English Episcopal Acta – serie

London was the largest city in the Anglo-Norman empire, and its bishops were therefore figures of the utmost importance. The 250 acta recorded in this volume testify to their role in the development of episcopal government and its documentation. One of the most significant figures of the twelfth century was Bishop Gilbert Foliot (1163-1187), who tangled famously with Thomas Becket. The volume contains important additions and corrections to Morey & Brooke's edition of Foliot's correspondence and updates our understanding of the man and his acta in the light of the latest scholarship.

This volume contains the acta of three bishops of London: Richard of Ely, William de Ste. Mére-Église, and Eustace of Fauconberg. Both Richard and Eustace saw service as royal treasurer; indeed Richard wrote the handbook on Exchequer practice, the Dialogus de Scaccario. William on the other hand spearheaded the papal campaign against King John during the General Interdict.

Geoffrey, the illegitimate son of Henry II, was successively archdeacon and bishop-elect of Lincoln, royal chancellor, and (for 23 years) archbishop of York, finally dying in exile during the Interdict following his opposition to John's imposition of the 13th. His enduring loyalty to his father, which inspired the subsequent mistrust of his royal half brothers after Henry's death, placed him at the very centre of late twelfth and early thirteenth century politics, especially during John's rebellion during the early years of the Third crusade. Moreover, during most of his time as archbishop his turbulent personality brought him into direct opposition to his cathedral chapter at York, which in turn throws further light on the ecclesiastical politics of the period. He also endured two long periods of exile, and he remains one of the very few bishops in the medieval English church for whom even a partial contemporary biography survives. This edition collects together for the first time Geoffrey's acta as archbishop, and Dr Lovatt's introduction provides a much needed modern account of this intriguing character.

This is a unique collection of all the surviving acta, some never previously published, of the first four Norman archbishops of Canterbury - Lanfranc, Anselm, Ralph d'Escures and William of Corbeil. This period saw the development of a new sort of administrative document, and the texts in this edition are therefore of particular interest. An unusually high proportion are shown to be forgeries. The introduction provides an account of these influential archbishops and their households, and of the unusual diplomatic forms found in such early examples of the English sealed episcopal act.

This latest edition to the English Episcopal Acta series brings together for the first time edited versions of all the extant charters issued by the bishops of Durham between 1241 and 1283: Nicholas Farnham, Walter Kirkham, Robert Stichill and Robert of Holy Island (the last two, unusually at this date, monastic bishops). The surviving charters provide insights into episcopal administration and estate management in the mid-thirteenth-century diocese. A full introduction considers the lives of these little-studied bishops and the diplomatic of their charters, as well as the unusual structure of the episcopal households here. The bishops' itineraries are also given in an appendix. This volume complements EEA 24IR (0-19-726234-1) and EEA 25 (0-19-726235-X), which contained the acta from 1153 onwards.

The area comprising what became the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland was long disputed, both politically and ecclesiastically, between the English and Scottish kingdoms. The bishopric of Carlisle was the last see in England to be created before the Reformation changes of the 1540s. This latest volume in the English Episcopal Acta series brings together for the first time an edition of all the surviving charters issued by bishops of Carlisle from 1133 until the death of Bishop Ralph de Ireton in 1292. The extant charters provide great insights into the episcopal administration of this border bishopric for the first 150 years of the see's existence. The introduction provides an account of the diocese, the bishops and their households, discussion of the diplomatic aspects and style of the surviving charters and the episcopal seals. Offering fresh insights into this formative period of English history, this volume will be of interest to scholars and students of ecclesiastical, medieval and local history.

This latest addition to the English Episcopal Acta series brings together for the first time edited versions of more than 170 charters in the names of the four bishops who held the see of Ely (comprising historic Cambridgeshire) from its foundation in 1109 to 1197. These four bishops - Hervey, Nigel, Geoffrey Ridel and William de Longchamp - were amongst the most distinguished in twelfth-century England and their charters bear on many aspects of the social, economic, legal, ecclesiastical and monastic history of this period. The charters especially illustrate the position of the bishops as feudal lords, and their complex and often controversial relations with the monks of their cathedral. Of the four bishops in office before 1197, two held important secular office alongside their episcopal appointments, most notably William de Longchamp, justiciar and effective regent of England while King Richard I was absent during the Third Crusade. Acta issued in connexion with these secular offices are included in the volume, and make an important contribution to the understanding of the delegation of royal power and secular government far beyond the diocese of Ely. An extensive introduction contextualises the acta in the development of the cathedral church and the diocese of Ely.

This volume collects together the 198 acta issued by Bishops Walter Suffield and Simon Walton of Norwich.The development of the diocese of Norwich is outlined in English Episcopal Acta 6, Norwich 1070-1214. Although the rapid multiplication of houses of monks, canons and nuns which had characterised the century and a half after the Norman Conquest had slackened in pace, the period covered by this volume saw the foundation of two nunneries, Marham and Flixton, and the establishment by Bishop Suffield himself of a major new hospital, St Giles in Norwich.

This long-awaited study of the early acta of the bishops of Worcester includes full editions of the surviving documents of eight bishops, from the saintly Wulfstan to the future archbishop of Canterbury, Baldwin. The 265 documents or references to lost acta, include indulgences, confirmations and grants, settlements of disputes and some of the earliest surviving inspeximuses. Accompanying the documents is a comprehensive introduction, providing brief biographies of the bishops as well as considerations of their households and of the diplomatic of their documents.

This volume completes the publication of acta from this diocese. It contains full editions of the surviving documents of seven bishops and charts a period of building work, the canonisation of an earlier bishop, Wulfstan, and includes the documents of a future archbishop of York, Walter de Gray. The introduction discusses the Statuta of Bishop Henry and the Decreta of Bishop John. This volume is of value to all those interested in medieval England as well as to those with particular interests in the history of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire or Warwickshire.

This edition of over 140 charters sheds light on one of Henry III's most important administrators - Peter of Aigueblanche, bishop of Hereford 1240-68. Many of the charters issued by the 3 bishops of Hereford between 1234 and 1275 cover matters of parochial organisation, monastic houses and their revenues, and ecclesiastical discipline. However, the acta issued by Peter are far more varied in scope, both administratively and geographically. The collection includes a treaty between Henry III and Alfonso X of Castile, a letter about a treaty between Henry III and the count of Savoy, letters to Henry III about political unrest in the Welsh Marches, and the statutes for a collegiate church Peter founded in Savoy. The introduction provides the first full biographical study of Peter of Aigueblanche for over a century. The appendices include the episcopal itineraries and 18 charters omitted from English Episcopal Acta, vii: Hereford 1079-1234, to which this current volume is a complement.

This volume reproduces at full size 190 original charters produced for English bishops between 1085 and 1300. Full transcriptions face each plate, with a brief English summary and bibliographical note.The documents are drawn from every diocese, and are taken from fifty-five archives in England, France and Belgium. The selection includes representative examples of all the commoner types of document - solemn charters, judgements, mandates, indulgences, administrative or personal correspondence and formal notifications to the crown. A few cases of drafts, and several of forgery, are also included.The volume indicates the ways in which these documents, as the scribe prepared them, contain information - in punctuation, lay-out and physical appearance - which cannot be shown in even the most scrupulous printed edition. The introduction gives a broad outline of the evolution of the forms and script, and of methods of sealing.

This edition of over 200 documents issued by three different bishops contains a wealth of information on the religious, ecclesiastical and parochial life of the diocese of Salisbury, which comprised three counties (Berkshire, Dorset, and Wiltshire).There is an increasing diversity of types of actum, including grants of indulgence and significations to the king of recalcitrant excommunicates. English Episcopal Acta 37, Salisbury 1263-1297 (978-0-19-726464-5) publishes a further 248 documents from this diocese.

This edition of nearly 250 documents issued by six different bishops contains a wealth of information on the religious, ecclesiastical, and parochial life of the diocese of Salisbury, which comprised three counties (Berkshire, Dorset, and Wiltshire).There is an increasing diversity of types of actum, including grants of indulgence and significations to the king of recalcitrant excommunicates. English Episcopal Acta 36, Salisbury 1228-1262 , (978-0-19-726463-8) publishes a further 202 documents from this diocese.

The position of the medieval diocese of London - situated at the heart of government - ensured that the bishops were involved in both pastoral care and politics. Volume 38 edits the extant documents of five bishops of London, from Roger Niger to John Chishull. It includes an extensive introduction, which considers the role of men such as Fulk Basset and Henry of Sandwich, both within their diocese and beyond, and examines in particular how, as bishops and lords, they were involved with the upheavals of the 1260s. It also provides insights into the development of their administrative practice and a discussion of the careers of men associated with the bishops' households. Volume 39 completes the episcopal documents and includes full itineraries for all the bishops, an appendix of episcopal documents relating to Bishop Gravesend's role in the papal taxation of 1301 to 1303, and full subject and name indexes.

The position of the medieval diocese of London - situated at the heart of government - ensured that the bishops were involved in both pastoral care and politics. Volume 38 edits the extant documents of five bishops of London, from Roger Niger to John Chishull. It includes an extensive introduction, which considers the role of men such as Fulk Basset and Henry of Sandwich, both within their diocese and beyond, and examines in particular how, as bishops and lords, they were involved with the upheavals of the 1260s. It also provides insights into the development of their administrative practice and a discussion of the careers of men associated with the bishops' households. Volume 39 completes the episcopal documents and includes full itineraries for all the bishops, an appendix of episcopal documents relating to Bishop Gravesend's role in the papal taxation of 1301 to 1303, and full subject and name indexes.

These volumes are part of the English Episcopal Acta project, designed to edit all documents issued by bishops in England from the Norman Conquest to the advent of Episcopal registers in each individual diocese. These two volumes complete the work for the diocese of Norwich, which included the most heavily populated and richest region of medieval England and contained a very large number of religious houses. The present volumes contain 375 episcopal charters and letters (in addition to 830 published in the previous Norwich volumes). A substantial introduction contains short biographies of the three bishops and details of their household, and a discussion of the very varied subject-matter and the diplomatic formulae of the acta. A series of appendices contain, inter alia, earlier acta recently located, references to acta now lost and to the use of the Episcopal seal, and itineraries of the bishops. Along with other volumes in this series, this collection both illustrates the changing mechanisms of church government in the 12th and 13th centuries, and provides a view of English church and society, from relations with the crown through the regulation of religious houses, to parochial organisation, unattainable before the systematic collection of such documents.

These volumes are part of the English Episcopal Acta project, designed to edit all documents issued by bishops in England from the Norman Conquest to the advent of Episcopal registers in each individual diocese. These two volumes complete the work for the diocese of Norwich, which included the most heavily populated and richest region of medieval England and contained a very large number of religious houses. The present volumes contain 375 episcopal charters and letters (in addition to 830 published in the previous Norwich volumes). A substantial introduction contains short biographies of the three bishops and details of their household, and a discussion of the very varied subject-matter and the diplomatic formulae of the acta. A series of appendices contain, inter alia, earlier acta recently located, references to acta now lost and to the use of the Episcopal seal, and itineraries of the bishops. Along with other volumes in this series, this collection both illustrates the changing mechanisms of church government in the 12th and 13th centuries, and provides a view of English church and society, from relations with the crown through the regulation of religious houses, to parochial organisation, unattainable before the systematic collection of such documents.

Bishops were of fundamental importance in the functioning of the medieval church, for they provided oversight of the work of the clergy and of education, of the parish system and of religious institutions of all kinds. This volume gathers together the evidence for the work of the bishops of the diocese of Ely, which comprised much of modern Cambridgeshire. It covers the early thirteenth century, and builds on an earlier volume in this series concerned with the twelfth century. The heart of this book is the edition of over 270 documents which show the work of the bishops and of the diocese. These are taken from very many archives and have never hitherto been accessible in one place; many have never been printed before or used by historians. They are accompanied by detailed commentary and references to supplementary documents elsewhere. The book also contains a substantial introduction, comprising a series of essays meant to support understanding of the documents themselves; this includes full biographies of the bishops, analysis of their administrative and domestic servants, and evaluation of the forms and types of documents in the collection. Alongside these is a long essay which examines the role of the bishops of Ely and their servants in the establishment of the University of Cambridge, which concludes that their roles have been much exaggerated. The edition and introduction are accompanied by detailed and extensive indexes to aid the user.

With the publication of volumes 43 and 44 in the internationally-recognised English Episcopal Acta series, the project's work on the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield is complete. The volumes draw together for the first time modern, scholarly editions of all the known documents issued by six bishops. They enable academics to see the work of the bishops of this large see in a broader chronological context and elucidate areas of their economic and social activity. They also deal with the bishop's political activities: at national level in the events of the civil war of the 1260s, and locally in their dealing with their own chapters and the struggle to reconcile the conflicting claims of the monks of Coventry and the canons of Lichfield. The volumes reveal men whose episcopates were ones of academic learning as well as those whose concerns were principally those of landed lords. The implications of the documents are discussed in a full introduction. In addition, appendices include the first full itineraries of the bishops and editions of the known documents issued by the bishop's officials and commissaries, thus allowing a fuller consideration of the working of Church administration in this period.

With the publication of volumes 43 and 44 in the internationally-recognised English Episcopal Acta series, the project's work on the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield is complete. The volumes draw together for the first time modern, scholarly editions of all the known documents issued by six bishops. They enable academics to see the work of the bishops of this large see in a broader chronological context and elucidate areas of their economic and social activity. They also deal with the bishop's political activities: at national level in the events of the civil war of the 1260s, and locally in their dealing with their own chapters and the struggle to reconcile the conflicting claims of the monks of Coventry and the canons of Lichfield. The volumes reveal men whose episcopates were ones of academic learning as well as those whose concerns were principally those of landed lords. The implications of the documents are discussed in a full introduction. In addition, appendices include the first full itineraries of the bishops and editions of the known documents issued by the bishop's officials and commissaries, thus allowing a fuller consideration of the working of Church administration in this period.

This volume is concerned with two bishops whose pontificates differed hugely in length: Jocelin of Wells, 1206-1242, and Roger of Salisbury, 1244-1247. Bishop Jocelin's 36-year pontificate was among the longest in England in the thirteenth century, being exceeded only by those of Roger Longespée at Coventry and Lichfield (37 years) and of Walter de Gray at York (nearly 40 years). By contrast, that of his successor, Bishop Roger, was very short, lasting for a little over three years. Jocelin was the last bishop of Bath, Roger the first bishop of Bath and Wells. This volume provides for the first time scholarly editions of their 200 surviving acts, together with appendices elucidating their administration (particularly their use of dataries in their documents and their itinerariations around the diocese and beyond it). It also uses an extensive introduction to place these texts in the context of the bishops' lives and what they tell us of their work. In particular they consider the content of the material: content which allows us to touch the lives of ordinary men and women through the administrative records of their bishops, and the diplomatic structure of the acta, which provides information about the administrative and bureaucratic development of the bishops' chanceries and administration.The volume is of value in itself: Jocelin of Wells in particular was an eminent figure in the political life of the thirteenth-century as well as in his diocese and influenced his relative, Hugh of Wells, who was also both a royal servant and then a bishop, in his case of Lincoln. It provides much information in terms of place name variants and local information for local historians as well. However, it is also a vital part of the English Episcopal Acta project's work, as the series brings together information on the development of documentary format and the changes in emphasis on content for bishops across England in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. These texts are a vital part of that jigsaw, adding to the 44 currently printed volumes.

The documents issued by medieval bishops cast an important light on their affairs and on the history of the English Church during the Middle Ages. The latest volume in the English Episcopal Acta series brings together for the first time the surviving documents issued by the Bishops of Bath and Wells between 1275 and 1302. The two bishops in question, Robert Burnell and William March, served in King Edward I's government, so their careers, which are described in full in the introduction, set them apart as figures of national significance in their own time. Huscroft presents full texts of the Latin documents with English descriptions to help users. The careers of the bishops as well as the documents themselves are discussed in a full introduction. In addition, an appendix includes the first full itineraries of the bishops.