Ralph de Diceto or Ralph of Diss (; ) was archdeacon of Middlesex, dean of

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

(from ), and the author of a major chronicle divided into two partsoften treated as separate worksthe (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

for "Abbreviations of Chronicles") from the

birth Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

to the 1140s and the or ("Images of Histories") from that point until 1202.

Life

Ralph is first mentioned in 1152, when he received the archdeaconry of Middlesex in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. He was probably born between 1120 and 1130. Of his parentage and nationality, we know nothing. The common statement that he derived his surname from Diss in

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

is a mere conjecture. may equally well be a Latinized form of Dissay, Dicy, or Dizy, place names in

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

, and

Champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

. In 1152, Ralph was already a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

and, presumably, had studied at

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. His reputation for learning and integrity stood high. He was regarded with respect and favor by

Arnulf of Lisieux Arnulf of Lisieux (1104/1109 – 31 August 1184) was a medieval French bishop who figured prominently as a conservative figure during the Renaissance of the 12th century, built the Cathedral of Lisieux, which introduced Gothic architecture to No ...

and

Gilbert Foliot Gilbert Foliot (Wiktionary:circa, c. 1110 – 18 February 1187) was a medieval English monk and prelate, successively Abbot of Gloucester, Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London. Born to an ecclesiastical family, he became a monk at C ...

, two of the most eminent bishops of their time. Quite naturally, the archdeacon assumed the same side on the

Becket controversy The Becket controversy or Becket dispute was the quarrel between Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket and King Henry II of England from 1163 to 1170.Bartlett ''England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings'' pp. 401–402 The controversy culminated ...

that of King HenryIIas did his friends. By 1164, Ralph had acquired the livings of Aynho in

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

and

Finchingfield Finchingfield is a village in the Braintree district of North Essex, England, a primarily rural area. It is approximately from Thaxted, with the nearest larger towns being Saffron Walden and Braintree. Nearby villages include Great Bardfie ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, serving them both by

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

s.. Although Ralph's narrative is colourless and although he was one of those who showed some sympathy for Becket at the Council of Northampton in 1164, his correspondence shows that he regarded the archbishop's conduct as ill considered and that he gave advice to those whom Becket regarded as his chief enemies. The natural impartiality of his intellect was accentuated by a certain timidity, which is apparent in his writings no less than in his life. Apart from his selection in 1166 as the envoy of the English bishops when they protested against the

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...

s launched by Becket, which he characteristically neglects to record, he remained in the background. About 1180, Ralph became dean of St Paul's. In this office, he distinguished himself by careful management of its estates, by restoring the discipline of its chapter, and by building a deanery house at his own expense. A scholar and a man of considerable erudition, he evinced a strong preference for historical studies. About the time he was preferred to the deanery, he began to collect materials for the history of his own times. Ralph's friendships with Richard FitzNeal, who succeeded

in the see of

; with

William Longchamp William de Longchamp (died 1197) was a medieval Lord Chancellor, Chief Justiciar, and Bishop of Ely in England. Born to a humble family in Normandy, he owed his advancement to royal favour. Although contemporary writers accused Longchamp's f ...

, the

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

of King RichardI; and with

Walter de Coutances Walter de Coutances (died 16 November 1207) was a medieval Anglo-Norman bishop of Lincoln and archbishop of Rouen. He began his royal service in the government of Henry II, serving as a vice-chancellor. He also accumulated a number of eccl ...

, the

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, gave him excellent opportunities of collecting information.

Works

Ralph of Diceto's Chronicle covers the history of the world from the

to the year 1202. It is divided into two parts, often treated as separate works: the ("Abbreviations of Chronicles") up to around 1147 and the or ("Images of Histories") from then until 1202.. The former is a work of learning and industry but is almost entirely based upon extant sources. The latter, beginning as a compilation from

Robert de Monte Robert of Torigni or Torigny (; –1186), also known as Robert of the Mont (; ; also Robertus de Monte Sancti Michaelis, in reference to the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel), was a Norman monk, prior, and abbot. He is most remembered for his chronicl ...

and the letters of Bishop Foliot, becomes an original authority and a contemporary record . In precision and fullness of detail, however, the are inferior to the chronicles of

Roger of Howden Roger of Howden or Hoveden (died 1202) was a 12th-century English chronicler, diplomat and head of the minster of Howden in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Roger and Howden minster Roger was born to a clerical family linked to the ancient minst ...

. Ralph is careless in his chronology. The documents which he incorporates, while often important, are selected on no overarching principle. He has little sense of style but displays considerable insight when he ventures to discuss a political situation. For this reason and on account of the details with which they supplement the more important chronicles of the period, the are a valuable (though secondary) source.

Editions

* . The first volume
Google Books
contains an introduction, the , the ("Summary of the Images of History"), and the first part of the itself. The second volume
Internet Archive
contains the from 1180–1202 and minor works, compendia of facts taken from well-known sources. * . This covers Diceto's fragmentary

domesday Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of the deanery's estates.

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

British Library
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Diceto, Ralph de Deans of St Paul's English chroniclers 12th-century English historians 1120 births 1200s deaths Year of death uncertain