ST ASAPH: Bishops

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 9, the Welsh Cathedrals (Bangor, Llandaff, St Asaph, St Davids). Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 2003.

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'ST ASAPH: Bishops', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 9, the Welsh Cathedrals (Bangor, Llandaff, St Asaph, St Davids), (London, 2003) pp. 33-36. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1066-1300/vol9/pp33-36 [accessed 19 April 2024]

In this section

St Asaph 1066-1300

LIST 20 BISHOPS OF ST ASAPH

? Melanus

Said to have been ord. bp. of St Asaph by Bleuddydd, bp. of St Davids, so presum. 1063 x 73 (De Invectionibus p. 140; below, list 34).

Richard

First Norman bp. of re-created bpric. of St Asaph, cons. by abp. 2 Feb. x 1 Nov. 1141 (De Invectionibus p. 141; Gerv. Cant. II 385; see D. M. Smith, 'The episcopate of Richard, bishop of St Asaph: a problem of twelfth-century chronology', Journal of Hist. Soc. of Church in Wales xxix (1974) 9-12, and Pearson, 'St Asaph chapter' pp. 36-9). Prof. obed. n.d. (Cant. Profs. no. 98). Issued two chs. for Daventry (Northants) (Cart. Daventry, ed. M. Franklin (Northants Rec. Soc. xxxv, 1988) nos. 503-4). D. or res. by 1143 (see next entry).

Gilbert

Cons. by abp. at Lambeth 1143 and prof. obed. same day (Gerv. Cant. I 126; Cant. Profs. no. 93). Presum. d. some time before 23 March 1152 (below).

M. Geoffrey of Monmouth (fn. 1)

Prob. can. of St George's (secular coll.), Oxford (see Biog. Ox. II 1294). Cons. by abp. 23 March 1152 at Lambeth and prof. obed. same day (Gerv. Cant. I 142; Cant. Profs. no. 95, where wrongly dated by editor). D. 1155 (Brut Peniarth Text p. 101b; Brut Peniarth Transl. p. 58; Brut Red Book pp. 132-3, 291: all wrongly making him bp. of Llandaff). Writer of legendary Historia regum Britanniae (Sharpe, Handlist no. 334).

Godfrey

Monk of Coventry (Ben., Warws.) from before 1135 (cart. Kenilworth, BL Harley MS 3650 fo. 43v; see A. Saltman, Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury (1956) p. 129). Cons. by abp. Theobald prob. 1160, certainly before Apr. 1161 (Gerv. Cant. II 385). Prof. obed. n.d. (Cant. Profs. no. 100). Participated in coronation of young kg. Henry 14 June 1170 (Corresp. of Becket II no. 256 (at pp. 1104-5)). Susp. by abp. 18 May 1175 on complaint of non-residence by clergy of St Asaph, and res. bpric. (Gesta Hen. II I 90-1). Had royal gr. of Abingdon abbey, which he held in commendam for 9½ years, from 1165, vacant 8 July 1175 (Chronicon Monasterii de Abingdon, ed. J. Stevenson (2 vols., RS ii, 1858) II 234-5, 293; Diceto I 401; and see Heads I 25). Date of d. unknown.

M. Adam (fn. 2)

Can. of Paris (Diceto I 402). Perhaps el. soon after 18 May 1175 (Gesta Hen. II I 91). Cons. by abp. [12] Oct. 1175 at Westminster (Diceto I 402, giving '3 Id. Oct.', i.e. 13 Oct., a Monday; cf. Gir. Cambr. I 34-5). Prof. obed. n.d. (Cant. Profs. no. 110). D. 1181 at Oxford, buried at Osney (Brut Peniarth Text p. 129b; Brut Peniarth Transl. p. 72; Brut Red Book pp. 168-9; Ann. Oseney p. 39).

John I

A pr.; became bp. 1183 (Ann. Waverley p. 243; Ann. Tewkes. p. 53; Annales Cestrienses, ed. R. C. Christie (Lancs. and Cheshire Rec. Soc. xiv, 1887) pp. 28- 9); date of cons. unknown. (fn. 3) Evidently susp. before d. (Chron. Maj. VI 41-3). D. 1186, before 10 Aug. (Ann. Waverley p. 244; cf. next entry).

Reiner (fn. 4)

Can. of Haughmond (Aug., Shrops.) (Ann. Waverley p. 244). (fn. 5) Cons. by abp. 10 Aug. 1186 at Lambeth (Diceto II 41). Prof. obed. n.d. (Cant. Profs. no. 123). Prob. instituted cath. chapter (see Pearson, 'St Asaph chapter' pp. 41-4). D. 1224/ 5 (Ann. Tewkes. p. 67).

Abraham

Cons. by abp. prob. 29 June 1225 at Westminster (Ann. Worc. p. 417 seems to imply same day as Geoffrey de Burgh, bp. of Ely, for whose cons. see Ann. Waverley p. 301 and ann. Southwark, BL Cotton MS Faust. A. viii fo. 144r). No surviving prof. obed. D. 1232/3, before 4 Feb. 1233 (Brut Peniarth Text p. 192a; Brut Peniarth Transl. p. 102; Brut Red Book pp. 230-1; CPR 1232-47 p. 10).

Hywel I (Hugh)

A Dom. friar (CPR 1232-47 p. 42). Lic. to el. gr. 4 Feb. 1233 (CPR 1232-47 p. 10). Royal assent 11 Apr. 1234 (ibid. p. 42). Cons. by abp. at Reading (cautio protecting right of Canterbury in Canterbury Reg. A fo. 82r, noted Councils and Eccles. Docs. I 466), presum. same day as Robert Grosseteste, bp. of Lincoln, 17 June 1235 (similar cautio, C. H. Lawrence, St. Edmund of Abingdon (Oxford, 1960) p. 304; for date, see 1 Fasti III 3). Prof. obed. n.d. (Cant. Profs. no. 172). Presum. d. some time before Aug. 1240 (below).

Hywel II (ab Ednyfed) (fn. 6)

Cons. by abp. Edmund at Boxgrove (Councils and Eccles. Docs. I 465 = Willis, St Asaph II 22); abp. went abroad late July or Aug. 1240 and d. 16 Nov. (Lawrence, St. Edmund p. 176). No surviving prof. obed. D. and buried at Oxford 1247, before 25 March (Brut Peniarth Text pp. 202b-203a; Brut Peniarth Transl. p. 107; Brut Red Book pp. 240-1; Ann. Worc. p. 438; CPR 1232-47 p. 499, see vacant 25 March 1247).

Anian I (fn. 7)

Dean of St Asaph (below, list 21). El. before 20 Feb. 1248, when pope ordered abp. to confirm, notwithstanding kg.'s objection that lic. to el. had not been sought (CPL I 242). Occ. as bp.-el., acknowledging, with chapter, duty for the future to seek lic. to el. and royal assent after el., 2 May 1248 (Close Rolls 1247-51 p. 222; cf. CPR 1247-58 p. 48, and Willis, St Asaph II 23). Homage and temps. 27 Sept. (Close Rolls 1247-51 p. 203). Cons. by bps. of Worcester, Bangor and Meath, 1249 (Ann. Worc. p. 439). No surviving prof. obed. D. prob. shortly before 29 Sept. 1266, when see vacant (Councils and Eccles. Docs. I 495).

John II

Cons. by abp. 1267 at Canterbury and prof. obed. (Cant. Profs. no. 209). D. prob. by 1 Sept. 1267 (CPR 1266-72 p. 102).

Anian II (fn. 8)

Prior of Rhuddlan (Dom.). Royal assent to his el. 24 Sept. 1268 (CPR 1266-72 p. 260). Cons. by abp. 21 Oct. at Southwark (LCA I 54, II 85 n.6). Prof. obed. n.d. (Cant. Profs. no. 214). His will made 21 Feb. 1288 (Fisher, 'Three Welsh wills' pp. 181-7). D. 5 Feb. 1293 (Churchill, Cant. Admin. II 265; cf. Brut Peniarth Text p. 229b and Brut Peniarth Transl. p. 121, giving 1292/3). Will proved 1 May (Fisher, 'Three Welsh wills' p. 187). Had a nephew Ithel, can. of St Asaph, to whom he bequeathed all his books on canon law (ibid. p. 186): unknown if Ithel is to be identified with one of three cans. of the name who all occ. 1291 (Ithel Fychan, below, list 29; Ithel ab Iorwerth and Ithel ap Dafydd, below, list 33).

M. Llywelyn de Bromfield (fn. 9)

Can. of St Asaph (below, list 33). Lic. to el. gr. 23 Feb. 1293 (CPR 1292-1301 p. 5). El. 9 March (Canterbury cath. Reg. Q fo. 313r). Royal assent sought 18 Apr. (PRO C 84/11/14), gr. 6 May (CPR 1292-1301 p. 12). Conf. by prior of Canterbury, s.v. Canterbury, 9 May (Cant. Profs. no. 240). Temps. 13 May (CPR 1292-1301 pp. 13, 15). Cons. by bp. of London and others 17 May at Canterbury (Cant. Profs. no. 240). Enthr. 29 Nov. (Canterbury abpric. reg., CULMS Ee.v.31 fo. 52v). Issued statute for cath. 12 Apr. 1295 (Willis, St Asaph II 74-6). D. 1314, before 25 Jan. (Brut Peniarth Text p. 231b; Brut Peniarth Transl. p. 123; CPR 1313-17 p. 160).

Footnotes

  • 1. For his career, see Biog. Ox. II 1294-5; ODNB.
  • 2. For his career, see Biog. Ox. III 1959-60. Not to be confused, as in DNB, with Adam of Petit Pont the philosopher (see JS Epp. I 300, correcting p. xvi).
  • 3. He is often said to have been cons. 3 July 1183, but there seems to be no contemporary authority for this, which was the date of the cons. of Walter bp. of Lincoln by abp. Richard at Angers (see 1 Fasti III 2). John's cons. is mentioned along with that of Gerard Pucelle to Coventry and Walter of Coutances to Lincoln in Ann. Cestrienses p. 28, but there is no suggestion that they took place on the same day. Gerv. Cant. I 306, states that the abp. cons. two bps. while abroad (between Dec. 1182 and Aug. 1183), but names these as Walter of Lincoln and Waleran of Rochester (who had been cons. 19 Dec. 1182 at Lisieux, Diceto II 14).
  • 4. For his seal, see Williams, 'Episcopal seals' p. 124 no. 59.
  • 5. For his continued links with Haughmond during his episcopate, see Cart. Haughmond index, s.n. St Asaph.
  • 6. He was prob. son of Ednyfed Fychan: see Stephenson, Governance pp. 35, 207-9.
  • 7. Called Einion ap Maredudd by D. R. Thomas, Esgobaeth Llanelwy: the History of the Diocese of St Asaph (3 vols., Oswestry, 1908-13) I 215, citing Red Book of St Asaph, but this cannot be substantiated in documents in LCA.
  • 8. Of Nannau (Brut Peniarth Text p. 229b, Brut Peniarth Transl. p. 121). He was son of Ynyr ap Meurig, of ruling family of Meirionydd (NLW Peniarth MS 287 pp. 385-6; LCA II 88 nn. 21-2): see T. Jones Pierce, 'Einion ap Ynyr bishop of St Asaph', Flints. Hist. Soc. Publications xvii (1957) 16- 33, at pp. 18-19. For his seals, see Williams, 'Episcopal seals' p. 124 nos. 60-1.
  • 9. For his career, see Biog. Ox. III 2157.
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