Priors of Bath

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7, Bath and Wells. Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 2001.

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'Priors of Bath', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7, Bath and Wells, (London, 2001) pp. 6-8. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1066-1300/vol7/pp6-8 [accessed 24 March 2024]

LIST 2 PRIORS OF BATH

PRIORY

The abbey was acquired by bp. John of Tours in 1088 or 1089 and converted into a cath. priory (Historiola p. 21; and see above, Introduction, and list 1).

Agreement with dean of Wells over precedence Apr. 1220 (Cal. I 52).

For the union of Bath and Wells, see Introduction.

See also the valuable introduction to the list of priors by J. Greatrex, Biographical Register of English Cathedral Priories c. 1066-1540 (Oxford, 1997) pp. 1-7.

PRIORS

For the priors of Bath to 1216, see Heads I 28-9. (fn. 1) For the period to 1540, see Greatrex, Biog. Reg. pp. 10-49, where addit. biographical details will be found for all the priors listed below.

PRIORS APPOINTED BY BISHOPS

John

Occ. as prior twice only: 1106 × 09 (S. Anselmi ... Opera Omnia, ed. F. S. Schmitt (6 vols., Edinburgh, 1946-61) V 397-8, no. 450) and 4 Apr. 1122 (Chart. Bath I 55 (no. 54)).

Benedict

Occ. as prior four times: at Bath 24 June 1151 (EEA X no. 43); 8 Jan. 1139 × c. 7 Dec. 1157 (ibid. no. 19; for final date see Peter, his successor, below); temp. bp. Robert, Eustace and Martin archdcns. (Chart. Bath II 60 (no. 273)); and n.d. (ibid. I 70 (no. 75)). (fn. 2)

Peter

Prob. monk who occ. 24 June 1151 (EEA X no. 43). First occ. as prior, at Gloucester, c. 7 Dec. 1157 (ibid. XVIII no. 155). Also occ. at Wells 4 Nov. 1159 (ibid. X no. 50). Occ. several times. Last occ. 1166 × 76, prob. after 1173 (Earldom of Gloucester Chs., ed. R. B. Patterson (Oxford, 1973) no. 101).

Hugh

Occ. as prior once only, 23 June 1174 × c. 1184 (EEA X no. 76; Chart. Bath II 9 (no. 32); for final date see M. Walter, his successor, below). His mother Wimark received a corrody after his d. (Chart. Bath II 9 (no. 32)).

M. Walter

Subprior of Hyde (Winchester) (Ann. Wint. p. 68). First occ. as prior of Bath 23 June 1174 × c. 1184 (EEA X no. 73; cf. Chart. Bath II 144 (no. 757)). Occ. several times. Retired to Witham (Carthusian, Som.) for a time c. 1190 (E. M. Thompson, 'Witham charterhouse chronicle', Bull. John Rylands Libr. xvi (1933) pp. 482-506, at p. 506; cf. Ann. Wint. p. 68), but soon returned, 1191 (Richard of Devizes pp. 27, 56-7). D. at Wherwell (Hants) 1198, buried at Bath 31 May (Ann. Wint. p. 68). Described as 'vir multe scientie et religionis' (ibid.).

Robert

First occ. c. 1198 (Chart. Bath II 7-8 (no. 22); cf. EEA X nos. 192, 203, 214). Occ. frequently. Last occ. 10 May 1223 (Chart. Bath II 24 (no. 115)). Abbot of Glastonbury, el. 1223, after 18 Sept. (Adam de Domerham II 478; Ann. Tewkes. p. 66). At Glastonbury called Robert 'of Bath' (Adam de Domerham II 486).

Thomas [de Stokton] (fn. 3)

First occ. 25 Oct. 1223 (Chart. Bath II 24 (no. 116), cf. pp. 24-5 (no. 117)). Occ. frequently. Last occ. 14 June 1261 (ibid. p. 37 (no. 169)). D. 23 June 1261 (ibid. p. 57 (no. 253)). (fn. 4)

PRIORS ELECTED BY CONVENT

The right of free el. of their prior was gr. to the prior and convent by bp. William of Bitton I on 18 May 1261, and conf. by dean and chapter of Wells on 8 June (Cal. I 143).

Walter de Anno

Cellarer (Chart. Bath II 57-8 (nos. 256-7)). Lic. to el. gr. by bp. 24 June 1261 (ibid. p. 57 (no. 254)). His el. conf. by bp. 26 June (ibid. p. 58 (no. 258); cf. pp. 57-8 (nos. 256-7)). Occ. frequently. Last occ. 19 June 1289 (ibid. p. 83 (no. 388)). D. by 14 Jan. 1290 (ibid. p. 84 (no. 394)).

Thomas of Winchester

Sacrist by 1289 (Chart. Bath II 134 (no. 702)). Lic. to el. gr. by bp. 14 Jan. 1290 (ibid. p. 84 (nos. 394-5)). His el. conf. by bp. 27 Jan. (Greatrex, Biog. Reg. p. 48). First occ. as Thomas prior 10 March 1290 (CPR 1281-92 p. 348), and with full name 1 March 1292 (Chart. Bath II 86 (no. 417)). Occ. frequently. Res. on account of illness and old age 10 Apr. 1301 (ibid. p. 112 (no. 578)).

Footnotes

  • 1. A second volume, covering 1216-1377, ed. D. M. Smith and V. C. M. London, is forthcoming (Cambridge, 2001). I am grateful to Professor Smith for help with the priors of Bath, and the abbots of Athelney (list 47) and Muchelney (list 44).
  • 2. W. Hunt conjectured in Chart. Bath I p. xlvii (followed by Greatrex, Biog. Reg. p. 14) that Benedict was one of the monks who went to Rome to obtain the papal conf. of 21 Jan. 1156 (printed in PUE II no. 90) and that he may have d. in Italy, as his successor occ. c. 7 Dec. 1157 (below).
  • 3. He is given this name in cart. Bath, BL Egerton MS 3316 fo. 106v; cf. CCR 1333-7 p. 201. See Greatrex, Biog. Reg. p. 14.
  • 4. 'Robert' prior of Bath occ. as a party in fines at Michaelmas 1231 and 3 Nov. 1234 (Chart. Bath II 27 (no. 131), 128 (no. 668)), but these texts must be erroneous.