Ely Cathedral | Page 9

Ely, however, until the year 1836, possessed a jurisdiction of considerable importance, and had almost sovereign authority within the district known as the Isle of Ely, which was styled "The Royal Franchise or Liberty of the Bishops of Ely."
On the conversion of the abbacy into a bishopric A.D. 1109, a division of the property and revenues took place, and the bishop took care to protect his own interests and those of his successors, but the charge and repairs of the church and monastery fell to the share of the prior and monks, the bishop retaining a certain jurisdiction over them. The County of Cambridge, with the exception of a few parishes, was transferred from the See of Lincoln to the new See of Ely, and the Manor of Spaldwick, in the County of Huntingdon, was given to the Bishop of Lincoln in compensation. The See now comprises the Counties of Cambridge, Huntingdon, and Bedford, and the western division of the County of Suffolk, comprised in the Archdeaconry of Sudbury. It is divided into four Archdeaconries, which are subdivided into thirty-three Rural Deaneries, except the Isle of Ely, which is under the peculiar Archidiaconal jurisdiction of the Bishop, and is divided into two Rural Deaneries. There are five hundred and fifty-four benefices in the diocese. The population of the whole is about 500,000; and the area in acres is 1,357,756.
The Bishop has patronage to a considerable extent; he appoints to the Chancellorship, to the Registrarship, to the four Archdeaconries, the Rural Deaneries, to four Canonries in the Cathedral, and several Honorary Canonries; to the Mastership and one Fellowship of Jesus College, to one Fellowship at St. John's College, to the Mastership of St. Peter's College, and is Visitor of four Colleges, in Cambridge, and of several schools; and has about fifty livings in his gift.
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Arms of the See--Gu. three ducal coronets or. These are derived from the arms of the East Anglian kings.
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The following list of the Bishops, to which is prefixed the succession of Abbesses and Abbots, is derived chiefly from Mr. Bentham's History and Antiquities of Ely Cathedral.
ABBESSES.
A.D.
673. St. Etheldreda. Foundress, and first Abbess. 679. St. Sexburga. 699. St. Erminilda. ? St. Werburga.
ABBOTS.
A.D.
970. Brithnoth. First Abbot.
981. Elsin.
1016. Leofwin, or Oschitel.
1022. Leofric.
1029. Leofsin.
1045. Wilfric.
1066. Thurstan. Last Saxon Abbot.
1072. Theodwin. A monk of Jumièges.
1075. [Godfrey, Administrator ad interim.]
1081. Simeon. Founder of the Norman Church.
Interval of seven years.
1100. Richard. Completed the Norman Choir. Translated into it the remains of the sainted Abbesses. Commenced negociations for the conversion of the abbacy into a bishoprick. Died 1107.
BISHOPS.
1109. Hervè, or Hervey, first Bishop. The abbey estates divided, and the See firmly established. Died 1131.
1133. Nigellus, a Prebendary of St. Paul's, London. Treasurer to the King, Henry I. A Baron of the Exchequer. Died 1169.
1174. Geoffry Ridel, Archdeacon of Canterbury. Chaplain to King Henry II. Baron of the Exchequer. Opponent of Becket. He built the lower part of the great western tower of the church.
1189. William Longchamp, Chancellor of England. Papal Legate. Died at Poictiers, 1197.
1198. Eustachius, Archdeacon of Richmond, Treasurer of York, and Dean of Salisbury. Chancellor of England. Founder of the Galilee or western porch. (See Stewart's Arch. Hist. of Ely Cathedral, p. 50.) Died 1215.
1215. [Robert of York, chosen by the monks, but never consecrated, held possession of the temporalities of the See for five years.]
1220. John de Fontibus, Abbot of Fountains in Yorkshire.
1225. Geoffery de Burgh, Archdeacon of Norwich.
1229. Hugh de Northwold, Abbot of St. Edmundsbury. This distinguished prelate built the magnificent Presbytery, or eastern portion of the choir. On the occasion of the dedication of the whole church, he entertained sumptuously the King, Henry III., Prince Edward his son, and many nobles and bishops.
1254. William de Kilkenny, Archdeacon of Coventry, and Chancellor.
1257. Hugh de Balsham, Sub-prior of the abbey. Founder of St. Peter's, the first endowed College at Cambridge.
1286. John de Kirkeby. Treasurer of King Edward I. Canon of Wells and York. Archdeacon of Coventry.
1290. William de Luda, (or Louth), Archdeacon of Durham. Prebendary of St. Paul's, of York, and of Lincoln. Sometime Chancellor. Died 1298.
1299. Ralph de Walpole, Bishop of Norwich.
1302. Robert de Orford, Prior of the convent.
1310. John de Ketene, almoner of the church.
1316. John Hotham, Chancellor of the king's (Edward II.) exchequer; Prebendary of York; Rector of Cottingham, in Yorkshire. Bishop Hotham was a munificent promoter of the great architectural works carried on under the rule of Prior Crauden, and from the designs of Alan de Walsingham, then Sacrist. In his time the Lady Chapel was begun; the Octagon completed; and the exquisite bays of the western Choir designed.
1337. Simon de Montacute, Bishop of Worcester.
The Monks had chosen Prior Crauden.
1345. Thomas L'Isle, Prior of Dominicans at Winchester.
The choice of the Monks, which had fallen upon Alan of Walsingham the illustrious