Tidfrith of Hexham
Encyclopedia
Tidfrith or Tidferth was an early 9th century Northumbria
h prelate. Said to have died on his way to Rome
, he is the last known Anglo-Saxon
bishop of Hexham
. This bishopric, like the bishopric of Whithorn, probably ceased to exist, and was probably taken over by the authority of the bishopric of Lindisfarne. A runic inscription on a standing cross found in the cemetery of the church of Monkwearmouth
is thought to bear his name.
says that he died 54 years before the great Scandinavian invasion in 875, a claim which if specifically true would mean his episcopate was over by either 821 or 822.
It is uncertain when he was born or when he gained office. Surviving lists of Hexham bishops give Tidfrith's predecessors Heardred
and Eanberht three years and thirteen years respectively. As Heardred's consecration as bishop can be synchronised with the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry for 797—assuming both sources to be accurate on the point—Tidfrith became bishop c. 813. However, the date is also sometimes given as 806.
According to a tradition preserved in Richard of Hexham
, Tidfrith died on his way to Rome. There is an engraved stone, discovered in the 19th-century in the cemetery of Wearmouth, which has the name "Tidfrith" in runic characters; it may be in reference to the bishop, as Wearmouth was in the diocese. Historian James Raine suggested that his death may have occurred there,waiting to take a ship from the mouth of the river Wear
.
, wrote that Hexham's disappearance was "unlikely to have had anything to do with Viking activity". Despite what William of Malmesbury wrote, Hexham's demise is "utterly obscure". Another Northumbrian diocese, that based at Whithorn
, disappeared in the same era, meaning that the Northumbrian church went from having 5 bishoprics at its height (Lindisfarne, Hexham, Whithorn, Abercorn
and York) to only two.
Hexham was however, along with Lindisfarne and Carlisle, sacked by Scandinavians in 875. In the later 9th-century the Lindisfarne diocese was able to relocate to Chester-le-Street
, a site that lay within the old diocese of Hexham. The community of St Cuthbert were able to take possession of Hexham and its churches, and Hexham remained in the possession of the community of St Cuthbert until it was granted away by Bishop Walcher to Prior Aldwin in 1075.
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
h prelate. Said to have died on his way to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, he is the last known Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
bishop of Hexham
Bishop of Hexham
The Bishop of Hexham was an episcopal title which took its name after the market town of Hexham in Northumberland, England. The title was first used by the Anglo-Saxons in the 7th and 9th centuries, and then by the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century....
. This bishopric, like the bishopric of Whithorn, probably ceased to exist, and was probably taken over by the authority of the bishopric of Lindisfarne. A runic inscription on a standing cross found in the cemetery of the church of Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear. It was one of the three original settlements on the banks of the River Wear along with Bishopwearmouth and Sunderland, the area now known as the East End. It includes the area around St. Peter's Church...
is thought to bear his name.
Dates
The dates of his episcopate are unclear, but Richard of HexhamRichard of Hexham
Richard of Hexham was an English chronicler. He became prior of Hexham about 1141, and died between 1155 and 1167.He wrote Brevis Annotatio, a short history of the church of Hexham from 674 to 1138, for which he borrowed from Bede, Eddius and Symeon of Durham...
says that he died 54 years before the great Scandinavian invasion in 875, a claim which if specifically true would mean his episcopate was over by either 821 or 822.
It is uncertain when he was born or when he gained office. Surviving lists of Hexham bishops give Tidfrith's predecessors Heardred
Heardred of Hexham
Heardred was a medieval Bishop of Hexham.He was consecrated on 30 October 797. He died in 800.-References:* Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961-External links:*...
and Eanberht three years and thirteen years respectively. As Heardred's consecration as bishop can be synchronised with the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry for 797—assuming both sources to be accurate on the point—Tidfrith became bishop c. 813. However, the date is also sometimes given as 806.
According to a tradition preserved in Richard of Hexham
Richard of Hexham
Richard of Hexham was an English chronicler. He became prior of Hexham about 1141, and died between 1155 and 1167.He wrote Brevis Annotatio, a short history of the church of Hexham from 674 to 1138, for which he borrowed from Bede, Eddius and Symeon of Durham...
, Tidfrith died on his way to Rome. There is an engraved stone, discovered in the 19th-century in the cemetery of Wearmouth, which has the name "Tidfrith" in runic characters; it may be in reference to the bishop, as Wearmouth was in the diocese. Historian James Raine suggested that his death may have occurred there,waiting to take a ship from the mouth of the river Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
.
Disappearance of Hexham bishopric
It is unclear what became of the bishopric of Hexham after Tidfrith's episcopate, one suggestion being that it was absorbed by the bishopric of Lindisfarne. Another explanation is that given by William of Malmesbury in his Gesta Pontificum Anglorum, namely that Modern historian, David RollasonDavid Rollason
David W. Rollason is an English historian and medievalist. He is a Professor in history at Durham University. He specialises in the cult of saints, the history of Northumbria and in the historical writings of Durham, most notably producing a modern edition and translation of the Libellus de exordio...
, wrote that Hexham's disappearance was "unlikely to have had anything to do with Viking activity". Despite what William of Malmesbury wrote, Hexham's demise is "utterly obscure". Another Northumbrian diocese, that based at Whithorn
Whithorn
Whithorn is a former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa : the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian about 397.-Eighth and twelfth centuries:A...
, disappeared in the same era, meaning that the Northumbrian church went from having 5 bishoprics at its height (Lindisfarne, Hexham, Whithorn, Abercorn
Abercorn
Abercorn is a village and parish in West Lothian, Scotland. Close to the south coast of the Firth of Forth, the village is around west of South Queensferry.-History:...
and York) to only two.
Hexham was however, along with Lindisfarne and Carlisle, sacked by Scandinavians in 875. In the later 9th-century the Lindisfarne diocese was able to relocate to Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
, a site that lay within the old diocese of Hexham. The community of St Cuthbert were able to take possession of Hexham and its churches, and Hexham remained in the possession of the community of St Cuthbert until it was granted away by Bishop Walcher to Prior Aldwin in 1075.