William+of+Malmesbury

=William of Malmesbury=

Without William of Malmesbury's writings, there would be a deficiency in our knowledge of the history of England. A monk at the Abbey of Malmesbury, England during the 12th century, his legacy is his numerous works which chronicle a key portion of England's history. toc



= **Life and works:** =

Despite the important contributions made to English history through his works, little is known of William of Malmesbury’s life - even his death remains uncertain (thought to be around 1142/3 due to the date of the last entry in the incomplete work the //Historia Novella//). Born at the end of the **__[|11th Century]__**(circa 1096/5) William of Malmesbury displayed a aptitude for learning and scholarship and a particular passion for history. It is thought that he entered the monastic life relatively early in his youth, and later became the __**[|precentor]**__ and librarian in the __**[|Abbey of Malmesbury]**__. This role enabled him to foster his passion for the past and his works are testimony to his dedication.

His three most famous works are the **//Gesta Regum Anglorum//, the //[|Gesta Pontificum Anglorum]//**and the //Historia Novella//, but throughout his life he wrote profusely and left behind a huge quantity of works which chronicle English history both secular and sacred. The //Gesta Regum Anglorum// and the //Gesta Ponticum Anglorum// traces the history of kings back to the Saxon Invasion and the history of the English bishops respectively. In these works he attempts fill the gap in English history from Bede's, **//[|Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum]//**, through to his own life span. **[|Bede]** obviously influenced William of Malmesbury’s works and his admiration can be seen from the prologue in the //Gesta Regum Anglorum// when he refers to Bede as “...most learned and least proud of men.” The //Historia Novella// is also an important work which records the major political turmoil that was unflolding during William of Malmesbury’s own lifetime - the civil war between **[|King Stephen]** and the[| **Empress Matilda**]. Although some doubt has arisen about how accurately and unbiased his account while retelling the events, his contribution to English history through his works, cannot be denied.



**Legacy and Contribution:**
William of Malmesbury’s works are invaluable to both medieval and modern historians alike because of the events of English history that they document and the comprehensible manner in which this information is recorded. However, it is not just the quantity and quality of his works alone that shows the importance of William of Malmesbury as a historian of the 12th Century. Scholars have drawn attention to his exceptional use and range of sources, his analysis of texts and his precise method. In addition, his works, particularly the //Gesta Ponticium Anglorum// have been recognised for the descriptions of places now lost, which today provide us with a glimpse into the events and life in 12th Century England. William of Malmesbury is, as Rodney M. Thompson describes him, “England's greatest historian after Bede, and one of the twelfth century's most considerable men of letters.”

= **External Links**: = [|A virtual tour of the abbey of Malmesbury]