Ely Cathedral | Page 9

the Monastery.
1874 Commencement of the decoration of the Octagon, Lantern, &c.
1875 Several new sculptured figures placed in the Octagon, and the
decoration of the Octagon and Lantern completed and re-opened.
1876 The paving of the north Transept completed.
1878 The ceiling of the Baptistry painted by Mr. Parry.
1879 The corona of pinnacles on the exterior of the Octagon completed.
A monument to Canon Selwyn placed in the South Aisle of the Choir.
[Illustration]

+The See of Ely.+
Edgar "the peaceful," by his charter, as mentioned in the Introduction,

restored the powers and privileges enjoyed by the Superiors of the
monastery previous to its destruction by the Danes, to the
newly-appointed Abbot on its re-foundation by Bishop Ethelwold, A.D.
970, and the Abbots of Ely successively exercised powers nearly
similar to a County Palatine, and after the change from an abbacy to a
bishopric, the bishops continued to exercise similar authority until the
reign of Henry VIII., when they were greatly abridged by an Act of
Parliament. The successive Bishops of 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.
* * * * *
Arms of the See--Gu. three ducal coronets or. These are derived from
the arms of the East Anglian kings.
* * * * *
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