subject of this chapter was not yet part of the native soil of Sussex,
and in doing this we find that so early as the eighth century the town
of Chichester was even then a known centre of civil, though apparently
not ecclesiastical, activity; for it is not until about the middle of
the tenth century that some uncertain documentary evidence refers to
"Bishop Brethelm and the brethren dwelling at Chichester." [1] It may
be that Brethelm was a bishop in, though not of, Chichester, who dwelt
and worked among the south Saxons living in and about the city, for
the history of the diocese and see will show that probably there was
no episcopate established under that name until a little more than one
hundred years later.

[1] Walcott, "Early Statutes," p. 12.

Ceadwalla's foundation of the see at Selsea dated from about the end
of the seventh century; but we know nothing about any cathedral church
at that place during the following three hundred and fifty years. If,
however, there was a bishop in charge of the missionary priests,
deacons, and laymen who lived there together, there must necessarily
have been a "cathedra" in the church they used.

When Stigand came from Selsea to establish his see in Chichester he
found the city already furnished with a minster dedicated to S. Peter.
He had effected this transfer because the Council of London had
decided in 1075 that all the then village sees should be removed to
towns; and as there is no evidence of any attempt to provide a new
cathedral until about the year 1088, the existing minster must have
been appropriated for the see. It has been supposed that Stigand may
have devised some scheme for building a new church, and even that he
saw it carried out so far as to provide the foundations on which to