OR

A CALENDAR

OF THE

PRINCIPAL ECCLESIASTICAL DIGNITARIES

IN

ENGLAND AND WALES,

AND OF

THE CHIEF OFFICERS

IN THE

UNIVERSITIES OF OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE,

FROM

THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE YEAR M.DCC.XV.

COMPILED BY

JOHN LE NEVE,

CORRECTED AND CONTINUED FROM M. DCC. XV.

TO THE PRESENT TIME,

BY T. DUFFUS HARDY,

ASSISTANT KEEPER OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOLUME II.

OXFORD:

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS,

M.DCCC.LIV.

RECEIVED

JAN 2 7 1899

WIS. HIST. SOCIETY,

THE district now included in the bishopric of Lincoln was a portion of the bishopric of Mercia, which was seated at Lichfield at the establishment of Christianity among the Saxons in Mercia. That extensive province, which then occupied nearly one half of England, being much too large for the jurisdiction of one bishop, it was determined at the synod holden at Hertford in the year 673, that additional bishops should be consecrated throughout England, and especially in Mercia. To this decision however Winfred, then bishop of Lichfield, objected, he being unwilling that his see should be mutilated; in consequence of his opposition to the decree of the synod, he was deposed by archbishop Theodore in 674, and his successor Saexwulf founded an episcopal see at Hereford in 676. Archbishop Theodore, considering that the bishop of the Mercians had still too extensive a jurisdiction for the governance of one man, summoned another synod to Haethfield on the subject, and it was there decreed that Mercia should be further divided, and accordingly in the year 680, Lichfield, Leicester, Lindisse, and Worcester, were named as episcopal sees, in addition to that of Hereford founded four years before. Seaxwulf held Lichfield, Cuthwine took Leicester, Ethelwine Lindisse, and Tetfrith Worcester.

The two sees of Leicester and Lindisse subsequently merged into one called Dorchester, and afterwards Lincoln.

Until 19th April 1837, the diocese of Lincoln contained all Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, except the

parishes of Monks Risborough and Halton, peculiars of Canterbury; and Abbots Aston and Winslow, with its members Grandborough and Little Harwood, heretofore chapelries of Winslow. It had also the better half of Hertfordshire', portions of Rutlandshire, Oxfordshire, and Northamptonshire. The whole of the district was under the jurisdiction3 of six archdeacons, viz. of Lincoln, Stow, Leicester 4, Bedford, Huntingdon, and Buckingham".

On 21st Aug. 1837, the whole county of Nottingham, (except the deanery of Southwell) then forming the archdeaconry of Nottingham, and part of the province and diocese of York, was by an order in council dissevered and detached from that province and diocese, and annexed and united to, included in and made to form part of, the province of Canterbury, and diocese of Lincoln. By another order in council dated 4th June 1841, the deanery and exempt jurisdiction of Southwell were placed within the said province and diocese.

1 That portion of Hertfordshire in the diocese of Lincoln was by order in council 8th Aug. 1845 detached and dissevered from the said diocese, and annexed to that of Rochester.

2 Anterior to the erection of the bishopric of Peterborough the archdeaconries of Oxford and Northampton were also in the diocese of Lincoln, but they were, on the foundation of that bishopric, transferred to and made part of the diocese of Peterborough.

3 By order in council 8th Aug. 1845, all peculiars in this dio cese were abolished.

4 On 21st Aug. 1837 an order in council was made by which the whole county of Leicester, forming the archdeaconry of Leicester, and part of the dio

cese of Lincoln, was dissevered and detached therefrom, and united and annexed to the diocese of Peterborough.

5 The whole archdeaconry and county of Bedford, and so much of the archdeaconry of Huntingdon forming part of the diocese of Lincoln, was by order of council 19th April 1837 detached and dissevered from the said diocese, and permanently annexed and united to the diocese of Ely.

6 By another order in council 19th July 1837 the whole county of Buckingham, forming the archdeaconry of Buckingham in the diocese of Lincoln, was absolutely detached and dissevered from the said diocese, and perinanently annexed and united to the diocese of Oxford.

The present members of the cathedral of Lincoln are the dean, precentor, chancellor, subdean, the archdeacons of Lincoln, Stow, and Nottingham, fifty-two prebendaries and minor officers.

LINDISSE, or SIDNACESTER.

680 ETHELWINE or AETHELUINE? became bishop of Lindisse about the year 680.

732

750

767

796

EADGAR 10 is supposed to have held it from 701 to 720.

CYNEBERHT11 held the see from about 720 to 731.

ALOUUIOH 12 is said to have held it from 732 to 750.
He died in 750 12.

ALDUULF 13 or EADULF, was bishop from 750 to 765.
CEOLUULF 14 seems to have been consecrated bishop of
this see in 767 and to have died in 794 or 796.
EADUULF 15 Succeeded Ceoluulf and held the see in
803.

BRICTHRED 16 is said to have made his profession of obedience to the archbishop after the year 832; he died circa 873, and was the last bishop of Lindisse or Sidnacester.