The Historians of the Church of York and its Archbishops

James Raine (1830–96), canon of York, edited in three volumes these Latin works relating to the diocese, covering the period from 650 to 1522. Volume 1, published in 1879, contains four lives of St Wilfrid (c.634–c.710) as well as lives of other early bishops. The most important life is that by Aeddi, a Northumbrian who travelled with Wilfrid and wrote his account soon after the saint's death. It contains material not found elsewhere, is too early to have been influenced by Bede, and was closely modelled on the life of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. Also included are lives of bishops John (d.721) and Oswald (d.992), and Alcuin's verse account of the saints and bishops of York. Raine's preface gives an account of the ecclesiastical history of York and of the manuscript sources he used. English side-notes to the Latin text are also provided.