Richard of Cirencester (; before 1340–1400) was a cleric and minor historian of the
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
abbey at
Westminster
Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...
. He was highly famed in the 18th and 19th century as the author of ''
The Description of Britain
''The Description of Britain'', also known by its Latin name ' ("On the Situation of Britain"), was a literary forgery perpetrated by Charles Bertram on the historians of English history, England. It purported to be a 15th-century manuscript by t ...
'' before it was proved to have been a later
forgery
Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally consists of the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific mens rea, intent to wikt:defraud#English, defraud. Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be fo ...
in 1846.
Life
His name (as ''Circestre'') first appears on the chamberlain's list of the monks of that foundation drawn up in the year 1355. In 1391, he obtained a licence from the abbot to go to
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
and in this the abbot gave his testimony to Richard's perfect and sincere observance of religion for upwards of thirty years. In 1400 Richard spent nine nights of the infirmary of the abbey, and likely died that January.
His only known extant work are the four books of the ''Historial Mirror of the Deeds of the Kings of England'' (), covering the years from 447 to 1066. The manuscript of this is in the university library at
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
and was edited in two volumes for the
Rolls Series by
John Mayor. At the conclusion of the fourth book Richard expresses his intention of continuing his narrative from the accession of
William I William I may refer to:
Kings
* William the Conqueror (–1087), also known as William I, King of England
* William I of Sicily (died 1166)
* William I of Scotland (died 1214), known as William the Lion
* William I of the Netherlands and Luxembour ...
, and incorporating a sketch of the Conqueror's career from his birth. This design he does not, however, appear to have carried into effect.
The value of the ''Historial Mirror'' as a contribution to our historical knowledge is but slight, for it is mainly a compilation from other writers and even in transcribing these the compiler is guilty of great carelessness. He gives, however, numerous charters relating to Westminster Abbey and also a very complete account of the saints whose tombs were in the abbey church, especially concerning
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex.
Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He succeede ...
. The work was, however, largely used by historians and antiquaries until, with the rise of a more critical spirit, its value became more accurately estimated. Besides the ''Historial Mirror'' Richard also wrote, according to a 1396 letter from
William of Woodford to
Archbishop Thomas of
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
, a treatise on the offices (') and there was formerly in the cathedral library at
Peterborough
Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...
another tract ascribed to him entitled ''Super Symbolum''. Of neither of these works, however, does any known copy now exist.
Richard of Westminster
Richard is best known for the historical forgery perpetrated by
Charles Bertram
Charles Julius Bertram (1723–1765) was an Englishmen, English expatriate in Kingdom of Denmark, Denmark who "discovered"—and presumably wrote—''The Description of Britain'' (), an 18th-century literary forgery purporting to be a mediaeval ...
known as ''The Description of Britain'' (). Bertram's original manuscript ascribed this to "Richard the Westminsterian monk" ('), but a
British academic looking to verify its authenticity discovered that Richard of Cirencester had been at Westminster around the time of the work's supposed composition. It was then published under a variant of his name (') and the conflation was universally accepted, to the point where Richard's name is more associated with the discredited forgery than with his own works.
Bibliography
* ''Speculum Historiale de Gestis regum Angliæ''
* ''Tractatus super Symbolum Majus at Minus''
* ''Liber de Officiis Ecclesiasticis''
Notes
References
*
*
*
* �
Volumes III* .
Attribution:
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:RICHARD CIRENCESTER
Benedictines
1335 births
1400 deaths