William of Bitton II

Infobox bishopbiog
name =William of Bitton II


religion =Catholic
See =Diocese of Bath and Wells
Title = Bishop of Bath and Wells
Period = 1267–1274
Predecessor = Walter Giffard
Successor =Robert Burnell
ordination =
bishops =
post =Archdeacon of Wells
date of birth =
place of birth =
date of death =4 December 1274
place of death =

William of Bitton II or William Button was a medieval Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Life

He was a son of Sir Adam of Bitton in Gloucestershire and the brother of Thomas Bitton who was precentor, archdeacon of Wells [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34341 British History Online Bishops of Bath] accessed on 23 September 2007] and Dean of Wells and Bishop of Exeter.Shaw "Button , William (d. 1274)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4237 Online Edition] accessed 15 November 2007] His uncle was William of Bitton I, Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was rector of Buckland from 1257 and rector of Congresbury in Somerset from 1252. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34409 British History Online Unidentified Prebends of Bath] accessed on 23 September 2007] Before 13 December 1262 he was a canon of Bath and Wells, and was archdeacon of Wells as well as rector of Middlezoy in Somerset by 20 April 1263. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34352 British History Online Archdeacons of Wells] accessed on 23 September 2007]

He was elected as bishop on 10 February 1267 and consecrated after 17 April 1267.Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 228] He was not active in political or governmental events, although he did go to a council in 1269 that objected to ecclesiastical taxation. He, like his uncle, mainly worked in his diocese, and regulated the liturgical life of his cathedral and endowed the cathedral with some property.

He died 4 December 1274 and was buried in Bath Cathedral. Some veneration was given to him after his death, but no formal canonization ever occurred. He should not be confused with his uncle the first William of Bitton who was also Bishop of Bath and Wells, but who died in 1264.

Notes

References

* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34352 British History Online Archdeacons of Wells] accessed on 23 September 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34341 British History Online Bishops of Bath] accessed on 23 September 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34409 British History Online Unidentified Prebends of Bath] accessed on 23 September 2007
*
* Shaw, David Gary "Button , William (d. 1274)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4237 Online Edition] accessed 15 November 2007

Persondata
NAME=William of Bitton II
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=William of Bitton; Button, William
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Bishop of Bath and Wells
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=4 December 1274
PLACE OF DEATH=