William of Bitton

{{short description|13th-century Bishop of Bath and Wells}} {{for|the bishop of Bath and Wells who died in 1274|William of Bitton (nephew)}}

{{Infobox Christian leader | name =William of Bitton | image = 150px | caption = Arms of Bitton<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"> '''Blazon''' <div class="mw-collapsible-content" style="text-align:left;">'''Escutcheon''': Ermine, a fess gules. <ref>{{cite book |author=Bedford, W.K. Riland |title=The blazon of episcopacy |edition=2 |date=1897 |page = 50 |location=Oxford |publisher=Clarendon Press |URL=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Blazon_of_Episcopacy/3rBAAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1}}</ref> </div> </div> | title = Bishop of Bath and Wells | elected = {{circa|24 February 1248}} | consecration = 24 June 1248 | ended = 3 April 1264 | predecessor = Roger of Salisbury | successor =Walter Giffard | other_post =Archdeacon of Wells | birth_place =probably Bitton, Gloucestershire | death_date =3 April 1264 | buried = Lady Chapel, Wells Cathedral }}

'''William of Bitton'''{{efn|Sometimes known as '''William of Bitton I''' or '''William Button'''}} (died 1264) was a medieval English Bishop of Bath and Wells.

==Life==

William was probably born in Bitton in Gloucestershire.<ref name=DNB>Shaw "Button, William" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''</ref> He was a relative of Walter Giffard and uncle of William of Bitton II, his two successors in the office of Bishop of Bath and Wells.<ref name=BHOBath>Greenway ''[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34341 Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Bishops]''</ref> He was also uncle of Thomas of Bitton, precentor, archdeacon and dean of Wells,<ref name=BHODeanBath>Greenway ''[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34343 Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Deans of Wells]''</ref> and Bishop of Exeter.<ref name=DNB/>

William was an official of Jocelin of Wells in 1231<ref name=DNB/> and was subdean of Wells in 1233.<ref name=BHOSubdeanWells>Greenway ''[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34347 Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Subdeans of Wells]''</ref> He was named Archdeacon of Wells by 7 May 1238 and held the office until he was elected bishop.<ref name=BHOArchDWells>Greenway ''[http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34352 Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Archdeacons of Wells]''</ref> During the election of his predecessor, he championed the cause of the canons of Wells, who had been excluded from the election of Roger of Salisbury in 1244.<ref name=DNB/>

William was elected about 24 February 1248 and consecrated 14 June 1248.<ref name=Handbook228>Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 228</ref> In 1251 he signed the proclamation of excommunication against any who did not observe the clauses of Magna Carta dealing with ecclesiastical rights. He served King Henry III of England by going to Spain in 1253 to bring back a prospective daughter-in-law for the king. In 1257, the bishops made specific reference to William's conflict with the Abbot of Glastonbury in their communications with the king. But mainly, he worked in his diocese, as he issued rules and regulations in the diocese dealing with liturgical and judicial matters for both the laity and clergy. However, he lost a long fight with the abbot of Glastonbury Roger Forde over the right of the bishop to visit and regulate the affairs of Glastonbury Abbey, and by the end of his term as bishop, the abbey was independent of the diocese in all but name.<ref name=DNB/>

William died on 3 April 1264.<ref name=Handbook228/> He was buried in the Lady Chapel at Wells Cathedral on 8 April 1264.<ref name=BHOBath/> His tomb had disappeared by the 18th century.<ref name=DNB/> He should not be confused with his nephew the second William of Bitton who was also Bishop of Bath and Wells, but who died in 1274.

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==Citations== {{reflist|40em}}

==References== {{refbegin|60em}} * {{cite book |author1=Fryde, E. B. |author2=Greenway, D. E. |author3=Porter, S. |author4=Roy, I. |title=Handbook of British Chronology|edition=Third revised |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=1996 |isbn=0-521-56350-X }} * {{cite book |author=Greenway, Diana E. |section=Archdeacons: Wells |title=Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300 |volume=7: Bath and Wells |section-url=http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34352 |access-date=23 September 2007 |year=2001 |publisher=Institute of Historical Research }} * {{cite book |author=Greenway, Diana E. |section=Bishops |title=Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300 |volume=7: Bath and Wells |section-url=http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34341 |access-date=23 September 2007 |year=2001 |publisher=Institute of Historical Research }} * {{cite book |author=Greenway, Diana E. |section=Deans of Wells |title=Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300 |volume=7: Bath and Wells |section-url=http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34343 |access-date=23 September 2007 |year=2001 |publisher=Institute of Historical Research }} * {{cite book |author=Greenway, Diana E. |section=Subdeans of Wells |title=Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300 |volume=7: Bath and Wells |section-url=http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34347 |access-date=23 September 2007 |year=2001 |publisher=Institute of Historical Research }} * {{cite encyclopedia |author=Shaw, David Gary |title=Button, William (d. 1264) |encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4236 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/4236 |access-date=15 November 2007 |url-access=subscription }} {{ODNBsub}} {{refend}}

{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-bef | before=Roger of Salisbury }} {{s-ttl| title=Bishop of Bath and Wells | years=1248–1264}} {{s-aft| after=Walter Giffard }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:William of Bitton I}} Category:Bishops of Bath and Wells Category:Archdeacons of Wells Category:1264 deaths Category:Year of birth unknown Category:13th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Category:People from Bitton