Winchester, Ancient See of (WINTONIA, WINTONIENSIS).—This diocese came into existence in 635 when the great missionary Diocese of Dorchester, founded by St. Birinus in 634 for the Kingdom of Wessex, was subdivided into the Sees of Sherborne and Winchester. The two dioceses were ruled by one bishop until 676, when a real separation was effected. The Diocese of Winchester then consisted of Hampshire, Surrey? and Sussex; but Sussex was afterwards formed into the See of Chichester, and the Isle of Wight was added to Winchester. The church at Winchester, which became the cathedral of the new diocese, had been founded and endowed in 634 by King Cynegils, whose son Coenwealh added more lands to its possessions. When Wessex gradually assumed the supremacy the importance of the see greatly increased. After the metropolitan Sees of Canterbury and York, it ranked first among all English bishoprics till the reformation; this position the Anglican see still enjoys. It gained increased honor by the episcopate and subsequent canonization of St. Swith-in, its seventeenth bishop. When his relics were enshrined there the cathedral, which had been under the patronage of St. Amphibalus, was dedicated to St. Swithin. It occupied the site of an earlier edifice dating from the Roman occupation, which had been converted into a pagan temple by the Saxons.
A new cathedral was built by Cynegils, and three hundred years later was enlarged by Bishop Aethelweald, who replaced the secular canons by Benedictine monks and built a large monastery. After the conquest the first Norman bishop, Walkelin, built a cathedral in the Norman style on a site near by; much of his work remains in the present edifice. To this new building (consecrated in 1093) the relics of St. Swithin were solemnly transferred, July 15. Within its walls took place the burial of William Rufus (1100), the coronation of Richard I (1194), the marriage of Henry IV (1401), and the marriage of Queen Mary (1554). During the Middle Ages the building was gradually transformed from Norman to Gothic; the nave especially affords an interesting example of the way in which such changes were effected. This work, begun by Edington, was continued by the great bishop, William of Wykeham, and his successors. In 1378 Wykeham obtained the pope’s licence for the foundation of his great school at Winchester, and in 1387 he began the buildings which were opened in 1393. The original foundation provided for a warden, ten fellows, three chaplains, seventy scholars, and sixteen choristers.
The following is the list of bishops of Winchester with the dates of accession (after 909 the chronology is certain):
Wini, 662-63
Hlothere (Leutherius), 670-76
St. Haeddi, 676-705
Daniel, 705-44
Hunfrith, 744-54
Cyneheard, d. before 778
Aethelheard d. before 778
Ecgbeald, d. 781-85
Dudd, d. 781-85
Cynebeorht, d. 801-03
Eahlmund, d. 805-14
Wigthegn (Wigferth or Wigmund), d. 833
Herefrith, d. 833
Eadmund (uncertain)
Eadhun, d. 838
Helmstan, 838(?)
St. Swithin, 852-62
Ealhfrith, d. 871-77
Tunbeorht, d. 877-79
Denewulf, 879-909
St. Frithustan, 909
St. Beornstan, 931
Aelfheah I, 934
Aelfsige I, 951
Beorhthelm, 960
St. Aethelweald I, 963
St. Aelfheah II, 984
Ceonwulf, 1006
Aethelweald II, 1006
Aelfsige II, 1012 or 1014
Aelfwine, 1032
Stigand, 1047
Aelfsige III (doubtful) Walkelin, 1070
William de Giffard, 1100
Henry de Blois, 1129
Vacancy, 1171
Richard Toclive, 1174
Godfrey de Lucy, 1189
Peter de la Roche, 1204
Vacancy, 1238
William de Raleigh, 1244
Aymer de Valence, 1250
Vacancy, 1261
John of Exeter, 1265
Nicholas of Ely, 1268
Vacancy, 1280
John de Pontissara, 1282
Henry Woodlock, 1305
John Sandale, 1316
Reginald Asser, 1320
John Stratford, 1323
Adam Orleton, 1333
William Edingdon, 1346
William of Wykeham, 1367
Henry of Beaufort, 1405
William of Waynfleete 1447
Peter Court enay, 1486
Thomas Langton, 1493
Richard Fox, 1500
Thomas Wolsey, 1529
Stephen Gardiner, 1531
John White, 1556-60 (last Catholic bishop)
The diocese contained 362 parishes under two archdeaconries, Winchester and Surrey. The arms of the see were gules two keys endorsed in bend, the uppermost argent, the other or, a sword interposed between them in bend sinister, of the second, pommels and hilts of the third.
EDWIN BURTON