Jocelin of Wells

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coat of arms of the Jocelin of Wells

Jocelin of Wells (* in the 12th century in Wells ; † November 19, 1242 ibid) was an English clergyman. From 1206 he was Bishop of Bath , from 1218 Bishop of Bath and Wells . During the minority of King Henry III. he was a leading member of the government for several years.

Origin and career as a civil servant and clergyman

Jocelin of Wells was the younger son of Edward of Wells (also Edward Troteman or Tortemains ). His older brother was Hugh of Wells , who later became Bishop of Lincoln. Jocelin grew up in the city of his birth. Before 1191 he was not yet a clergyman when he testified two documents for Bishop Reginald fitz Jocelin . He may also have had an illegitimate son named Nicholas of Wells. Before January 28, 1200 Jocelin was then a canon at the Cathedral of Wells . He continued to belong to the cathedral chapter , but was mainly in the service of King John Ohneland from 1202 , when he paid income from the vacant Diocese of Lincoln , which was administered by his brother Hugh, to the royal treasury. In 1204 he was the administrator of the diocese himself, and from that year he was also active in the government's service. As a royal clerk, he served as a judge at Regis Curia , fined Westminster, and collected taxes in south-west England. From summer 1204 to autumn 1206 he was a regular basis to the retinue of the king, was for it officially only a simple civil servant, but in fact often sealed letters and documents and royal Letters Patent testified. Apparently for services rendered, Jocelin received an annual pension of £ 5 from the prior of Bath Abbey around 1204. A little later, at the suggestion of the prior of Bath, he was made prior of Dogmersfield , Hampshire . In addition, he received two benefices from the king until 1206 in Lugwardine in Herefordshire and in Winsham in Somerset .

Bishop of Bath and Wells

Supporter of King Johann Ohneland

On February 3, 1206, Jocelin was ordained as the new Bishop of Wells by the monks of Bath Abbey and the Cathedral Chapter of Wells. It can no longer be determined whether he was the candidate for the cathedral chapter to which he still belonged, or whether he was proposed by the king. On May 3, the temporalities were given to him and he was ordained bishop in Reading by Bishop William de Ste Mère-Église of London on behalf of the absent Archbishop of Canterbury . Despite this new office, Jocelin continued to be a frequent member of the royal entourage over the next several years and, like his brother Hugh, continued to serve the Crown. However, when in March 1208 Pope Innocent III. because of the ongoing dispute with the king over the election of Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury had the interdict imposed on England, Jocelin left England like almost all bishops and went into exile. Still, Jocelin continued to support the king. In March 1209 he returned briefly to England when he was negotiating with Archbishop Langton on behalf of the King in London, and in July 1209 he was with his brother in Dover when there were renewed talks with the envoy of the Pope and the Archbishop . Apparently until October 1209 Jocelin was involved in further negotiations. However, as these remained unsuccessful, King John was excommunicated by the Pope in November 1209 . However, Jocelin did not leave England until his brother Hugh was ordained the new Bishop of Lincoln in December 1209 by Archbishop Langton in Melun, France . Jocelin was criticized by numerous clergymen and chroniclers for his continued support of the anti-church king.

Little is known about Jocelin's time in exile. Together with his brother Hugh he stayed in Saint-Martin-la-Garenne near Paris in November 1212 . It was not until King John submitted to the papal legate Pandulf in May 1213 that Jocelin and the other bishops returned to England. As a result, he again supported the king, who was now also supported by the Pope against a nobility opposition that had arisen in England. This forced the king in June 1215 to recognize the Magna Carta , in which Jocelin is mentioned as one of the royal advisors. He probably also supported the king during the barons ' war that followed , until Johann died in October 1216.

Bishop Jocelin, along with the Bishops of Salisbury and Winchester, assisted the English fleet during the Battle of Sandwich

Leading political role during the minority of Henry III.

Only a few days later, Jocelin was one of the bishops who had Johann's son, the underage Heinrich III. , were crowned the new king in Gloucester . In August 1217 he was present with Bishop Richard Poore of Chichester and Peter des Roches of Winchester at the Battle of Sandwich , in which a French fleet that was supposed to bring reinforcements to England was decisively defeated. The bishops are said to have given absolution to the fallen who fought for the freedom of England . This victory led to the end of the Barons' War in September 1217. From 1218 to 1219 Jocelin served the Royal Regency Council as a traveling judge in south west England, as well as a forest judge in Wiltshire , Somerset and Dorset . In the mid-1220s he was one of the leading members of the government, alongside Justiciar Hubert de Burgh and Bishop Richard Poore. In the winter of 1223 to 1224 he served temporarily as administrator of Somerset, to Sherborne and Bristol Castle were under his administration. When Falkes de Bréauté rebelled against the government in 1224 , Jocelin played a leading role in suppressing the revolt. He took part in the siege of Bedford Castle , whose garrison was hanged after the castle was conquered. Despite his status as a bishop, Jocelin approved the executions. He is reported to have remarked that these executions would not have been necessary if the crew of Bytham Castle had also been hanged during the revolt of William de Forz in 1221. Falkes de Bréauté had to go into exile and complained to the Pope about the harsh action taken against him, mentioning Bishop Jocelin by name. Jocelin's position in government was made clear when in 1225 he was appointed to oversee the two tax officers responsible for collecting the tax on the fifteenth . After King Henry III. Was declared of legal age in 1227, Jocelin's importance declined. Until 1233 he occasionally attested to royal documents. In 1237 he testified that the Magna Carta was again recognized by the king.

The west facade of Wells Cathedral, built under Bishop Jocelin

Serving as Bishop of Bath and Wells

As Bishop of Bath, Jocelin continued in 1217 the dispute over the sovereignty of the bishop over Glastonbury Abbey , which his predecessor Savaric had already led. Like his predecessor, Jocelin was also abbot of Glastonbury, but in 1218 he resigned from this office, making the abbey independent again. Instead, Jocelin accepted the title of Bishop of Bath and Wells . In 1234, however, Joceline deposed Abbot Robert of Glastonbury for misconduct. He also mediated church disputes in Bristol and Worcester . As bishop, Jocelin continued building Wells Cathedral . During his long tenure, the nave and the magnificent west facade were built. On October 23, 1239, Jocelin was able to consecrate the cathedral. He donated lands for the cathedral offices and issued statutes for the cathedral chapter. In addition, he began building the Episcopal Palace of Wells. Together with his brother Hugh, he founded St John's Hospital in Wells. He was buried in Wells Cathedral.

literature

  • Jos. Armitage Robinson: Bishop Jocelin and the interdict. In: Jos. A. Robinson: Somerset historical essays . Humphrey Milford, London 1921, pp. 141-159
  • Robert W. Dunning: Jocelin of Wells: bishop, builder, courtier . Boydell & Brewer, Woodbridge 2010, ISBN 978-1-84615-826-1

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ David Carpenter: The minority of Henry III . University of California Press, Berkeley 1990. ISBN 0-520-07239-1 , p. 323
predecessor Office successor
Savaric Fitz Money win Bishop of Bath and Wells
1206–1242 		Roger of Salisbury
personal data
SURNAME Jocelin of Wells
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of Bath and Wells
DATE OF BIRTH 12th Century
PLACE OF BIRTH Wells
DATE OF DEATH November 19, 1242
Place of death Wells