List of bishops of Ely

The roots of the diocese of Ely are ancient and the area of Ely was part of the patrimony of Saint Etheldreda. Prior to the elevation of Ely Cathedral as the seat of the diocese, it existed as first as a convent of religious sisters and later as a monastery. It was led by first by an abbess and later by an abbot. The convent was founded in the city in 673. After St Etheldreda's death in 679 she was buried outside the church. Her remains were later translated inside, the foundress being commemorated as a great Anglican saint. The monastery, and much of the city of Ely, were destroyed in the Danish invasions that began in 869 or 870.

A new Benedictine monastery was built and endowed on the site by Athelwold, Bishop of Winchester, in 970, in a wave of monastic refoundations which also included Peterborough and Ramsey. [ [http://content.cdlib.org:8088/xtf/view?docId=ft8199p22b&doc.view=content&chunk.id=d0e203&toc.depth=1&anchor.id=0&brand=ucpress] Consumption and Pastoral Resources on the Early Medieval Estate, accessed July 12, 2007] This became a cathedral in 1109, after a new Diocese of Ely was created out of land taken from the Diocese of Lincoln. From that time, the line of bishops begins.

Convent of sisters (673–870)

*Etheldreda (673–679)
*Seaxburh (sister of Etheldreda) (679–"c."699)
*Ermenilda (daughter of Seaxburh and Eorcenberht of Kent) ("c."699–"c."700)
*Werburgh (born "c."675, daughter of Ermenilda and Wulfhere of Mercia)
*?

Benedictine monastery (970-1109)

*Brythnoth (970- )
*Thurstan ( - 1072) - the last Saxon abbot
*Theodwin (secular governor)
*Godfrey (secular governor)
*Simeon (1082-1094) - began building the cathedral
* [vacancy]
*Richard FitzRichard de Clare (1100-1107) - the last abbot

Bishops (1109 - )

From then on, Ely was under the bishop of Ely.

References

* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33863 British History Online Bishops of Ely] accessed on October 25, 2007