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William of Bitton

13th-century Bishop of Bath and Wells

Field	Value
name	William of Bitton
title	Bishop of Bath and Wells
elected
consecration	24 June 1248
ended	3 April 1264
predecessor	Roger of Salisbury
successor	Walter Giffard
other_post	Archdeacon of Wells
birth_place	probably Bitton, Gloucestershire
death_date	3 April 1264
buried	Lady Chapel, Wells Cathedral

William of Bitton (died 1264) was a medieval English Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Life

William was probably born in Bitton in Gloucestershire. He was a relative of Walter Giffard and uncle of William of Bitton II, his two successors in the office of Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was also uncle of Thomas of Bitton, precentor, archdeacon and dean of Wells, and Bishop of Exeter.

William was an official of Jocelin of Wells in 1231 He was named Archdeacon of Wells by 7 May 1238 and held the office until he was elected bishop. During the election of his predecessor, he championed the cause of the canons of Wells, who had been excluded from the election of Roger of Salisbury in 1244.

William was elected about 24 February 1248 and consecrated 14 June 1248. In 1251 he signed the proclamation of excommunication against any who did not observe the clauses of Magna Carta dealing with ecclesiastical rights. He served King Henry III of England by going to Spain in 1253 to bring back a prospective daughter-in-law for the king. In 1257, the bishops made specific reference to William's conflict with the Abbot of Glastonbury in their communications with the king. But mainly, he worked in his diocese, as he issued rules and regulations in the diocese dealing with liturgical and judicial matters for both the laity and clergy. However, he lost a long fight with the abbot of Glastonbury Roger Forde over the right of the bishop to visit and regulate the affairs of Glastonbury Abbey, and by the end of his term as bishop, the abbey was independent of the diocese in all but name.

William died on 3 April 1264. He was buried in the Lady Chapel at Wells Cathedral on 8 April 1264. His tomb had disappeared by the 18th century. He should not be confused with his nephew the second William of Bitton who was also Bishop of Bath and Wells, but who died in 1274.

Notes

Citations

References

Shaw "Button, William" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''
Greenway ''[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34341 Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Bishops]''
Greenway ''[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34343 Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Deans of Wells]''
and was [[subdean]] of Wells in 1233.Greenway ''[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34347 Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Subdeans of Wells]''
Greenway ''[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34352 Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Archdeacons of Wells]''
Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 228

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