ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



about the same time that the six churches in Northumberland before 

 mentioned were set aside for their benefit. While thinking of his own 

 foundation in Carlisle, the King did not forget Ranulf's at Wetheral, for 

 on that house also he conferred both lands and privileges. 1 The 

 monarch's example was soon followed by the feudal tenants among 

 whom he had parcelled the conquered territory. William Meschin, 

 who had the same ecclesiastical sympathies as his brother, founded the 

 priory of St. Bees,* outside Ranulf's fief, as a cell of St. Mary's, York, 

 and some years later Ranulf his son established a Cistercian house at 

 Calder. 3 We can scarcely review those critical years between the re- 

 covery of the country in 1092 and its cession to Scotland in 1136 with- 

 out being forced to the conclusion that little progress was made in its 

 settlement or development while Ranulf acted as vicegerent and ruled 

 the land. As soon as the King took over the administration, the district 

 was split up into baronies and apportioned among trusty tenants, who 

 co-operated with him in the establishment of missionary centres for 

 civilizing and educating the inhabitants. 



But the crowning work of Henry's life in his northern dominions 

 was the creation of the new territory into a diocese in 1133. Little 

 could be done to wean the minds of the inhabitants from their Scottish 

 sympathies while the district remained an isolated portion of the vast 

 archdeaconry of Richmond. It was sound policy on the part of the 

 King's advisers to constitute it into a bishopric, and to place it under 

 immediate supervision. At that time the contest between Thurstin, 

 archbishop of York, and the Scottish church continued to rage, the 

 archbishop's claim to jurisdiction over the diocese of Glasgow having 

 been asserted with especial vigour. There is little doubt that Fordun 

 was right when he pointed to Thurstin as the true instigator of the 

 scheme for a Carlisle bishopric. When Henry, probably on his visit to 

 Carlisle in 1122, had seen John, bishop of Glasgow, performing ponti- 

 fical offices in Cumberland, though he neither recognized him as his 

 sovereign nor the Archbishop of York as his prelate, the King, on the 

 advice of Thurstin, placed as his rival in the district ' Eadwald ' by force 

 and violence, with the title of Bishop of Carlisle, because there was no 

 one who dared to resist him. Bishop John was so mortified at seeing 

 his bishopric thus dismembered without sanction of law or protest from 



presbiteri, et volo et firmiter precipio ut ipsi Canonici eas teneant in elemosinam bene et in pace 

 et quiete de geldo vaccarum et de omnibus aliis consuetudinibus. Tfestibus] Nigfelo] de 

 Albin[iaco] et Waltero Espec et Pag[ano] filio Johannis. Apud Wirecestriam (Chart. R. 6 Edw. III. pt. 

 i. No. 30, by inspeximus). The division of the province into the two districts of ' Cumbreland ' and 

 ' Westmarialand ' at this early date is very interesting and may be compared with the Pipe Roll of 1130, 

 where the same division is recognized. In 1248 Pope Innocent IV granted his protection and con- 

 firmation of possessions to the prior and convent of St. Mary, Carlisle, and specially of the chapel of the 

 church of Carlisle, with all offerings, tithes, and parish rights belonging to the said church, except the 

 offering at Whitsuntide, and all the land formerly belonging to Walter the priest, which King Henry gave 

 and confirmed by his charter (Cal. of Papal Letters, i. 250). This papal confirmation marks an im- 

 portant point in the ecclesiastical position of the parish of St. Mary's, Carlisle, in its relation to the priory. 



' Reg. of Wetherhal, pp. 14-19, 22-27. 



i Reg. of St. Bees (Harleian MS. 434), lib. i. 1-3. 



Dugdale, Man. v. 339-40. 



II 



