WESSEX MINSTERS. 61 



which had no importance in Roman times, would not affect 

 the general system pursued in the missionary work. The 

 question about this work, as to the people to whom it was 

 primarily directed, we must now necessarily leave aside. 

 Some authorities consider that the old Romano-Celtic 

 population was already firmly Christian, and the people who 

 needed conversion were the Saxon intruders. Of this theory 

 I will only say that the evidence for it which I have come 

 across seems to me of a slender kind. 



With regard to the " Ministerium " theory it may be said 

 at once that the conclusion now reached is that it is partly 

 right and partly wrong. 



The evidence bearing on the subject will, it is hoped, 

 prove of interest, and the following are among the chief 

 points, though they do not appear to be altogether con- 

 clusive ; and the writer of the paper will be very grateful 

 for any further information which may tend to illustrate 

 the history of our ancient Wessex Minsters. It seems to 

 him that there are various facts which point strongly to their 

 being the early Mission Stations ; but the idea of deriving 

 the name from " Ministerium " can hardly be maintained. 

 The original word is certainly Monasterium, which became 

 Mynstre in Saxon ordinary speech at a very early date. 

 It appears thus in Charters, e.g., in one of Evesham Abbey. 

 From the decree of the Council of Clovesho in A.D. 747 it 

 is quite clear that certain places were regularly visited by 

 the Bishops for the purpose of preaching and Ministration 

 of the Sacraments. The decree runs as follows : " Sanxerunt 

 ut singulis annis unusquisque episcopus parochiam suam 

 pertransiendo et circumeundo speculandoque visitare non 

 praevideat, populumque diversae conditionis ac sexus per 

 co mpetentaad se convocat loca aperteque doceat," etc. 

 Here of course the word " Parochia " is still used for the 

 Diocese of a Bishop, and not in the sense of Parish. The 

 latter use is possibly not older than the introduction of 

 Norman French after the Conquest. In illustration of this 

 point the following passage from Bede is also interesting. 



