Chapter XL: Section I: Before the Days of Abbot Samson

870 Nov. 20. Martyrdom of St. Edmund. His head is cut off by the
Danes and hidden in a wood "in silvam cui vocabulam est
Haglesdun" (_Abbo_, writing 100 years after). [Domesday book
(1086) records the existence in Wilford Hundred of a place
called Halgestou.] The head being found, is miraculously
rejoined to the body, which is buried "in villula Suthtuna
[Sutton] dicta, de prope loco martyrizationis" (_Herman_,
writing 200 years after).

903 (or later). Relics of St. Edmund removed from the place of
burial to Beodricsworth--afterwards called Bury St. Edmunds.
The early authorities differ as to this date. Herman says
the translation took place in the reign of Athelstan
(925-941): the compiler of the Bodl. MS. 240 says A.D. 900
or 906 (_Nov. Leg. Angl._ II. 590); the Curteys Register
(Part I. f. 211) says A.D. 903.

937 (_circa_). According to Abbo, Dunstan, then a youth, hears the
story of St. Edmund's death from an old man who said he was
the King's standard bearer.

945 Bishop Theodred (II) of Elmham opens St. Edmund's coffin,
finds the body "whole and incorrupt," and places it in a new
wooden "loculus" (Abbo).

945 Charter of King Edmund II (son of Edmund the Elder) granting
lands round Beodricsworth to the clerks (_monasterii
familia_) who were then guarding St. Edmund's shrine. (Text
in Arnold II. 340-1.) _p._ 238.

985 (_circa_). Dunstan, the Archbishop, tells the story of St.
Edmund's martyrdom to others, and Abbo recounts it in his
_Passio Sancti Eadmundi_. (Text in Arnold I. 3-25.)
_p._ 217.

1010 Egelwin, or Ailwin, takes the body of the Saint from
Beodricsworth to London. _p._ 175.

1013 Return of Egelwin, with body of St. Edmund, to Beodricsworth.

1014 February. Death of King Sweyn (according to the chroniclers,
at the hands of St. Edmund).

1020 At the instance of Aelfwin, Bishop of Elmham, the clerks in
charge of St. Edmund's shrine are removed, and twenty monks,
headed by Uvius, prior of Hulme, installed at Beodricsworth.

1020 Uvius consecrated 1st abbot of Bury by the Bishop of London.

1020 New stone church (to replace the wooden one containing St.
Edmund's body) commenced by order of Canute, in expiation of
the sacrilegious behaviour of his father Sweyn towards the
saint.

1028 Charter of Canute granting "fundus" or farm at Beodricsworth
to be for ever in possession of monks, who were to be free
from episcopal jurisdiction. (Text in Arnold II. 340-1).

1032 Oct. 18. Consecration of the new stone church by Egelnoth,
Archbishop of Canterbury.

1035 Charter granted to the Abbey by Hardicanute, imposing a fine
of "thirty talents of gold" on any one found guilty of
infringing the Abbey's franchises. (For privileges granted,
see Bodl. MS. 240, printed in _Nova Legenda Anglie_ II.
607.)

1038 Oct. Body of the Saint removed to King Canute's new church.

1044 Visit of Edward the Confessor to Bury. _p._ 236.

1044 The Confessor grants to Bury abbey jurisdiction over 8-1/2
hundreds in Suffolk, and the manor of Mildenhall, with
freedom to choose their abbot. _p._ 238.

1044 Death of Uvius (remains in Infirmary Chapel). Leofstan
appointed 2nd abbot.

1065 Death of Leofstan (remains placed in shrine at foot of St.
Edmund). Baldwin of St. Denis (physician to Edward the
Confessor) appointed 3rd abbot.

1065 Mint established at Bury under grant of Edward the Confessor,
in which Beodricsworth is called (apparently for the first
time) St. Edmundsbury. "Ic kithe ihu that Ic habbe unnen
Baldewine Abbot one munetere with innen Seynt Edmunds Biri"
(Battely, p. 134). _p._ 248.

1071 Abbot Baldwin at Rome: receives from Pope Alexander II a
precious altar of porphyry, with special privileges.

1071 Oct. 27. Bull of Pope Alexander II, taking the monks of St.
Edmund under the special protection of the Holy See, and
forbidding that a bishop's see should ever be established at
Beodricsworth. (Text in Arnold I. 344.)

1081 May 31. Charter of William the Conqueror deciding against the
claim of Arfast, Bishop of Thetford, to transfer his see to
Bury, and granting exemption from episcopal jurisdiction.
(Text in Arnold I. 347.)

1086 Domesday Book returns show that the annual value of the Town
"ubi quiescit humatus S. Eadmundus rex et martyr gloriosus"
was double that of its value under Edward the Confessor, and
a larger number of persons were maintained.

1095 Apr. 29. Translation of St. Edmund's body to new and
magnificent basilica built by Baldwin and his sacrists
Thurstan and Tolinus.

1097 Death of Baldwin: buried in the Abbey church, east of the
choir altar.

1098 (_circa_). Herman the Archdeacon compiles his book, _De
Miraculis Sancti Eadmundi_. _p._ 218.

1100 Henry I gives abbacy to Robert, son of Hugh Lupus, Earl of
Chester. Robert (I) deposed 1102.

1101 Attempts of Herbert de Losinga, Bishop of Norwich, to fix his
see at Bury; finally disposed of 1102.

1102 Robert II, a monk of Westminster, elected 5th abbot. Scheme
for Abbey church enlarged. Godefridus the sacrist a man "of
almost gigantic stature, great in body but greater still in
mind." _p._ 247.

1107 Aug. 15. Robert II consecrated by St. Anselm. Dies soon after,
16 Sept.; buried in Infirmary Chapel.

1114 After seven years' interregnum, Albold, prior of St. Nicasius
at Meaux, elected 6th abbot: died 1119; buried in Infirmary
Chapel.

1120 Charter of Henry I confirming the Charters of Canute and
Edward the Confessor.

1121 Anselm, nephew of St. Anselm, elected 7th abbot. In his days
the Norman tower of the Abbey was built.

1132 Henry I pays a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Edmund.

1135 (_circa_). St. James' Church built by Abbot Anselm, instead of
making a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella. Church
consecrated by William Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury.