medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.
The town of Rochester, Kent, Rochester has the bishop's seat, at the Rochester Cathedral, Cathedral Chur ...
and probably the first
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury. Until 1534, the Diocese of Hereford was in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church and two of its bishop ...
. Some modern historians say that the two Puttas were separate individuals.Sims-Williams "Putta (d. c.688)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''
Bede says that in 676, Putta was driven from Rochester by King
Æthelred of Mercia
Æthelred (; died after 704) was king of Mercia from 675 until 704. He was the son of Penda of Mercia and came to the throne in 675, when his brother, Wulfhere of Mercia, died from an illness. Within a year of his accession he invaded Kent, ...
,Smith "Early Community" ''English Historical Review'' p. 295 or perhaps abandoning it,Brooks ''Early History'' p. 73 he fixed himself at Hereford (said to have been the centre of a diocese as early as the 6th century) and refounded
Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Hereford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Hereford and the principal church of the diocese of Hereford. The cathedral is a grade I listed building.
A place of wors ...
. He is thus recorded as Bishop of Uuestor Elih and may not have actually held the office of Bishop of Hereford, although was considered to have done so by about 800. After he left Rochester,
Theodore of Tarsus
Theodore of Tarsus (; 60219 September 690) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 668 to 690. Theodore grew up in Tarsus, but fled to Constantinople after the Persian Empire conquered Tarsus and other cities. After studying there, he relocated to ...
, the
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
appointed
Cwichelm Cwichelm is a masculine English given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Cwichelm of Wessex (died 636), Prince of Wessex
* Cwichhelm (bishop) (died after 678), Bishop of Rochester
{{given name
English masculine given names
Masculine ...
as bishop of that see.
The medieval chronicler
Bede
Bede (; ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, Bede of Jarrow, the Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable (), was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages, and his most f ...
says Putta learned
Roman Chant
Old Roman chant is the liturgical plainchant repertory of the Roman rite of the early Christian Church. It was formerly performed in Rome, and, although it is closely related to Gregorian chant, the two are distinct. Unlike other chant traditions ...
from students of Pope
Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I (; ; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great (; ), was the 64th Bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 until his death on 12 March 604. He is known for instituting the first recorded large-scale mission from Rom ...
, and later taught this to the Mercians.Kirby ''Making of Early England'' p. 210Blair ''World of Bede'' p. 170 The modern historian
Henry Mayr-Harting
Henry Maria Robert Egmont Mayr-Harting (born 6 April 1936) is a British medieval ecclesiastical historian. From 1997 to 2003, he was Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford and a lay canon of Christ Church, Oxford ...
describes Putta as "a mild old music master".Mayr-Harting ''Coming of Christianity'' p. 131
The usual dates given for Putta's time at Rochester are thought to have been about 669 to 676.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 221 His time at Hereford is considered to have started in 676 and ended sometime between 676 and 688.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 217 He died about 688.