Sulcard
Encyclopedia
Sulcard was a Benedictine monk at St. Peter's, Westminster Abbey
, and the author of the first history of the abbey.
Little is known of Sulcard, whose unusual name may reflect either Anglo-Saxon or Norman parentage. His entrance into the monastery may be dated to the 1050s and it is possible that he was previously attached to the cathedral priory at Rochester
, which receives a noticeable degree of attention in his work.
The sole work which Sulcard is known to have produced is the so-called Prologus de Construccione Westmonasterii (“Prologue concerning the Building of Westminster”), dedicated to Abbot Vitalis of Bernay (c. 1076—?1085) and hence datable to about 1080. It relates the history of the abbey, beginning in the time of Mellitus
, bishop of London (604—17), with the foundation of its first church on what was then Thorney Island
by a wealthy Londoner and his wife. It concludes with the dedication of a new church erected by King Edward the Confessor
(r. 1042—1066) for the monastery. In the dedication to Vitalis, Sulcard writes that he intended his work to serve as a ‘commemorative book’ (codex memorialis) for his house. He was primarily interested in promoting the cult of St. Peter, the abbey’s patron saint, who is said to have miraculously appeared in the early 7th century to dedicate the church in person. Two copies of the history are extant, the earliest being a chartulary from Winchester (c. 1300), BL, Cotton MS Faustina A.iii, fols. 11r—16v. The other copy is in BL, Cotton MS Titus A.viii, fols. 2r–5v. The title is not contemporary, but derives from the heading in the former chartulary, to which it serves as a prologue.
Apart from relating local traditions about St. Peter's marvellous involvement, the narrative of Sulcard’s Prologus is relatively free of embroidery. It is valuable for casting some light on the memory of Edward the Confessor within a few decades after the Conquest. He drew upon the anonymous Vita Ædwardi Regis
("Life of King Edward"), at least Book I, which survives only in a later revision, and so bears testimony to its existence no later than 1084/1085. Sulcard's copy may have been the same text that was used by Osbert de Clare in c. 1138 and by the English historian Richard of Cirencester
in the 14th century. Unlike Osbert de Clare, who used the Prologus and reworked Edward’s Vita in c. 1138, Sulcard ascribes no miracles to Edward, suggesting that Westminster had not yet seen an active royal cult. Edward's role in the Prologus is small by comparison, even if he is remembered as a magnificent ruler, as in the account of his death "when not only England but also all other neighbouring kingdoms gave way to tears".
A critical edition of the text based primarily on MS Cotton Faustina A.iii was published in 1964 by Bernard W. Scholz. Portions of the text which are relevant to the Vita Ædwardi Regis have been edited and translated by Frank Barlow
.
(r. 1216—1272), his remains were translated to the newly built chapter house of the abbey. The Prologus continued to reach an audience throughout the Middle Ages and was extensively used by the monk John Flete
(d. 1466) for his own History of Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, and the author of the first history of the abbey.
Little is known of Sulcard, whose unusual name may reflect either Anglo-Saxon or Norman parentage. His entrance into the monastery may be dated to the 1050s and it is possible that he was previously attached to the cathedral priory at Rochester
Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Norman church in Rochester, Kent. The bishopric is second oldest in England after Canterbury...
, which receives a noticeable degree of attention in his work.
Prologus de Construccione Westmonasterii
Mellitus
Mellitus was the first Bishop of London in the Saxon period, the third Archbishop of Canterbury, and a member of the Gregorian mission sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons from their native paganism to Christianity. He arrived in 601 AD with a group of clergymen sent to augment the mission,...
, bishop of London (604—17), with the foundation of its first church on what was then Thorney Island
Thorney Island (London)
Thorney Island was the eyot on the Thames, upstream of mediæval London, where Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster were built...
by a wealthy Londoner and his wife. It concludes with the dedication of a new church erected by King Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
(r. 1042—1066) for the monastery. In the dedication to Vitalis, Sulcard writes that he intended his work to serve as a ‘commemorative book’ (codex memorialis) for his house. He was primarily interested in promoting the cult of St. Peter, the abbey’s patron saint, who is said to have miraculously appeared in the early 7th century to dedicate the church in person. Two copies of the history are extant, the earliest being a chartulary from Winchester (c. 1300), BL, Cotton MS Faustina A.iii, fols. 11r—16v. The other copy is in BL, Cotton MS Titus A.viii, fols. 2r–5v. The title is not contemporary, but derives from the heading in the former chartulary, to which it serves as a prologue.
Apart from relating local traditions about St. Peter's marvellous involvement, the narrative of Sulcard’s Prologus is relatively free of embroidery. It is valuable for casting some light on the memory of Edward the Confessor within a few decades after the Conquest. He drew upon the anonymous Vita Ædwardi Regis
Vita Ædwardi Regis
The Vita Ædwardi Regis qui apud Westmonasterium Requiescit or simply Vita Ædwardi Regis is a historical work completed by an anonymous author c. 1067 and commissioned by Queen Edith, wife of King Edward the Confessor. It survives in one manuscript, dated c. 1100, now in the British Library...
("Life of King Edward"), at least Book I, which survives only in a later revision, and so bears testimony to its existence no later than 1084/1085. Sulcard's copy may have been the same text that was used by Osbert de Clare in c. 1138 and by the English historian Richard of Cirencester
Richard of Cirencester
Richard of Cirencester , historical writer, was a member of the Benedictine abbey at Westminster, and his name first appears on the chamberlain's list of the monks of that foundation drawn up in the year 1355....
in the 14th century. Unlike Osbert de Clare, who used the Prologus and reworked Edward’s Vita in c. 1138, Sulcard ascribes no miracles to Edward, suggesting that Westminster had not yet seen an active royal cult. Edward's role in the Prologus is small by comparison, even if he is remembered as a magnificent ruler, as in the account of his death "when not only England but also all other neighbouring kingdoms gave way to tears".
A critical edition of the text based primarily on MS Cotton Faustina A.iii was published in 1964 by Bernard W. Scholz. Portions of the text which are relevant to the Vita Ædwardi Regis have been edited and translated by Frank Barlow
Frank Barlow (historian)
Frank Barlow CBE FBA FRSL was a British historian, known particularly for biographies of medieval figures.Barlow studied at St John's College, Oxford. He was Professor of History at the University of Exeter from 1953 until he retired in 1976 and became Emeritus Professor...
.
Death and legacy
Sulcard was later said to have been awarded the privilege of burial in the abbey’s cloister. At the instigation of Henry IIIHenry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
(r. 1216—1272), his remains were translated to the newly built chapter house of the abbey. The Prologus continued to reach an audience throughout the Middle Ages and was extensively used by the monk John Flete
John Flete
John Flete was an English monk and ecclesiastical historian who documented the history and abbots of Westminster Abbey.He entered the monastery at Westminster some time around 1420. For some years, he was an ordinary cloistered monk, but he became the almoner around 1435...
(d. 1466) for his own History of Westminster Abbey.
Sources
- Barlow, Frank (1992). The Life of King Edward who Rests at Westminster Attributed to a Monk of Saint-Bertin. 2nd ed. Oxford.
- Harvey, Barbara F. (2004). “Sulcard (fl. c. 1080).” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Accessed 22 April 2009.
Further reading
- Scholz, Bernard W. (1964). "Sulcard of Westminster. Prologus de construccione Westmonasterii." Traditio 20: 59–91.