ndred 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
execute this idea. But there appears to be no authority which warrants
the assumption that he did even so much as this, for history says
nothing about such an early beginning of the new operations, tradition
asserts no more, and speculation suggests probabilities merely. We are
obliged, therefore, to be satisfied with the fact that the work begun
about 1088 was consecrated by Bishop Ralph de Luffa, in 1108, and it
is possible even now to see the stone which commemorates that ceremony
embedded in the walling of the present church. Unfortunately no more
than about six years had passed since this, the first, dedication,
when a fire occurred which burnt part of the fabric. Ralph was still
living, and began at once to repair the damage that had been done; and
the king (Henry I.) gave him much help by encouraging his endeavour.
What, then, had been accomplished during the twenty years between 1088
and 1108?

In 1075 Stigand transferred the see. About thirteen years later the
new cathedral building appears to have been begun under Ralph, and in
another twenty years so much had been finished as would allow him to
see it dedicated. It is probable that before this ceremony was
performed a considerable portion of the eastern section of the work
was finished; for in accordance with a general custom with the
mediaeval church builders, this part would have been that first begun.
But