Gisa, Bishop of Wells

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Gisa
Denomination Catholic
Senior posting
See Diocese of Wells
Title Bishop of Wells
Period in office 1060–1088
Predecessor Dudoc
Successor John de Villula
Religious career
Previous post royal chaplain
Personal
Place of birth Lorraine
Date of death 1088

Gisa (also spelt Giso) was Bishop of Wells from 1060 to 1088.

[edit] Life

Gisa was born in Lorraine,[1] possibly from the village of St Trond in modern Belgium,[2] and was among a number of foreign churchmen brought to England by Edward the Confessor. At first he held the position of king's chaplain,[3] but in January of 1060[4] or possibly January of 1061[2] he was elected to become Bishop of Wells. Pope Nicholas II consecrated him on April 15, 1061 in Rome.[3] He went to Rome for consecration because the current archbishop of Canterbury was Stigand, who successive popes had excommunicated for various irregularities.[5] The Vita Edwardi says that he was "most suitably and excellently trained."[6]

On his arrival in the see he found the church there was in dire need, with the canons having to beg for bread. He constructed cloisters to the north of Wells Cathedral and communal buildings to the south for the canons. He ordered the canons to live together under a rule, but exactly which rule it was is unknown. After the Conquest, he introduced the veneration of new saints into his cathedral, as well as setting up an archdeacon in the diocese for the first time[2]

Gisa obtained land grants for the upkeep of the church and canons from Edward and later Harold Godwinson and William I of England. He is mentioned many times in the Domesday Book as the holder of land for the see, and was notorious for acquiring land throughout his bishopric.[2] The only surviving writ of Harold's issued while Harold was king dealt with Giso's rights as bishop, and was addressed to Abbot Aethelnoth of Glastonbury, the sheriff of Somerset, and the thegns of Somerset.[7]

After the Norman conquest of England, Giso supported William.[8] He helped consecrate Lanfranc as archbishop of Canterbury in 1070, and attended the Council of Windsor in 1072 and the Council of London in 1075. At a later church council, Giso asserted his authority over the abbots of Muchelney and Athelney, but failed to do the same to Thurstan, Abbot of Glastonbury.[2]

In 1080, Adelard of Bath was born to Fastrad, a member of Gisa's household.

He died in 1088[4] and was buried at Wells Cathedral.[3] When he died, he, along with Saint Wulfstan of Worcester, were the only remaining bishops still remaining from Edward the Confessor's appointments.[9] His tomb was opened in 1979,[2] and a cross with verses from the Mass for the Dead inscribed on it was found in his tomb.[10]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Barlow Edward the Confessor p. 245
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barrow "Giso (d. 1088)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online Edition accessed November 14, 2007
  3. ^ a b c British History Online Bishops of Bath and Wells accessed on September 23, 2007
  4. ^ a b Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 222
  5. ^ Huscroft Ruling England p. 51
  6. ^ quoted in Huscroft Ruling England p. 48
  7. ^ Walker Harold p. 139
  8. ^ Douglas William the Conqueror p. 215
  9. ^ Stenton Anglo Saxon England p. 680
  10. ^ Bartlett England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings p. 597

[edit] References

Roman Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Dudoc		 Bishop of Wells
1060–1088		 Succeeded by
John de Villula
Persondata
NAME Gisa
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Giso
SHORT DESCRIPTION Bishop of Wells
DATE OF BIRTH Lorraine
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH 1088
PLACE OF DEATH