Geoffrey of Coldingham was a late 12th and early 13th-century monk and chronicler. Geoffrey is noted as the

sacrist A sacristan is an officer charged with care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents. In ancient times, many duties of the sacrist were performed by the doorkeepers ( ostiarii), and later by the treasurers and mansionarii. The Decretals ...

Coldingham Priory Coldingham Priory was a house of Benedictine monks. It lies on the south-east coast of Scotland, in the village of Coldingham, Berwickshire. Coldingham Priory was founded in the reign of David I of Scotland, although his older brother and predec ...

Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of th ...

on three 14th-century manuscripts of his chronicle. This work, which began with the death of William of St. Barbara in 1152, covered the history of

Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...

until 1215, when Morgan's election to Durham was quashed.Piper
Coldingham, Geoffrey of (d. c.1215)
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' The work was a continuation of

Symeon of Durham __NOTOC__ Symeon (or Simeon) of Durham (died after 1129) was an English chronicler and a monk of Durham Priory. Biography Symeon entered the Benedictine monastery at Jarrow as a youth. It moved to Durham in 1074, and he was professed in 1085 or ...

's '' Historiae Dunelmensis'', and Geoffrey's continuation in turn was continued down to 1336 by Robert of Greystanes. Greystanes work was later continued by William de Chambre through the year 1539.Grandsen ''Historical Writing'' p. 520 There were four different Geoffreys who became members of the Durham

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

in the correct time frame, and one of these was the chronicler, as Coldingham was a dependent priory of Durham. Besides the chronicle, it is possible that Geoffrey was the author of two

hagiographies A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies might ...

about

Bartholomew of Farne Bartholomew of Farne (died 1193) was a Benedictine hermit. Born Tostig, to parents of Scandinavian origin, in Whitby, England, he changed his name to William while still a child. He then travelled through Europe, possibly to escape marriage. He ...

and

Godric of Finchale Godric of Finchale (or St Goderic) ( – 21 May 1170) was an English hermit, merchant and popular medieval saint, although he was never formally canonised. He was born in Walpole in Norfolk and died in Finchale in County Durham. Life God ...

, which were composed in the late 12th century. The chronicle and its various continuations have been published by

James Raine James Raine (1791–1858) was an English antiquarian and topographer. A Church of England clergyman from the 1810s, he held a variety of positions, including librarian to the dean and chapter of Durham and rector of Meldon in Northumberland ...

and the

Surtees Society The Surtees Society is a text publication society and registered charity (No. 1003812) based in Durham in northern England. The society was established on 27 May 1834 by James Raine, following the death (on 11 February) of the renowned County D ...

as ''Historiae Dunelmensis Scriptores Tres, Gaufridus de Coldingham, Robertus de Graystanes et Willielmus de Chambre'' in 1839. Geoffrey died probably around 1215, as his chronicle ends abruptly about that time.

Citations

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Geoffrey of Coldingham 12th-century English historians 12th-century English clergy English Christian monks 12th-century Latin writers 12th-century English writers 13th-century Latin writers 13th-century English historians