Bishop of Hexham
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This page is for the Saxon bishopric - for the modern Catholic diocese of the similar name, see Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.
The Bishop of Hexham was a bishopric in the early English church.
[edit] History
The first diocese of Lindisfarne was merged into the Diocese of York in 664. York diocese was then divided in 678 by Theodore of Tarsus, forming a bishopric for the country between the Rivers Aln and Tees, with a seat at Hexham and/or Lindisfarne. This gradually and erratically merged back into the bishopric of Lindisfarne. Eleven bishops of Hexham followed St. Eata, of which six were saints.
No successor was appointed in 821, the condition of the country being too unsettled. A period of disorder followed the Danish devastations, after which Hexham monastery was reconstituted in 1113 as a priory of Austin Canons, which flourished until its dissolution under Henry VIII. Meantime the bishopric had been merged in that of Lindisfarne, which latter see was removed to Chester-le-Street in 883, and thence to Durham in 995.
[edit] List
- Eata, 'bishop of Bernicia', with his seat at Hexham and/or Lindisfarne, died 685, succeeded by John of Beverley (Bede, Ecclesiastical History IV.12)
- Trumbert, 682, as 'bishop of Hexham', at the same time as Trumwine's installation, with Eata continuing as bishop at Lindisfarne
- Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, 685, after Tumbert's deposition, moving his seat to Lindisfarne to become bishop of Lindisfarne (Bede, IV.28)
- St. John of Beverley (685-705) (Bede, V.2). From then on, the seat was at Hexham, and the bishopric of Lindisfarne continued independently, with Eadberht succeeding Cuthbert
- St. Wilfrid, who, resigning the See of York, died as Bishop of Hexham in 709
- St. Acca, Wilfrid's successor, from 709 (Bede, V.20)
- Frithubeorht 734–766
- St. Eahlmund 767–781
- Tilbeorht 781–789
- Æthelberht 789–797 transferred from Whithorn
- Heardred 797–800
- Eanbeorht 800–813
- Tidfert, last bishop in this line, who died about 821
[edit] References
- Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
