The Acta of Hugh of Wells, Bishop of Lincoln 1209-1235

The diocese of Lincoln was the largest in medieval England, extending over nine counties, and the early thirteenth century saw considerable development in episcopal government and evident concern over Church reform in the aftermath of the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215. Hugh of Wells, who became bishop of the diocese in 1209, was an important royal official, familiar with the reforms in the chancery of King John, the experience of which he brought to his diocese in the twenty six years of his rule, most notably in the introduction of Episcopal registration. His tenure of the see was marked by transition and innovation in the sphere of diocesan government, with particular emphasis on pastoral responsibilities at local level. This edition of his collected acta, or administrative correspondence, numbers over 450 documents or mentions of documents now lost, assembled from cathedral, monastic, and governmental archives. The collection supplements the surviving summary enrolments and reveals Hugh as an active and innovative diocesan at an important point in the history of the English Church.