THE SAXON CATHEDRAL AT CANTERBURY
The above Charter, entitled the "Decree of Archbishop Athelard concerning the Liberty of Churches," is preserved amongst the valuable and unique collection of Saxon Charters belonging to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, in the Cathedral Library with the Press Mark "Chartae Antiquae C.I." (formerly C. 195).
It will be noticed that the Archbishop signs first; Feologild's name is the first on the third line; next to this is the name of Wernoth, Priest, who represented St. Austin's Abbey and became its Abbot in 822; then occurs the name of Wulfrid, Archdeacon, an officer appearing for the first time in this pontificate, who succeeded Athelard as Archbishop in 805.
There are no Charters extant in which Feologild's name appears as Archbishop; but his archiepiscopate lasting only three months probably accounts for all the obscurity respecting him.
The Saxon Chronicle under date A.D. 829 says,
this year died Archbishop Wulfred, and Abbot Feologild was after him chosen to the See, on the 25th April, and consecrated on Sunday, the 9th of June (Ingram alters this to the 11th). On the 13th August he was dead."
Haddon and Stubbs in Councils and Documents point out that June 9, 829, was not a Sunday, and that the correct date of his consecration was June 9, 832, as Wulfred his predecessor only died in March, 832. Dr. Stubbs, in his Registrum Sacrum Anglicanum gives the authority Brit. Mus. MS. Vesp. B.6 and the correct date of his death also as August 29, 832.
Archbishop Feologild was buried in the Church of St. John and rested there until the fire of 1067; after which his remains were laid by Lanfranc in a wooden coffin and placed before the altar of St. Michael on its south side in the lower apsidal chapel in the south transept. To the north side of this altar, the holy Virgin Siburgis was afterwards translated, whom the Blessed Dunstan had caused to be buried in the Saxon Church on account of her sanctity.
Later, when St. Michael's Chapel was rebuilt by Prior John Elham in 1447, the relics of St. Feologild were put in a chest or shrine and placed on the beam over the screen at the entrance to the chapel of The Holy Trinity ad Coronam,[1] where they remained until 1547,
- ↑ Legg and Hope, Inventories of Christ Church, p. 31.
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