Putta (bishop of Hereford)
Encyclopedia
Putta was a medieval Bishop of Rochester
and probably the first Bishop of Hereford
. Some modern historians say that the two Puttas were separate individuals.
Bede says that in 676, Putta was driven from Rochester by King Æthelred of Mercia, or perhaps abandoning it, he fixed himself at Hereford (said to have been the centre of a diocese as early as the 6th century) and refounded Hereford Cathedral
. He is thus recorded as Bishop of Uuestor Elih and may not have actually held the office of Bishop of Hereford, although was considered to have done so by about 800. After he left Rochester, Theodore of Tarsus
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
appointed Cwichelm
as bishop of that see.
The medieval chronicler Bede
says Putta learned Roman Chant from students of Pope Gregory the Great, and later taught this to the Mercians. The modern historian Henry Mayr-Harting
describes Putta as "a mild old music master".
The usual dates given for Putta's time at Rochester are thought to have been about 669 until 676. His time at Hereford is considered to have started in 676 and ended sometime between 676 and 688. He died about 688.
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
and probably the first Bishop of Hereford
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is...
. Some modern historians say that the two Puttas were separate individuals.
Bede says that in 676, Putta was driven from Rochester by King Æthelred of Mercia, or perhaps abandoning it, he fixed himself at Hereford (said to have been the centre of a diocese as early as the 6th century) and refounded Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral
The current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Mappa Mundi, a mediæval map of the world dating from the 13th century. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.-Origins:...
. He is thus recorded as Bishop of Uuestor Elih and may not have actually held the office of Bishop of Hereford, although was considered to have done so by about 800. After he left Rochester, Theodore of Tarsus
Theodore of Tarsus
Theodore was the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury, best known for his reform of the English Church and establishment of a school in Canterbury....
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
appointed Cwichelm
Cwichelm (bishop)
Cwichhelm or Cwichelm was a medieval Bishop of Rochester.Cwichhelm was consecrated probably around 676. He resigned the see in 678, and his date of death is unknown.-External links:*...
as bishop of that see.
The medieval chronicler Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
says Putta learned Roman Chant from students of Pope Gregory the Great, and later taught this to the Mercians. The modern historian Henry Mayr-Harting
Henry Mayr-Harting
Professor Henry Maria Robert Egmont Mayr-Harting was Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the University of Oxford and Lay Canon of Christ Church, Oxford from 1997 until 2003....
describes Putta as "a mild old music master".
The usual dates given for Putta's time at Rochester are thought to have been about 669 until 676. His time at Hereford is considered to have started in 676 and ended sometime between 676 and 688. He died about 688.