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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890 Excerpt:...pQR DoRS£T 14. The Early Bishops Of Bath & Wells.--In the interesting Paper which Canon Church recently read at the Bath Literary Institute, he referred generally to sundry inaccurate statements made by some of our County and Diocesan historians, as to the period when the Bishop of Somerset first took the title of "Bishop of Bath and Wells," and he stated that the first Bishop who assumed this title was Roger, who succeeded Bishop Jocelyn of Wells. The first Bishop of Bath was no doubt "John de Villula;" then came "Godfrey"and "Robert," and, according to Warner, it was in this latter Bishop's episcopate that a considerable contest arose between the Wells Chapter and the Bath Monks, as to the nomenclature of, and appointment to, the Bishopric, which resulted in this Bishop directing that the title should henceforth be " Bishop of Bath and Wells," and that on the next vacancy each of the Churches of Bath and Wells should appoint delegates to choose a Bishop who should be installed both at Bath and Wells. Notwithstanding this direction, it appears doubtful whether his successor assumed any other title than that of Bishop of Bath, and certainly, after Robert's death, but before Reginald was installed, the Bishopric is so publicly described. Jocelyn of Wells was appointed by the Chapter of Wells and the Bath Monks jointly, and during his Episcopate Warner states that, after the settlement of the dispute between him and the Glastonbury Monks, he assumed the title of Bishop of " Bath and Wells." The appointment of Roger, Jocelyn's successor, was no doubt in direct contravention of the arrangement made by Bishop Robert, and one cannot be surprised at the Wells Chapter appealing to the Pope upon th...