Early name variation Before 909, Somerset lay within the
diocese of Sherborne. At this date,
Athelm (later
Archbishop of Canterbury) was appointed the first bishop of the
Diocese of Wells, making the secular church there into the diocesan cathedral. The secular canons at Wells vied with the monks of the monasteries at
Glastonbury and
Bath for supremacy in the diocese and it was with difficulty that the cathedral retained its status, so much so that the canons were reduced to begging in order to obtain their bread. It was to this impoverished cathedral church that
Gisa was appointed bishop in 1060. Under him, grants of land were obtained successively from the kings
Edward the Confessor,
Harold and
William the Conqueror and buildings were constructed for the secular community. , Somerset. The west front is seen here. Gisa's successor,
John de Villula (1088–1122), moved the see to become the
Diocese of Bath in 1090, using the
Abbey Church of Ss Peter & Paul as his cathedral and in so doing he regressed the position of the cathedral at Wells.
Robert of Lewes, appointed bishop in 1136, enhanced on the position of Wells. As well as rebuilding the cathedral he instituted the arrangement by which although Bath retained precedence, the seat was located in both churches and the bishop was elected by both chapters. However the diocesan title remained the same.
Reginald fitz Jocelin (bishop 1174–91) brought Saint
Hugh of Lincoln to England, and Reginald's successor
Savaric FitzGeldewin (1192–1205) forcibly annexed
Glastonbury Abbey to the diocese in 1197. He moved his seat there, with the approval of
Pope Celestine III, and the see became officially known as the
Diocese of Glastonbury. The monks of Glastonbury, however, rejected Savaric's authority, and the title
Diocese of Bath and Glastonbury was therefore used for all practical purposes until his successor,
Jocelin of Wells, a native of Wells itself, renounced the claim to Glastonbury in 1219. Thereupon he adopted the style
Diocese of Bath. Although he did not use the name of Wells in his title, his contribution to the city was greater than any other bishop of the diocese: under his authority the cathedral was restored and enlarged, adding the west front, making this the visual signature of the building. Further, he increased the thirty-five canons to fifty and founded a grammar school for the city. Following his death in 1242 however, the monks at Bath unilaterally elected one of their number,
Roger, as successor, in disregard for the chapter of Wells. His appointment received confirmation from
King Henry III and the new pope
Innocent IV. The chapter at Wells appealed the decision, with the result that the Pope declared, on 3 January 1245, that whilst Roger should remain, he would be bishop of a see thenceforth styled the
Diocese of Bath and Wells.
Medieval diocese of Bath and Wells The diocese of Bath and Wells proper (
Badoniensis et Wellensis) dates therefore from 1245. The diocese contained the three archdeaconries of Bath, Wells, and Taunton.
William of Bitton bishop from 1267 to 1274 was renowned for his piety, and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage in Wells. The completion of the buildings was achieved under
Ralph of Shrewsbury (bishop 1329–63).
Thomas Beckington (bishop 1443–65) was another noted liberal benefactor of the city.
Oliver King (1495–1503) rebuilt Bath Abbey in the late Perpendicular style. The work was begun in 1499 and completed in 1530 under
John Clerk. The abbey was the last complete monastic edifice to be completed before the impending Reformation. He was succeeded by
Adriano Castellesi (1504–18) who was an absentee bishop, under whom the see was administered by
Polydore Vergil the noted historian. Castellesi's successor
Thomas Wolsey (1518–23) was also an absentee bishop, held the see concurrently with that of York.
Reformation The abbey at Bath was dissolved by
King Henry VIII in 1538 during the
English Reformation. Thereafter the
Church of England bishop, though retaining the old style, had his seat at Wells alone.
William Barlow was appointed in 1548. He fled in 1553 on the accession of
Queen Mary I, and his successor was the
Roman Catholic Gilbert Bourne (1554–59), who was deprived and imprisoned in the
Tower of London by
Queen Elizabeth, becoming, in 1569, one of the eleven Roman Catholic bishops who died in prison.
Nineteenth century The
Report of the Commissioners appointed by his Majesty to inquire into the Ecclesiastical Revenues of England and Wales (1835) found the see had an annual net income of £5,946. This made it one of the wealthiest dioceses in England.
Contemporary diocese The diocesan offices, the bishops' offices and residences and the cathedral are all located in Wells. The diocese is not referred to as
Bath diocese or
Wells diocese, but as
The Diocese of Bath and Wells. ==Bishops==