ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



of the cathedral. He managed to hold the place for two years altogether 

 before making an ignominious submission to the new bishop (William de St. 

 Barbara), whom some of the escaped monks elected. But the two years 

 coming so soon after the devastation of David proved a time of terrible woe 

 for the diocese. The borough of Elvet was destroyed, and so was Kepier 

 Hospital, with other buildings in the suburbs of the city, whilst partisan zeal 

 stirred the sympathies of the chief bishopric tenants for or against the usurper. 

 William succeeded as an old man in 1143, and proved himself energetic in 

 healing the wounds of his diocese. Two twelfth-century saints were famous 

 at this time, Bartholomew of Durham," an anchorite on the Fame Islands, 

 and St. Godric,^^ the hermit of Finchale, who became a great friend of the 

 bishop. In his episcopate Middleham became the property of prior 

 and convent. To the presumably well-defined see-lands Pudsey succeeded 

 with all the prestige that relationship with Stephen gave him.^* He was 

 well received in his diocese, and apparently spent the earlier years of his 

 episcopate in healing the sores of the land. By degrees he was trusted by 

 Henry II, and took some part in the politics of the day. A famous return 

 of 1 166 gives a side-light on the military service of the various territories in 

 the see." In 1170, after steering clear of the Becket dispute, Pudsey com- 

 promised himself along with Roger of York over the coronation of Prince 

 Henry, and this led to a brief papal suspension from his bishopric. Two 

 years later he connived at the rebellion of the king's sons, and made terms 

 with Scotland, now active in the prince's behalf. For such disloyalty Pudsey 

 lost his castles, including Durham Castle, and did not regain them for some 

 time. More peaceful days followed, and during the long vacancy of the see 

 of York, from 1181, the spiritual sway of Pudsey in the north of England 

 was much augmented. The crusading frenzy which seized the country 

 after the fall of Jerusalem in 1 187 now gave the opportunity for that advance 

 of power which marks the episcopate of Pudsey. Richard I, desirous of 

 preventing Pudsey from joining the crusade, readily bestowed upon him the 

 earldom of Northumberland for a large money consideration. Some time 

 in the same year the bishop obtained the earldom of Sadberge which, though 

 it was situated between Tyne and Tees, had been no part of the episcopal 

 lands. Installed in the increased power brought him by these transactions 

 Pudsey was able to defy the king's half-brother Geoffrey, recently appointed 

 archbishop of York, a defiance which needed papal settlement in 1 191. For 

 the rest Pudsey did well in his new position. ^^ 



For the city and county of Durham Pudsey's reign was a prominent 

 epoch in many ways, apart from the large secular sway that he exerted. To 

 Durham he gave a charter in 11 75, as he did to Gateshead and Sunderland. 

 The castle, considerably damaged by fire about 1 1 54, was improved, and at 

 the cathedral the famous Galilee was added, whilst a new bridge led to the 

 borough of Elvet. Here the rectory, with its dependent chapels at Croxdale 

 and Witton, was given to the prior and convent." He refounded Kepier, 



" Life of Bartholomew in Simeon of Dur. op. cit. i, 295-325. 

 '■* For facts and authorities, see Surtecs Soc. Publications, vol. xix. 



" He is called in a charter of Stephen ' Nepoti meo.' " Given in Hutchinson, op. cit. i, 207. 



'" Facts and authorities in Diet. Nat. Biog. ' Hugh de Puiset.' 



" The fabric of St. iVlargaret's, Durham, suggests that it was built now, but the chapclry (it was one of 

 four dependent on St. Oswald's, the others being Croxdale, Witton, and St. Leonard) cannot be yet traced. 



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