John of Wallingford (d. 1214)
John of Wallingford (died 1214), also known as John de Cella, was Abbot of
He should not be confused with another John of Wallingford (died 1258), who was a friend of the famous chronicler Matthew Paris; nor with the unknown author of the so-called "Chronicle of John of Wallingford" (ca. 1225–1250), that is included in a manuscript of the papers of the later John of Wallingford.
Life
According to Matthew Paris's Gesta Abbatum ("Actions of the Abbots"), John came from a moderate family not far from a place called Stodham,
The Gesta records that John studied in Paris. He gained an excellent reputation and "in grammar he was considered a very Priscian, in poetry a perfect Ovid, and in physic esteemed equal to Galen".[2] After taking Benedictine vows, he was sent to Wallingford Priory, where he became prior in 1191. From this he gained his St Albans by-names "de Wallingford" and "de Cella", having been superior of this important cell of the abbey.[3] Four years later, on 20 July 1195, he was elected Abbot of St. Albans, where he presided with "sanctity and success".[3] He rebuilt the refectory and the dormitory, and extended the west front of the abbey church, though not without difficulty: the work "swallowed up the revenues as the sea the rivers, and made no progress", until a simplifed design was eventually completed.[4]
He was regarded by the 19th-century scholar
References
- William Page, ed. (1914), A History of the County of Hertford: volume 4, Religious Houses (Victoria County History series), pp. 372-416.
- ^ Matthew Paris, Gesta Abbatum, vol i., p. 217. Apparently, the abbot was a judex urinarum incomparabilis (vol i., p. 246.)
- ^ William Page, eds. (1907), A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 2 (Victoria County History series), pp. 77-79.
- William Page, ed. (1908), A History of the County of Hertford: volume 2 (Victoria County History series), pp. 483-488.
- ^ See Flores Historiarum for details.