By Harotd,Brakspear, F.S.A. 459 



of the Holy Saviour, St. Peter, and St. Paul, and placedfehe dwelling 

 for the monks adjacent. 1 He built not far off a new church of St. 

 Mary, and another contiguous to it to St. Michael. 2 



In 705, upon the death of Hedda, bishop of Wessex, Ina divided 

 the extensive see of Winchester and established a bishopric at 

 Sherborne, to which he appointed his relative Aldhelm. 3 Aldhelm 

 carried on his capacity for building in his new sphere by beginning 

 the cathedral at Sherborne 4 and founding monasteries at Frome 

 and Bradford-on-Avon. 5 Aldhelm died in 709 at Doulting, and 

 his body was conveyed by easy stages to the scene of his first labours 

 at Malmesbury, where it was buried in the church of St. Michael, 

 which he had built. The monks were then removed from Christ 

 Church to St. Mary's, to be nearer the body of their founder. 6 



King Ethelwolf (837) caused the bones of St. Aldhelm to be 

 placed in a silver shrine. 7 A fire occurred in the time of King 

 Alfred which burnt the monastery, and King Athelstan is said to 

 have rebuilt it from the foundations. 8 The shrine of St. Aldhelm 

 was moved by Dunstan (955) to St. Mary's. He gave a pair of 

 organs to the church, and later, for fear of the Danes, caused the 

 relics of St. Aldhelm to be taken from the shrine and placed in a 

 grave on the north side of the altar. 9 



King Athebtan gave lands to the monastery, and at his death 

 in 941 was buried under the altar of St. Mary in the tower. 10 Abbat 

 Elfric (977 — 82) rebuilt the monastery. 11 He appears also to have 

 rebuilt the church. 12 He was appointed to the see of Crediton in 

 977. A second fire destroyed the monastery in 1042. 13 



Herman, the last Bishop of Wilton, built a bell tower ac Malmes- 

 bury, 14 and, dissatisfied with his residence, tried to induce the king 

 (Edward the Confessor), whose chaplain he had been, to remove 

 the see to Malmesbury, but the idea was frustrated by the abbat 

 and monks throu gh the powerful influence of Earl Godwin. 15 



1 William of Malmesbury (Rolls Series, 52), p. 345. 2 Ibid, p. 361. 



3 Ibid, p. 375. * Ibid, p. 378. 



5 Ibid, p. 346. 6 Ibid, p. 385. 7 Ibid, p. 389. 8 Ibid, p. 364. 9 Ibid, pp. 407-8. 



10 Ibid, p. 397. u Ibid, p. 405. 13 Bohn's Antiq. Libr., p. 139. 



13 William of Malmesbury, p. 363. 14 Leland Collectanea, i., 301. 



14 William of Malmesbury, p. 420. 

 VOL, XXXVIII. — NO. CXXI. 2 H 



