Athelm

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Athelm
Archbishop of Canterbury
Province Canterbury
Diocese Diocese of Canterbury
See Archbishop of Canterbury
Appointed between 923 and 925
Reign ended 8 January 926
Predecessor Plegmund
Successor Wulfhelm
Other posts Bishop of Wells
Personal details
Birth name Æthelhelm
Died 8 January 926
Sainthood
Feast day 8 January
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Canonized Pre-Congregation
For other men called Æthelhelm, see Æthelhelm (disambiguation)

Athelm (or Æðelhelm; died 926) was an English churchman, who was the first Bishop of Wells, and later Archbishop of Canterbury.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Athelm was related to Dunstan,[1] some sources say an uncle of Dunstan's.[2][3] He was a monk of Glastonbury Abbey[4] and possibly Abbot of Glastonbury[2] before his elevation in 909 to the see of Wells, of which he was the first occupant.[5] Between August 923 and September 925 he became archbishop.[6] His translation from the see of Wells set a precedent for the future, and marks a break with historical practice. Previously the moving of a bishop from one see to another had been held to be against canon, or ecclesiastical, law. Recently, however, the popes had themselves been translated, and this practice was to become common in England after Athelm's time.[7]

Athelm probably presided at the coronation of King Athelstan of England in 925.[4] It is unclear if the reason that no coins were minted with his name was his short term of office or a change in policy towards the Archbishop of Canterbury minting coins in his own name. Nothing else is known of Athelm's brief time as archbishop.[7] He died on 8 January 926.[4][6] He was later considered a saint, with a feast day of 8 January.[8]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Dunning A History of Somerset needs page number
  2. ^ a b Delaney Dictionary of Saints p. 65
  3. ^ Stenton Anglo-Saxon England p. 446
  4. ^ a b c Mason "Athelm (d. 926)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
  5. ^ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 222
  6. ^ a b Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 214
  7. ^ a b Brooks Early History of the Church of Canterbury pp. 214–216
  8. ^ "St. Athelm". Catholic Online. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1590. Retrieved 8 August 2007. 

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Catholic Church titles
New diocese Bishop of Wells
909–c. 923
Succeeded by
Wulfhelm
Preceded by
Plegmund
Archbishop of Canterbury
c. 923–926
Succeeded by
Wulfhelm
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages