William Ketel facts for kids
William Ketel was an English writer and church leader who lived around the year 1100. Not much is known about him. However, his important book still exists today. It is a copy of an older book that was lost. Ketel's book is a collection of amazing stories, called miracles, about a saint named John of Beverley. It also tells about the people who admired Saint John. Many of these stories were already known. But Ketel's book is special because it shows how popular Saint John became. It also shares details about Beverley Minster, a famous church. Ketel's collection of stories was later printed in a series of books called the Rolls Series.
Contents
Who Was William Ketel?
The name "Ketel" comes from an older name, "Ketill." This name has roots in Scandinavia, a region in Northern Europe. It was a common name in eastern England during Ketel's time.
William Ketel was active around the year 1100. He is believed to be the person who wrote the book about Saint John of Beverley. From notes in his book, it seems Ketel worked at Beverley Minster. He was likely a "clerk," which means he helped with church records and other tasks.
Ketel's Book About Saint John
The original book written by Ketel has been lost over time. Luckily, someone made a copy of it before it disappeared. This copy was then used to print the book in the 1600s.
Ketel's book was divided into two main parts. Both parts tell miracle stories about Saint John of Beverley. A "miracle" is an amazing event that people believe was caused by a divine power.
Why Ketel's Work Is Important
Most of the miracle stories in Ketel's book were already known from other writings. However, Ketel's book is still very valuable to historians. It gives us important information about how popular Saint John of Beverley became. It also shares details about the growth of Beverley Minster.
Ketel's book is the first place where we learn about King Æthelstan visiting Beverley. This is a key historical fact. Ketel also wrote that he either saw these miracles himself or heard them from people he trusted.
When Was the Book Written?
The notes in Ketel's book mention him as "William, least of the clerks of St John." It also calls him "William, who is also called Ketel." The book mentions two other church leaders, "Ethal." and "Thur."
One of these leaders, "Thur.," might have been Thurstan. Thurstan was in charge of Beverley Minster from about 1135 to 1152. If this is true, then Ketel's book was likely written in the first half of the 1100s. The book also mentions events from the time of William the Conqueror, which fits this timeline.
It's also possible Ketel wrote his book a bit earlier, in the late 1000s. This would be true if "Ethal." and "Thur." were different church officials. Another writer, Alfred of Beverly, wrote around 1143. He likely used Ketel's writings, as their words are similar.
How Ketel's Work Was Published
Ketel's book was later edited and published by a person named James Raine. It was included in a large collection of historical documents called the Rolls Series. The book was given the title Vita S. Iohannis Eboracensis archiepiscopi.
