Simon of Wells
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Denomination | Catholic |
|---|---|
| Senior posting | |
| See | Diocese of Chichester |
| Title | Bishop of Chichester |
| Period in office | 1204–1207 |
| Predecessor | Seffrid II |
| Successor | Nicholas de Aquila |
| Religious career | |
| Previous post | Archdeacon of Wells |
| Personal | |
| Date of death | August 21, 1207 |
Simon of Wells (or Simon de Wells or Simon FitzRobert or Simon de Camera) was a medieval Bishop of Chichester.
[edit] Life
He was the son of Robert and was in the household of Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1194.[1] His father was usually known as Robert of Whatley and held land in Somerset. Some sources state that he was related to the brothers Hugh of Wells bishop of Lincoln and Jocelin of Wells bishop of Bath and Wells, but this is unlikely.[2] By 1198 he was Archdeacon of Wells.[1] He was also provost of Beverley and a prebend of London and Salisbury.[3] He was in Normandy with King John of England in both 1199 and 1203, when the king was campaigning against King Philip Augustus of France. By 1201 he was serving the king as a clerk of the chamber, or camera, which led to one of his names.[2] Also in 1201, King John tried to give him the church of Faversham, but the church was owned by the monks of St Augustine's Abbey Canterbury. The monks appealed to Rome and kept Simon from receiving the church. The next year, in 1202, Hubert Walter asked the king to allow Simon to have custody of Fleete Prison, as well as being the guardian of the heir of Robert of Leveland, who was going on crusade.[4] He was elected to the see of Chichester between April 4 and April 9, 1204, and consecrated on July 11, 1204.[5]
After his election he concentrated on building in his cathedral city, walling Chichester, and recovering lost lands of the diocese. He did continue to work for the king up until the death of Hubert Walter, but after that event he no longer appears in royal service.[2] He died August 21, 1207[5] while returning from pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela at St Giles in the south of France.[2]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b British History Online Archdeacons of Wells accessed on October 20, 2007
- ^ a b c d Mayr-Harting "Wells, Simon of (d. 1207)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online Edition accessed November 26, 2007
- ^ British History Online Bishops of Chichester accessed on October 20, 2007
- ^ Young Hubert Walter p. 64
- ^ a b Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 239
[edit] References
- British History Online Archdeacons of Wells accessed on October 20, 2007
- British History Online Bishops of Chichester accessed on October 20, 2007
- Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology, Third Edition, revised, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
- Mayr-Harting, Henry "Wells, Simon of (d. 1207)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press, 2004 Online Edition accessed November 26, 2007
- Young, Charles R. Hubert Walter: Lord of Canterbury and Lord of England Durham, NC: Duke University Press 1968
| Roman Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Seffrid II |
Bishop of Chichester 1204–1207 |
Succeeded by Nicholas de Aquila |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Simon of Wells |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | de Wells, Simon; FitzRobert, Simon |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Bishop of Chichester |
| DATE OF BIRTH | |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 21, 1207 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
