

The first bishop of the new diocese of Sherborne. It was natural therefore that Ine turned to Aldhelm when in 705 it came to the appointment of 36)Īnd at Malmesbury had completed churches in 34) Aldhelm himself had built churches atīruton (Som.) (fn. Monastery of Glastonbury at Aldhelm's instigation. 33) Ine, who hadĮcome King of Wessex about 689, had a greatĮgard for the abbot's advice, and had rebuilt the Had taken a prominent part in, persuading theīritish king and clergy of Dumnonia (fn. The fame of Aldhelm spread far and wide he That it was introduced at Malmesbury duringĪldhelm's abbacy but of the circumstances or 29)Īnd his assumption that a religious community Benedict at Malmesbury and its dependencies, but Aldhelm's days at Canterbury, his 28) No mention is anywhere made of the date of the introduction of the Papal jurisdiction and exempting them from theĬontrol of the local bishop. Interpreted as placing them immediately under Malmesbury itself a privilege which later was 27) Aldhelm procuredįrom Pope Sergius I for these foundations and for John the Baptist atįrome (Som.) and another in honour of St. The monastery so flourished under his rule thatĪldhelm was able to make two new foundationsįrom it, one in honour of St. Paul, and composed verses for its dedication. 24) IneĪppears to have given land at Garsdon, and atĬorston and Rodbourne, both in Malmesbury,Īt Malmesbury Aldhelm built a new and largerĬhurch in honour of our Saviour, St. 23) and by Ethelred's nephewīerhtwald at Somerford Keynes in 683. 21) Other benefactions included grants of land by King Ethelred Land at Kemble (now Glos.), Crudwell, Charlton, 20) and in theįollowing years Cadwalla, King of Wessex, gave 19) The reputation and distinguished connexions of Aldhelm soon attractedīenefactors: in 680 Cenfrid, a noble of Mercia, Granting to the new abbot the lands upon which Winchester marked the occasion by a charter 18) and it is likely that Bishop Hlothere of It is probable that Aldhelm was appointed inĦ75 (fn. Mailduib's death Aldhelm should be chosen to Life was of even greater influence than his powerful Talent for friendship, and his genuine holiness of 16) did not lessen his personal charm and 15) He possessed indeed a singular.Ĭombination of qualities: his love for learning andĪusterity (fn. 13) but Mailduib was now growing old, Aidhelm was himself becoming less inclined for secular 12) In the following year Aidhelm was forced by ill health to go back to Malmesbury, although he still hoped to return to Canterbury (fn. The flourishing schools of Canterbury under Hadrian and Theodore, of whom he soon became the Years or so before setting out in 671 to study at 11) and to have remained at Malmesbury for ten 10)Īldhelm is said to have received the tonsure inĦ61 (fn. 9) William of Malmesbury is mistaken in supposing that he was first educated atĬanterbury under Hadrian, Abbot of St. Saxon by birth and was related to the line of That is certain can be said beyond that he was

The body and from that moment it grew in importance and influence. Unknown date a young man called Aldhelm joined Mailduib had, however, no means of livelihoodĪnd necessity forced him to take pupils in process of time his band of disciples took monastic Seems somewhat dubious about alleged remains of 4) in the 13th century a stoneĬross associated with him stood in the cloister (fn. Irish descent, his monastic character, and his 2) appears then to have been almost desertedĪnd Mailduib was attracted there in all probabilityīy the solitude of the woodland which surrounded With stories of a heathen British king and a house Sides sloped down to two streams which flowed to Stockade lying on the north fringe of Selwoodįorest. Named Mailduib settled beneath the walls of a small Towards the middle of the 7th century, and
