Hugh of Northwold (died 1254) was a medieval Bishop of Ely.

Life

Hugh was born in the parish of

Northwold Northwold ("''North forest''") is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,070 in 448 households at the 2001 census, increasing to 1,085 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of ...

in Norfolk, the son of Peter and Emma. He became a monk at Abbey of Bury St Edmunds in 1202.Owen "Northwold, Hugh of" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' Hugh was elected

Abbot of Bury St. Edmunds Abbot of Bury St. Edmunds was the title used by the head of the Benedictine monastery Bury St. Edmunds Abbey in the county of Suffolk, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to ...

on 7 August 1213.Smith, et al. ''Heads of Religious Houses II'' p. 26 King

John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Emp ...

, however, contested the election until 10 June 1215, when he finally accepted it. Hugh was elected to the

see of Ely See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

about 3 February 1229.Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces): Ely: Bishops
'' He was consecrated on 19 June 1229 at

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

. While bishop, he built extensively, was sent on diplomatic missions for King

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry a ...

, and escorted Eleanor of Provence to England for her marriage to King Henry. He was also a good friend of

Robert Grosseteste Robert Grosseteste, ', ', or ') or the gallicised Robert Grosstête ( ; la, Robertus Grossetesta or '). Also known as Robert of Lincoln ( la, Robertus Lincolniensis, ', &c.) or Rupert of Lincoln ( la, Rubertus Lincolniensis, &c.). ( ; la, Rob ...

.Miller ''Abbey and Bishopric of Ely'' p. 77–78 His greatest work as bishop was his increase in the estates of the bishoprics, through buying new lands and increasing the rents on extant manors. He also worked with

Thorney Abbey Thorney Abbey, now the Church of St Mary and St Botolph, was a medieval monastic house established on the island of Thorney in The Fens of Cambridgeshire, England. History The earliest documentary sources refer to a mid-7th century hermita ...

on reclamation of the fenlands surrounding Ely. The presbytery of Ely Cathedral was built while Hugh was bishop. This was an example of Early English Gothic, and earned praise from the medieval chronicler

Matthew Paris Matthew Paris, also known as Matthew of Paris ( la, Matthæus Parisiensis, lit=Matthew the Parisian; c. 1200 – 1259), was an English Benedictine monk, chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey ...

. However, much of the work done during Northwold's episcopate was later reworked during the 14th century, with the buttresses and some of the exterior and interior walls still remaining.Draper "Bishop Northwold" ''Medieval Art and Architecture at Ely Cathedral'' pp. 8–9 The presbytery was built in order house a shrine to St. Etheldreda.Draper "Bishop Northwold" ''Medieval Art and Architecture at Ely Cathedral'' p. 10 Hugh died on 6 August 1254Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 244 at

Downham Market Downham Market, sometimes simply referred to as Downham, is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, approximately 11 miles south of King's Lynn, 39 miles west of Norwich and 30 ...

and was buried in his presbytery in Ely Cathedral. The tomb is still extant. He was buried at the feet of the shrine to Etheldreda, but whether he was buried where the tomb now stands is unclear.Draper "Bishop Northwold" ''Medieval Art and Architecture at Ely Cathedral'' p. 13 The tomb is now located near the high altar in the north choir aisle of Ely Cathedral.Sayers "Once 'Proud Prelate'" ''Journal of the British Archaeological Association'' p. 77

Citations

References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hugh of Northwold Bishops of Ely 1254 deaths Abbots of Bury St. Edmunds Burials at Ely Cathedral People from Downham Market Year of birth unknown 13th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Lords of the Manor of Totteridge People from Northwold