The Bishop of Dunwich is an episcopal title which was first used by an Anglo-Saxon bishop between the seventh and ninth centuries and is currently used by the suffragan bishop of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The title takes its name after Dunwich in the English county of Suffolk. Previously a significant port, this town has now largely been lost to the sea.
In about 630 or 631 a diocese was established by St. Felix for the Kingdom of the East Angles, with his episcopal seat initially, briefly established at Soham before being transferred to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. There is a possibility the unidentified Dommoc may be Dunwich, but this is yet to be proved. In 672 the diocese was divided into the sees of Dunwich and Elmham by St. Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury.
The line of bishops of Dunwich continued until it was interrupted by the Danish Viking invasions in the late ninth and early tenth centuries. By the mid 950s the sees of Dunwich and Elmham were reunited under one bishop, with the episcopal see at Elmham.
List of bishops
edit| Bishops of the East Angles (purportedly established at Soham) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes. |
| c.630 | c.630 | Felix of Burgundy | Also known as St Felix |
| Bishops of the East Angles (established at Dunwich or translated from Soham) | |||
| 630 x 631 | 647 x 648 | Felix of Burgundy | Also known as St Felix. |
| 647 x 648 | 652 x 653 | Thomas | Deacon. |
| 652 x 653 | 669 x 670 | Brigilsus | Also recorded as Beorhtgils, Berhtgils, and Boniface (Bonifatius). |
| 669 x 670 | 672 | Bifus | Resigned in 672; also recorded as Bisi. |
| In 672, the diocese was divided into the sees of Dunwich and Elmham | |||
| Bishops of Dunwich | |||
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes. |
| 672 x ? | ? | Acca | Also recorded as Æcce and Æcci. |
| ? | ? | Ascwulf | |
| ? x 716 | 716 x ? | Eardred | |
| ? | ? | Cuthwine | Also recorded as Cuthwynus. |
| ? x 731 | 731 x ? | Ealdbeorht I | Also recorded as Alberht. |
| ? | ? | Ecglaf | Also recorded as Eglasius. |
| ? x 747 | 747 x ? | Eardwulf | Also recorded as Heardwulf. |
| 747 x 775 | 775 x 781 | Ealdbeorht II | Also recorded as Alberthus and Ealdberht. |
| ? x 781 | 789 x 793 | Heardred | Also recorded as Hardulfus. |
| 789 x 793 | 798 | Ælfhun | Also recorded as Ælphunus. |
| 798 | 816 x 824 | Tidfrith | Also recorded as Tidfreth, Tedfrid, and Thefridus. |
| 816 x 824 | 824 x 825 | Waormund | Also recorded as Wærmund and Weremundus. |
| 825 | 845 x 870 | Wilred | Also recorded as Wilfredus. |
| 845 x 870 | ? | Æthelweald | Also recorded as Æthelwold, Æthelwulf. |
| After interruption by the Danish Viking invasions, Dunwich was united to the see of Elmham. | |||
| Note(s): [A] and Source(s):[1][2][3][4] | |||
Footnotes
edit- A The current list of Anglo-Saxon bishops is primarily compiled by the 3rd edition of the Handbook of British Chronology.[1] The earlier 2nd edition mentioned two others: Alric, probably bishop of Dunwich and Husa, bishop of Dunwich or Elmham.[5] These two are no longer considered to have been bishops and as such are not listed in the 3rd edition.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 216. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
- ^ Hadcock, R. Neville; Knowles, David (1971). Medieval Religious Houses England & Wales. Longman. p. 482. ISBN 0-582-11230-3.
- ^ "Historical successions: Norwich (including precursor offices)". Crockford's Clerical Directory. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ Hadcock, R.Neville; Knowles, David (1971). Medieval Religious Houses England & Wales. Longman. p. 482. ISBN 0-582-11230-3.
- ^ Powicke, F. Maurice; Fryde, E. B. (1961). Handbook of British Chronology (2nd ed.). London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society. p. 220.