Simon of Wells

Infobox bishopbiog
name =Simon of Wells


religion =Catholic
See =Diocese of Chichester
Title = Bishop of Chichester
Period = 1204–1207
Predecessor = Seffrid II
Successor =Nicholas de Aquila
ordination =
bishops =
post =Archdeacon of Wells
date of birth =
place of birth =
date of death = 21 August 1207
place of death =

Simon of Wells (or Simon de Wells or Simon FitzRobert or Simon de Camera) was a medieval Bishop of Chichester.

Life

He was the son of Robert and was in the household of Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1194. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34352 British History Online Archdeacons of Wells] accessed on 20 October 2007] His father was usually known as Robert of Whatley and held land in Somerset. Some sources state that he was related to the brothers Hugh of Wells bishop of Lincoln and Jocelin of Wells bishop of Bath and Wells, but this is unlikely.Mayr-Harting "Wells, Simon of (d. 1207)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25571 Online Edition] accessed 26 November 2007] By 1198 he was Archdeacon of Wells. He was also provost of Beverley and a prebend of London and Salisbury. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34293 British History Online Bishops of Chichester] accessed on 20 October 2007] He was in Normandy with King John of England in both 1199 and 1203, when the king was campaigning against King Philip Augustus of France. By 1201 he was serving the king as a clerk of the chamber, or "camera", which led to one of his names. Also in 1201, King John tried to give him the church of Faversham, but the church was owned by the monks of St Augustine's Abbey Canterbury. The monks appealed to Rome and kept Simon from receiving the church. The next year, in 1202, Hubert Walter asked the king to allow Simon to have custody of Fleete Prison, as well as being the guardian of the heir of Robert of Leveland, who was going on crusade.Young "Hubert Walter" p. 64] He was elected to the see of Chichester between 4 April and 9 April 1204, and consecrated on 11 July 1204.Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 239]

After his election he concentrated on building in his cathedral city, walling Chichester, and recovering lost lands of the diocese. He did continue to work for the king up until the death of Hubert Walter, but after that event he no longer appears in royal service. He died 21 August 1207 while returning from pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela at St Giles in the south of France.

Notes

References

* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34352 British History Online Archdeacons of Wells] accessed on 20 October 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34293 British History Online Bishops of Chichester] accessed on 20 October 2007
*
* Mayr-Harting, Henry "Wells, Simon of (d. 1207)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25571 Online Edition] accessed 26 November 2007
* Young, Charles R. "Hubert Walter: Lord of Canterbury and Lord of England" Durham, NC: Duke University Press 1968

Persondata
NAME=Simon of Wells
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= de Wells, Simon; FitzRobert, Simon
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Bishop of Chichester
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=21 August 1207
PLACE OF DEATH=