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Somerset Historic Environment Record

16420

Public access:

The public accessibility of this site is unknown but it should be visible from a public right of way. Please assume that the site is private property. [Information last updated on 05 August 2003]

Details:

The Wells Liberty (free of civic jurisdiction) was created by Bishop Jocelyn in 1207 to provide an area specifically for housing the Cannons of the Cathedral. Apart from Vicars Close the Dean and Chapter houses are detached with generous plots. The houses of the most important Cathedral Cannons are around the Cathedral Green. Many of the plots extant today appear to have existed before 1207 and could be described as respecting the old Saxon Cathedral alignement and the local topography, which the present cathedral does not.

The Cannons were secular clergy. They were only required to be resident in Wells for one third of the year and often held other positions such as parish priest, lawyer, accountant, teacher. They held individual wealth - preband estates - from which they derived their income. There were 54 prebands attached to the Cathedral, but not all lived in the Liberty, up to 15 at any one time. This individual wealth was considered adaptable by the new religious and social order at the time of the reformation, and fewer buildings were destroyed within The Liberty than might have been the case with a large communal religious establishement as at Glastonbury (PRN 25547) {1}

References:

Record created on 05 August 2003

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