The canonization dossier of Bishop Thomas of Hereford (d. 1282) is perhaps the fullest such source collection to have survived the Middle Ages, and has thus far only been published in a highly imperfect and incomplete version by the Bollandists. It has recently been revealed as a rich source for social history, and has been exploited by such historians as Ronald Finucane, Christian Krötzl, André Vauchez, Michael Richter, and this reviewer, among others, for such issues as canonization procedure, local political history, concepts of time, childhood and family life in the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. Thomas' miracle collection, in particular, is a mother lode for the study of daily life and the social history of the Welsh border region, and reflects the mixed population of French, English, Latin and Welsh speakers in the frontier area surrounding Hereford at a time when Edward I was engaged in a persistent effort at "pacification" and colonization. For those inclined toward microhistory, many of the tales of alleged supernatural intervention by Thomas were backed by as many as twelve witnesses, drawn from all social classes, who often provide a highly detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the alleged miracle. An in-depth study of many of these miracles, in which persons were rescued from drowning, accidents, threats of death, imprisonment, possession and a variety of other difficulties, allows us to recreate the often complex ties of kinship and dependence that characterized the village community.
Bartlett's study focuses on the cases of Thomas Cragh, a Welshman accused of treason in the court of Swansea in 1290, taken to the gibbet with two other companions, hung, but allegedly rescued from death due to the posthumous intervention of Thomas of Hereford. In all likelihood, he had taken part in the rebellion of Rhys ap Maredudd and had participated in the battle of Oystermouth castle. The case was brought before the canonization commission in 1307, consisting of three high ecclesiastics, trained in canon law and theology, sitting in London and Hereford. These were experienced figures, involved in papal and local politics, including the trial of the Knights Templar. The protocol was then sent to Rome for adjudication, and the putative saint was canonized in 1320 by Pope John XXII. Cragh's miraculous revival, although well-documented, was not included among those pursued for further investigation by the curia, and was not among those cited in the bull of canonization as evidence of sanctity. Although other such cases of reprieve from death in the course of a hanging appear in other canonization records and miracle collections (most notably perhaps, the cases attributed to Elizabeth of Thuringia), this case enjoys the advantage of several independent manuscript sources and the considerable sophistication of papal canonization procedures which had been put into place by the early fourteenth century. Aware of the criticism voiced against poorly documented tales of the miraculous leveled by heretics, university scholars, and opponents of the Christian faith, the church attempted to make sure that all confirmed examples were air-tight and could stand up to the standard rules of evidence.
Bartlett provides a good summary of the court personnel and procedures employed at the various stages of the inquiry. He notes how each stage of the trial raised new issues, often due to the contradictory recollection of the witnesses concerning the date of the events, the circumstances, and the fact that not all eye-witnesses were present at all of the events leading up to and following the rescue from death. The victim himself did not fully remember what had happened. The twenty-year gap between the events and the date of the trial itself also further added to the confusion. Bartlett is therefore forced to undertake some sharp detective work in order to unravel the events. We are, however, fortunate in possessing an independent list of miracles recorded by local clerks, reported by pilgrims to the tomb of Thomas of Hereford, in which members of the familia of the local lord William de Briouze testified about the miraculous salvation from hanging and presented an ex-voto offering to the tomb. This brief, but essential, summary fills in some necessary gaps and contradictions in the later testimony, since it was recorded so close to the actual events. Although some presumed collusion may have occurred among the witnesses, all of whom were presumably interested in proving their parts in this supernatural intervention, Bartlett is largely able to resolve the difficulties. The commissions were clearly interested in guaranteeing that the miracle could pass curial and papal muster, untainted by deception, bribery or other subterfuge.
Bartlett's analysis focuses on several issues: the precise details of the execution per se; the political and social situation prevalent in the Welsh marches, particularly Gower, in the late thirteenth century; and the complicated history of the de Briouze family and its relationship with the region. Among the themes which reappear frequently in such protocols is the various means of measuring distance, age, and time, which may be crucial factors in determining the reliability of the testimony. He illustrates that, as was often the case, the chief intercessor and pleader for clemency was the local high-born patroness, Mary de Briouze, whose career as an heiress is relatively well documented. William Cragh himself also claims that in the course of his revival from death he had a vision of the Virgin Mary along with Thomas of Hereford, although no other witness could, of course, corroborate this.
Bartlett's work is a fine illustration of microhistory in the medieval context, when lacunae in the documentation may require modern historians to undertake more detailed and thorough spadework in unraveling the mystery. It indicates both the weaknesses and strengths of the microhistorical approach. How far can we make generalizations about medieval society based on one case study, however detailed? How reliable were the court personnel, considering their ideological commitment to the prevailing faith? How much is left out of the narrative, considering the relative absence of truly "hostile" witnesses. How far does adherence to rigid court procedure hinder the search for truth? On the other hand, such a court proceeding brings us closer to the believers themselves, albeit through the intervention of officialdom. Such an account frees us from the exclusive reliance on legal codes, theological treatises and other documents produced by the elite classes, which often provide a skewed view of conditions "on the ground." Those seeking an engrossing tale of crime and salvation in the thirteenth century needn't turn to fiction, but will be well-satisfied by picking up Bartlett's book which is written in a lucid and riveting style.