Hemming

Who is Hemming?

Hemming was a monk, author and compiler in medieval England from around the time of the Norman Conquest of England. He was a senior brother at Worcester Cathedral Priory, and his significance derives from the monastic cartulary attributed to him.

Hemming's name is Scandinavian, which may mean either he or his ancestors were Scandinavians settled in England. His birth and death dates are unknown, but he was actively writing soon after the Conquest. Hemming became a sub-prior in the Worcester cathedral priory. He is named in both the Liber Vitae of Worcester Cathedral as well as a list of members of the cathedral chapter that was compiled during the episcopate of Samson, the bishop from 1096 to 1112.

Hemming was the eponymous author and compiler of a work usually called Hemming's Cartulary. This is a collection of documents gathered together with a series of narratives about Worcester and its cathedral chapter. His compilation includes a life of Wulfstan, the Bishop of Worcester who died in 1095. This life was written in Latin. The historian Antonia Gransden describes this work as "more like an inventory of charters in narrative form than a biography".