Bishop of Rochester, Architect. He spent his early life as a monk at Bec Abbey in Normandy where he was a pupil and later chamberlain of Lanfranc. After a period as a monk of Saint Etienne in Caen he was sent to England in 1070 to assist Lanfranc, now Archbishop of Canterbury, with his reorganisation of English monasticism. He was made Bishop of Rochester in 1077and in 1080 began work on the reconstruction of the nearly derelict Cathedral. In 1078 King William I employed his knowledge of building in the construction of The White Tower; better known as The Tower of London. He was also responsible for the construction of Colchester Castle and founded St. Mary's Abbey, West Malling, Kent, and St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Rochester. In 1083 he became the first Prior of the newly founded Cathedral Priory of St. Andrew the Apostle at Rochester and acquired many properties due to the priory's favour with the Norman kings. He and Archbishop Lanfranc also laid the foundations of the monastery buildings and he later had the relics of St. Paulinus placed in a shrine in the Cathedral. He lived long enough to see his design for the great Norman nave and western front of the Cathedral completed and on his death was buried in a tomb in the presbytery.
Bishop of Rochester, Architect. He spent his early life as a monk at Bec Abbey in Normandy where he was a pupil and later chamberlain of Lanfranc. After a period as a monk of Saint Etienne in Caen he was sent to England in 1070 to assist Lanfranc, now Archbishop of Canterbury, with his reorganisation of English monasticism. He was made Bishop of Rochester in 1077and in 1080 began work on the reconstruction of the nearly derelict Cathedral. In 1078 King William I employed his knowledge of building in the construction of The White Tower; better known as The Tower of London. He was also responsible for the construction of Colchester Castle and founded St. Mary's Abbey, West Malling, Kent, and St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Rochester. In 1083 he became the first Prior of the newly founded Cathedral Priory of St. Andrew the Apostle at Rochester and acquired many properties due to the priory's favour with the Norman kings. He and Archbishop Lanfranc also laid the foundations of the monastery buildings and he later had the relics of St. Paulinus placed in a shrine in the Cathedral. He lived long enough to see his design for the great Norman nave and western front of the Cathedral completed and on his death was buried in a tomb in the presbytery.
Bio by: js
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