The Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond Part 17

The names of some of the princ.i.p.al works that may usefully be consulted by students of the history of the Abbey will be found on pp.

276 and 277 at the end of the Table.--E. C.].

SECTION I

_BEFORE THE DAYS OF ABBOT SAMSON_

870 Nov. 20. Martyrdom of St. Edmund. His head is cut off by the Danes and hidden in a wood "in silvam cui vocabulam est Haglesdun" (_Abbo_, writing 100 years after). [Domesday book (1086) records the existence in Wilford Hundred of a place called Halgestou.] The head being found, is miraculously rejoined to the body, which is buried "in villula Suthtuna [Sutton] dicta, de prope loco martyrizationis" (_Herman_, writing 200 years after).

903 (or later). Relics of St. Edmund removed from the place of burial to Beodricsworth--afterwards called Bury St. Edmunds.

The early authorities differ as to this date. Herman says the translation took place in the reign of Athelstan (925-941): the compiler of the Bodl. MS. 240 says A.D. 900 or 906 (_Nov. Leg. Angl._ II. 590); the Curteys Register (Part I. f. 211) says A.D. 903.

937 (_circa_). According to Abbo, Dunstan, then a youth, hears the story of St. Edmund's death from an old man who said he was the King's standard bearer.

945 Bishop Theodred (II) of Elmham opens St. Edmund's coffin, finds the body "whole and incorrupt," and places it in a new wooden "loculus" (Abbo).

945 Charter of King Edmund II (son of Edmund the Elder) granting lands round Beodricsworth to the clerks (_monasterii familia_) who were then guarding St. Edmund's shrine. (Text in Arnold II. 340-1.) _p._ 238.

985 (_circa_). Dunstan, the Archbishop, tells the story of St.

Edmund's martyrdom to others, and Abbo recounts it in his _Pa.s.sio Sancti Eadmundi_. (Text in Arnold I. 3-25.) _p._ 217.

1010 Egelwin, or Ailwin, takes the body of the Saint from Beodricsworth to London. _p._ 175.

1013 Return of Egelwin, with body of St. Edmund, to Beodricsworth.

1014 February. Death of King Sweyn (according to the chroniclers, at the hands of St. Edmund).

1020 At the instance of Aelfwin, Bishop of Elmham, the clerks in charge of St. Edmund's shrine are removed, and twenty monks, headed by Uvius, prior of Hulme, installed at Beodricsworth.

1020 Uvius consecrated 1st abbot of Bury by the Bishop of London.

1020 New stone church (to replace the wooden one containing St.

Edmund's body) commenced by order of Canute, in expiation of the sacrilegious behaviour of his father Sweyn towards the saint.

1028 Charter of Canute granting "fundus" or farm at Beodricsworth to be for ever in possession of monks, who were to be free from episcopal jurisdiction. (Text in Arnold II. 340-1).

1032 Oct. 18. Consecration of the new stone church by Egelnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury.

1035 Charter granted to the Abbey by Hardicanute, imposing a fine of "thirty talents of gold" on any one found guilty of infringing the Abbey's franchises. (For privileges granted, see Bodl. MS. 240, printed in _Nova Legenda Anglie_ II.

607.)

1038 Oct. Body of the Saint removed to King Canute's new church.

1044 Visit of Edward the Confessor to Bury. _p._ 236.

1044 The Confessor grants to Bury abbey jurisdiction over 8-1/2 hundreds in Suffolk, and the manor of Mildenhall, with freedom to choose their abbot. _p._ 238.

1044 Death of Uvius (remains in Infirmary Chapel). Leofstan appointed 2nd abbot.

1065 Death of Leofstan (remains placed in shrine at foot of St.

Edmund). Baldwin of St. Denis (physician to Edward the Confessor) appointed 3rd abbot.

1065 Mint established at Bury under grant of Edward the Confessor, in which Beodricsworth is called (apparently for the first time) St. Edmundsbury. "Ic kithe ihu that Ic habbe unnen Baldewine Abbot one munetere with innen Seynt Edmunds Biri"

(Battely, p. 134). _p._ 248.

1071 Abbot Baldwin at Rome: receives from Pope Alexander II a precious altar of porphyry, with special privileges.

1071 Oct. 27. Bull of Pope Alexander II, taking the monks of St.

Edmund under the special protection of the Holy See, and forbidding that a bishop's see should ever be established at Beodricsworth. (Text in Arnold I. 344.)

1081 May 31. Charter of William the Conqueror deciding against the claim of Arfast, Bishop of Thetford, to transfer his see to Bury, and granting exemption from episcopal jurisdiction.

(Text in Arnold I. 347.)

1086 Domesday Book returns show that the annual value of the Town "ubi quiescit humatus S. Eadmundus rex et martyr gloriosus"

was double that of its value under Edward the Confessor, and a larger number of persons were maintained.

1095 Apr. 29. Translation of St. Edmund's body to new and magnificent basilica built by Baldwin and his sacrists Thurstan and Tolinus.

1097 Death of Baldwin: buried in the Abbey church, east of the choir altar.

1098 (_circa_). Herman the Archdeacon compiles his book, _De Miraculis Sancti Eadmundi_. _p._ 218.

1100 Henry I gives abbacy to Robert, son of Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester. Robert (I) deposed 1102.

1101 Attempts of Herbert de Losinga, Bishop of Norwich, to fix his see at Bury; finally disposed of 1102.

1102 Robert II, a monk of Westminster, elected 5th abbot. Scheme for Abbey church enlarged. G.o.defridus the sacrist a man "of almost gigantic stature, great in body but greater still in mind." _p._ 247.

1107 Aug. 15. Robert II consecrated by St. Anselm. Dies soon after, 16 Sept.; buried in Infirmary Chapel.

1114 After seven years' interregnum, Albold, prior of St. Nicasius at Meaux, elected 6th abbot: died 1119; buried in Infirmary Chapel.

1120 Charter of Henry I confirming the Charters of Canute and Edward the Confessor.

1121 Anselm, nephew of St. Anselm, elected 7th abbot. In his days the Norman tower of the Abbey was built.

1132 Henry I pays a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Edmund.

1135 (_circa_). St. James' Church built by Abbot Anselm, instead of making a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella. Church consecrated by William Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury.

SECTION II

_DURING ABBOT SAMSON'S LIFETIME_ (1135-1211)

1135 SAMSON born at Tottington, near Thetford.

1144 Samson taken by his mother on a pilgrimage to St. Edmund.