The Three Choirs: A Handbook to the Cathedrals of Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester: A Complete Description of the Buildings, a History of Each Diocese and Biographical Notices of the BishopsKing, R. J. (Richard John)
Religion
The Three Choirs: A Handbook to the Cathedrals of Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester: A Complete Description of the Buildings, a History of Each Diocese and Biographical Notices of the Bishops
he held the archbishopric of York during twenty years, “we we do
not read that he introduced a single colony of monks, or changed
the constitution of a single clerical establishment, within that
diocese[103].”
The church and monastery of St. Mary, built by Oswald, were on the
site of the existing cathedral, and were pulled down by Wulfstan to
make way for his new minster. (See _post_, WULFSTAN.) During the
construction of St. Oswald’s monastery, says Eadmer, one large
squared block of stone became all at once immoveable, and in spite
of the exertions of the workmen, could not be brought to the place
prepared for it. St. Oswald, after praying earnestly, beheld
“Ethiopem quendam” sitting upon the stone, and mocking the
builders. The sign of the cross removed him effectually.
A life of St. Oswald, by Eadmer of Canterbury, will be found in
Wharton’s _Anglia Sacra_, vol. ii. This, however, is a compilation
from a far more important life by an unknown monk of Ramsey,
written within twenty or thirty years after Oswald’s death, and
hitherto unprinted. This life (of which there is a MS. in the
British Museum, MSS. Cotton, Nero, E. 1) is quoted among Mr.
Raine’s numerous authorities for the very interesting life of St.
Oswald contained in his “Lives of the Archbishops of York.”
(London, 1863.) Oswald died at Worcester, and was interred in his
own church there. His relics were translated, and placed in a rich
shrine, by Aldulf, his successor in both sees. The portiphor of St.
Oswald is still preserved in the library of C.C.C., Cambridge.
The two immediate successors of Oswald, Aldulf and Wulfstan I.,
held the see of York together with that of Worcester, probably
because, Northumbria being ravaged by the Danes, the possession of
the southern bishopric was found to be necessary for the
maintenance of the northern primate. Wulfstan succeeded in 1003,
and died in 1023. In 1016, seven years before his death, LEOFSIN
was appointed to the bishopric of Worcester; Wulfstan retaining
York.
[A.D. 992-1062.] Between the death of Oswald and the accession of
Wulfstan II., the only remarkable bishops of Worcester were LIVING,
the friend and minister of Canute, who held the see of Worcester
together with that of Crediton; and ALDRED, his successor, who was
translated to York in 1061, and as archbishop of that see crowned
successively both Harold and the Conqueror. In 1062 Edward the
Confessor made a grant to Aldred of the church of Worcester, on
account of the desolate condition of the see of York. The grant
was, however, personal, and not in perpetuity; and Bishop Wulfstan
of Worcester only remained a suffragan of York until the death of
Aldred. The deed is to be found in Thomas’s “Worcester,” Appendix
I.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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