of o . with the Wells , the ki sma his br ther Edwy But the appearance of the two as attestin g together would seem to rule out this . The Brihthelm w ho goes to Can terbury and returns is called ’ f n n n a o o o Du sta s o B. o o Bish p D rset by bi grapher , the ly real uth rity for o the st ry .

On the o n co in . 5 no ther ha d, the early epis pal lists Tiberius B k w of no Brihthelm either at Wi nchester or at Sherborne. Yet there must have been a gap of three or four years between ZElfsige an d

E thelwold nc co n z on Brihthelm of at Wi hester. These lists re g i e ly

on on and Brihthelm of W L d ells . From what has been said above it seems plain that there were tw o

o Brihthelm one and o nc o Bish ps , at Wells the ther at Wi hester, b th of o to o a and o n o in wh m were related the r yal f mily, pr bably i v lved c n f One or o of the politi al co troversy o their time . ther them is referred to in the great charter of Eynsham Abbey granted by King 41 n o 7 1 4 n n of D . 3 . Ethelred (Kemble, C. . iii , ) as the ki sma ? E thelweard o an who of o al c n the hist ri , himself was r y des e t

1 ‘ S 986 c a meorum charorum rO in uorum o B. C . . uid m p p q , qui per dei pr vi ’ d entiam ad episcopalem gradum e lectus necnon praed estinatus conscendit . 1 w rd o n o suo Dedit quoque Byrthtelmus quondam episcopus JEthel ea o pr pi qu , 64 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

It is just possible th at the Wi nchester Brihthelm may be the same man as the Bishop of London (953 who may have had to leave

on on for o ca on and o f r L d p liti l reas s, wh se see was held o a time by ? n n o of o c o i Du sta , t gether with the see W r ester It is als j ust poss ble n o o E lfs i e nc c o n that, havi g thus f ll wed g at Wi hester, he was h se to o ow o n on to n f ll him als at Ca terbury, ly be displaced by Du stan for n the seco d time. On o n co on o B h the ther ha d, it is mm ly believed that the D rset ri t

w ho n to n was in ac o Brihthelm of helm we t Ca terbury f t Bish p Wells . ’ Two explanations of the appellation Dorset are offered (1 ) that it for o 2 o n can and is a mistake S merset ; ( ) that Sherb r e was va t, that the Dorset diocese was being temporarily ruled by the Bishop of

Wells . It will be useful to collect here some of the passages which bear o b upon the pr lem . m o S Duns tan 8 M e t. 3 1 xon . . . The Sa priest B ( f , p )

‘ fElf ini consumm ation em ele ere B rht lmum Post cuius (s o. s ] g y e Dorsaetensium praevisorem ad summum sanctae Dorobernensis aec clesiae sacerdotem : et erat vir iste mitis et modestus et humilis et beni nus in n ut tumidos uos ue correctionis g , ta tum q q vel rebelles sub

verbere non ut d ebuisset cohiberet . Com erien s o o , , p erg rex qu d praedictus po ntifex haec iura praes cripta in commissa sibi plebe man ues cendo n adim leret iussit eum veniebat s mi ime p , vias per quas ’ li t m di nitatem rursus reci ere ossid endam et re c a . redire, g p p Osb ern Eadmer nor of a in n Neither , , William M lmesbury, rewriti g in n of a an c n . the Life, m kes y ha ge the ame the see ’ f M on . His t Brit co o nc o o c . o 8 2 . Fl re e W r ester ( . mpared with Th rpe edition) 2 958 A lfsius Dorsetens ium e isc0 us obnt cui Brihthelmus . p p ; , vir " mo h i et b eni nus s ucces sit et . c pius destus, um lis g , Hui

s e o succes sit Wentanus e is co us A lfsinus et ro [ . Od ni] p p , p ipso ad epis copatum Wintoniensis ecclesiae ordinatus est 5 Brihthelmus . 6 Brihthelmus Dorsetensium episcopus C antuariae ad

a ZE h lmari vi inti ans on s ab incolis et JEscaero di itu p tri videlicet t e , g m i e ubi n c r, as ZEthelwerd us filio suo i Ethelmaro on an o s a c 9 8 q u l ge te m rtem u m ( t . 9 ) ’ d onavit et su radictas mansi unculas ad onas C ula , ille p m terium dedit : art ry of E h m 2 H S n n ns a 2 . . . nso s a a E S y , i . Mr W teve ide tifie the pl ce s sher , co: urrey . 1 This suppos ition avoids the d ifli culty which would attend the cons ecration of a new s o for nc s o JElfsi e had c a bi h p Wi he ter bef re g re eived the p ll . 1 3 U s B JElsi us Thor B rhth l l i ; pe . y e mus Th. 4 5 W "ls s A B Th . ellen i is u V Th miti s s ep cop s A . 6 Sumerset nsium e A . THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 65

1 atriarchatum eli itur on a n p sedis g ; sed, qu i m ad ta tam rem 2 n idoneus iussu C antuaria discedit mi us erat , s a rege , atque 3 ad relictam nuper ecclesiam suam rediit 4 963 . nc E thelwoldu Dunstano Sa tus s venerabilis abbas a B . educatus mortuo Brihthelmo e is c0 atum Wintoniensis , , p p cc susce it e lesiae p . 5 Sumertunensis e iSCO us Brihthelmus obnt et Willum p p , in humatus est ; cui s uccessit M iddeltunensis abbas Kyn e w d u 6 ar s .

. to o o co The MSS here referred are the C rpus Christi, Oxf rd, dex (A) , and a co x ali as For 958 the L mbeth de (B, L). the entries under and 959 the Lambeth co dex is plainly the more trustworthy : for 7 co on t Wul f n 5 Ulsi rresp ds o fsige o the Sherborne list i Tiberius B . ; ’ and x of n 959 c c o to Osbern s of the te t B, u der , is mu h l ser Life n n 1 07 . o n Du sta (p fr m which the e try is drawn . A n examination of Codex A shows that under 9 58 the words ” W ll n i 11 1 e e s s e is co us V are a a on . o o n p p later dditi M re ver, u der ‘ 959 B rthelmus an Sum orsetensium l udicio , y is by the first h d, but ’ om nium is written over an erasure an d overflows into the margin it seems c ertain th at originally the words were Dorsetensium discedit in cco n c on of , atque as they are B . A rdi gly the identifi ati the Dorset Brihthelm with Bishop Brihthelm of Wells begins with an n o a o of o o n a end of i terp l t r A, pr bably s me time e r the the twelfth n ce tury .

3 . a c a n c S 1 045 o oo There is h rter pri ted by Bir h , C. . , fr m the B k of c o to f n to ewminster Hyde, whi h pr fesses be a gran t o Ki g Edwy N , ‘ a 959 I nd B ht 2 . c on : E o r d ted , . This has the urious attestati g y helm Dorobernensis ecclesiae epiSCOpus the n ext to attest being Byrhthelm Wintoniensis ecclesiae episcopus oo n so o c If this st d by itself, the evidence comi g from tainted a s ur e would be of little value ; and epis cOp us might be supposed to be a ’ s c o for ar chi e i s co us n ribe s err r p p . But the Athel ey Chartulary,

o co oc vol . 1 4 . an published by the S merset Re rd S iety ( , p gives

1 2 a . iu us a c o o n qui B ss tque] iudi i m ium A . 3 Thorpe h as : Byrhthelmus Sumorsetensium episcopus ad archipraesulatum Cantwariae s edis d eligitur ; sed quia ad tantam rem minus erat id oneus iudicib d reli n a ctam & . om ium , c 1‘ Abbendonensis cc s a B e le i e . 5 W llu Th 6 m . w r y Cine a d us Th. 7 i MS i s n a . s s of an n Thi the L mbeth the re ult u completed correction . The ’ ’ of s has n a a as out and is a a V Vl i bee p rti lly w hed , there n er s ure after the ’ final i . 66 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

n o c r o and unexpected confirmatio . The riginal hartula y is l st, we n are only presen ted with an English translation the n ames have bee

Oddly corrupted . to King Edwy grants lan d at Ham on the west bank of the Parret

A . D 958 n c . his old servant Ceolward . This gift was made . , i di t 959 in The Indiction enables us to restore the year , as the Hyde

n o o Charter . The f ll ws

Edwi n of En s a con sa ft I , , ki g the gli h , h ve firmed the id gi with ss P the Holy Cro P .

Birli rin Dor rnensis cc s a e isco us a s n . I , te , obe e le i e p p , h ve ig ed

irliterin s o of nc s a s n . I , B , bi h p Wi he ter , h ve ig ed

sulf s o a ss a . I , O bi h p , h ve impre ed (my m rk)

Alfwold s o a con . I bi h p , h ve firmed it

1 an s o a a . , D iel bi h p, h ve greed ’ Elf ar n s n a ass n . I , g , the ki g frie d , h ve e ted

Osward a s n . I , , h ve ig ed

Osulf his o a a . I br ther, h ve greed

I Edmund d ux have confirmed it .

n s was s n . I , Alfer mi i ter , pre e t ’

n s a ass n . I , Alred mi i ter , h ve e ted

A note is added : This lan d of Hamme King Athelred afterwards ’ ’ f n n x c n gave to the abbey o Athel ey . The e t harter is Ki g Ethelred s

gift. I see no reason for doubting that the origin al from which this copy c n n n c of n c has des e ded was a ge ui e harter Ki g Edwy, whi h was tran sferred to the monks of Athelney when the property was given n o to them by Ki g Ethelred . The bish ps are the same as in B . C . S .

1 045— B rhthelm o of n B rhthelm of c y Bish p Ca terbury, y Win hester, Osulf Alfwold o n or on n (Ramsbury), (Sherb r e Credit ), Da iel o n (C r wall) . ‘ ’ ’ E lf ar n n [ Elf ar rO in uus who g , the ki g s frie d , is g regis p p q in 958 n n of n attests (B . C . S . He is the ki sma Ki g Edgar, ’ - o who in A . S . on . to d in Edwy s br ther, is said Chr (A) have ied

on in 963 and to n on . Dev , have bee buried at Wilt Osweard minister and Oswulf minister follow one another in the

co n on c 1 045 : o . . . 1 029 1 030 A n mpa i harter, B . C . S . see als B C S , . d c r i n uus of n in 1 3 4 Oswear o . . . 1 is alled p p g Ki g Edgar B C S . n o 937 to 963 o Eadmu d dux signs fr m (Crawf rd Charters, p .

lfh r n n d ZElfr d n [ E e e a e . 1 045 : and mi ister mi ister attest B . C . S

1 lf re n o o fElfr n . 0 Ee e d i . . 30 e n B C S mi ister is f ll wed by mi ister. {Elfhere n n in 955 ex pare tela regis mi ister attests (B . C . S . I n 956 Kin g Edwy made a gran t of lan ds in Dorset cuidam m eorum THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS 67 optimatum vocamine E lfredo for his humble and faithful obedience

(B . C . S . It is interesting to obser ve how many of the lay witnesses were c a to n a tu lly related the ki g .

o a on of Brihth lm e is CO us not archi The extra rdinary attest ti e as p p , e is co us n to p p , may poi t the recognition of the uncertainty of his

o on . cc the nc of two c n p siti If we a ept evide e these harters, as I thi k not Brihth lm of n who we must, it is plain that it was the e Wi chester to h f o Bri thelm o . went Canterbury, but in all pr bability the Wells

1 The Firs t A bbots o Westmi ns ter . f .

The earliest history of Westminster may be s aid to begin with fia n f n n of c O o c o e d . , ki g the Mer ia s, t wards the the eighth entury o n Sulcard n o 1 080 The Westminster hist ria , writi g ab ut , says that

ffa to ac on o not O had intended pl e m ks there, but his purp se was c ou c of n f n to Ordbriht arried t . A harter Ki g O fa granting Alde ham the abbot is among the Abbey muniments it was accepted by Wid o can n n in n o o m re ; but it hardly be ge ui e its prese t f rm, th ugh the c c n n n gift whi h it des ribes may quite well have bee give by that ki g, who al is further said to have bestowed relies on the church . A sm l minster served by a few priests no doubt existed when Dunstan was n n n administeri g the two bishoprics of Worcester and Lo do . We may accept the statement of William of Malmesbury that Dunstan founded a small m on astery for twelve monks an d made Wulsin their o ? o o abb t It is likely en ugh, as a later writer adds, that he br ught

on o old of on the m ks fr m his abbey Glast bury . ’ on o of Dunstan s . Later traditi Sp ke abbots before St . time Flete, in o of n o n nc his Hist ry Westmi ster (p . says that he had f u d evide e of n on nc n of at least seve am g the a ient munime ts, and that three ’ co o . Ordbriht Oifa s them had be me bish ps These three are , in King who c o of A lfw and l c who time, be ame Bish p Selsey, y, A fri , were f nd n n o o o a o . Bish ps Wells Credit The he gives, as the first abb t

n Wulsin who o of o n . after Dunsta , , was made Bish p Sherb r e Now if cc n fin d , we a ept the ge erally admitted dates, we the foll owing names which correspon d to his list :

Elfric o Of on 977 , Bish p Credit , Ordbriht o of 989 , Bish p Selsey, Wul sin o of o n 992 , Bish p Sherb r e, ;

A elfwin o of 997 . , Bish p Wells,

1 ’ P . 1 8 instructo ad x1 1 monachos coenobiolo . G . , p . 7 68 THE SAXON BISHOPS OF WELLS

It is p os sible that Flete got the n ames of the bishops an d their sees um n as to fro m the Westmin ster M artilogi . He has bee misled the dates by the mention of Ordbriht in the supposed charter of King ff O a .

n n n a . D . of We may ote here an Abi gdo ch rter (Kemble, C 993 c o c nno as n n of , whi h, th ugh it a t be regarded ge ui e, has a list n attestation s of an exceptionally in terestin g character . Eightee

a o a c n of . bb ts ttest, ea h with the ame his abbey

on Wulfsi e m n Am g them is g , West abbas The after the dukes and ministers comes Ego [ Elfwig Westfii abbas followed by Ego - Now a on o twenty three times without any n ames . m g the bish ps Wulfsige Scirburnen sis ecclesiae episcopus has already occurred ’ so that E lfwig s n ame may have come in as a correction in an early co an an n n n n to py . At y rate we have here i depe de t wit ess the ’ nc f n f n in n existe e o such a abbot o Westmi ster Ki g Ethelred s days .

i in The V ar ous Bis ho s Brihtw e. J . p

on n c of c on a n no If we rely the evide e harters ly, it seems pl i e ugh that L yfing was followed at Wells by ZEthelwine in 1 0 1 3 ; an d

{Ethelwi ne Brihtwi o of on in 1 024 . o by g, the Abb t Glast bury, M re o a h n h 1 1 t 1 04 o Bri twi e w o a s o 0 8 o 5 . ver, we h ve a Bish p ttest fr m But William of Malmesbury gives the following succession s for Wells and Sherborn e at this period W L L S . 1 94 L fi Ethelwinus a as d s a s . P . . E . t n e o a E G p (Af er y g) bb ve h m , p te eiectus : Brihtwinus Elwinus revers us et Brihtuuinus eiectus i m ue , iterum , te q Ethelwino eiecto Brihtuinus revers us Merewit q ui et Brihtuui S B f S W l Alfwold us R OR . G. P . . 1 9 t u sin u cesserunt t . s c HE NE p 7 . (A er ) , Ethelricus Ethelsius ‘ c 1 01 Brihtwinus Elmerus Birhtuuinus Alfw ld us , [1 . 7] , , , o a fr ter eius .

These statements seem to be related in some way to the li sts

to of o nc of o c c s prefixed the MSS . Fl re e W r ester, whi h run thu 37 o . 2 (Th rpe, i )

E L L S . H E BO N E W S R R .

. E thelwinus . xx . E h l iu x t e s s . i ove ham nensis xxi B nu . H c prius E s . rihtwi s

itit . E lm aru xt s . e abbas xxii .

xi B nu . xx i B ht i s . ht nu . . yr w ii yr wi s

xii . B rh wiu y t s .

e in s Hi s tori ola a : Brithuinus Elw nus Furth r, the Well we h ve , y ,

THE BRI T SH A CA DEMY I ,

SUPPL EMENTA L PAP ERS

" THE IMPERIAL A DMINISTRATIV E SYSTEM I N ,

" - ' f Kl tOolO n ilotheos J o he e r i of P h . RY t R . g o . By BU

5 ’ M R T I N 1 1 35 11 : P ROEESS R F HA V ER: RO AN B I AIN 9 3 O .

‘ ' 1 1 4 -w 1 . E soa r ROMAN BRITAIN N 9 i sm s . HAVER

‘ T HE . SA X ON s OF WELLS A Historical B ’ t . R E ury y J . A MITAG

of W s P i ice 53 Dean ell . net

I W YERSJTY or cA L I P ORNI E L os ANGELES 3 1 1 5 8 007 67 5 969

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