Jocelin of Wells
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Jocelin of Wells, also known as Jocelinus Thoteman, (d. November 19, 1242) was the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
Jocelin was probably a native of Wells in Somerset, though no details of his parentage have survived. In 1203, he was serving as one of the king's justiciars at Westminster, and in the same year he was one of the custodes of the vacant See of Lincoln. By then, he was already a canon of Wells and in 1203/1204 received two benefices: Lugwardine and Urchenfeld in Herefordshire. When Savaric tried to gain possession of Glastonbury Abbey, the monks there appealed to the pope, and Savaric sent Jocelin with the precentor of Wells to force them to withdraw the appeal. Savaric died in 1205, and on February 3, 1205/06, Jocelin was elected bishop in his stead by the canons of Bath and the agreement of the chapter of Wells. He was consecrated at Reading on May 28, 1206.
Two years later, Jocelin left England in consequence of the interdict. The king outlawed him and seized his estates, but these were restored in 1213, when John submitted to the pope. In 1215, Jocelin aided Stephen Langton to obtain the Magna Charta and his name occurs in the charter as one of the King's Counsellors.
After John's death, Jocelin and the Bishop of Winchester anointed and crowned the boy-king, Henry III. Jocelin also actively supported the efforts of Hubert de Burgh in expelling the remaining French forces from England and in regaining for the king the royal castles which had been seized by Falkes de Breaute and other unruly barons.
In 1218, Jocelin acted as one of the itinerant justiciars for the Southwest England and at the same time he brought to a close the long dispute between his diocese and the Abbey of Glastonbury. In return for the surrender of his claims, he received some manors and was thenceforth known as the Bishop of Bath and Wells. He used the procedes from his new lands to fund the rebuilding of Wells Cathedral, an Early English building with a Norman choir. Jocelin built the existing nave and quire. The west front and the lower part of the three towers were also his work. His cathedral was consecrated on October 23, 1239.
Jocelin also built the cloisters, began the bishop's palace, and erected a manor house at Wookey. He drew up constitutions for the church, insisted on the residence of the prebends, increased their common fund, and endowed the cathedral school with houses and land. He founded with his brother, Bishop Hugh II of Lincoln, St. John's Hospital at Wells. At his own desire, Jocelin was buried in the cathedral quire. A calendar of his episcopal charters and deeds is given in the report of the Historical MSS. Commission on the MSS. of Wells cathedral.
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
