er, the worthy Bishop Athelstan
died at Bosbury. He had been blind for thirteen years before his death,
and a Welsh bishop had acted for him. His body was interred in the church
which he had "built from the foundations," and we may therefore suppose
that the "minster" was not entirely destroyed.

In 1057, on the death of Earl Ralph, the Frenchman, so important was
Herefordshire, through its position on the Welsh borders, and, since it
had been strengthened by Harold, such an important military post was the
town of Hereford, that it became part of his earldom.

From 1055 to 1079 the minster is said to have been in ruins. At the latter
date Bishop Lozing (Robert de Losinga) began to rebuild the cathedral, and
there are vague accounts that it was in the form of a round church in
imitation of a basilica of Charlemagne which had been built at
Aix-la-Chapelle between 774 and 795. If such a form ever existed it must
have been completely destroyed, as the work of the Norman period that
remains is clearly English both in treatment and in detail. If this could
be proved to be Lozing's work, then it had no similarity to the Roman
style. The building begun by him was carried on by Bishop Raynelm, who
held the see from 1107 to 1115, and placed on a more regular basis the
establishment of canons living under a rule. These prebendaries or canons
did not live in common like the monks, but in separate houses near the
church. Whether he completed the building or not, Bishop Raynelm
undoubtedly made many additions and alterations.

We may here quote an interesting account of the duties of the cathedral
treasurer, which were probably settled about this time. They throw a
curious and suggestive light on the ceremonies of the period. "At
Hereford," says Walcott, "he found all the lights; three burning day and
night before the high altar; two burning there at matins daily, and at
mass, and the chief hours on festivals; three burning perpetually, viz.,
in the chapter-house, the second before S. Mary's altar, and the third
before the cross in the rood-loft; four before the high altar, and altar
on "_Minus Duplicia_," and five tapers in basons, on principles, and
doubles, at mass, prime, and second vespers, four tapers before the high
altar, five in the basons, thirteen on the beam, and seven in the
candelabra; the paschal and portable tapers for processions. He kept the
keys of the treasury, copes, palls, vestments, ornaments, and the plate,