eloved S. Cuthbert, eventually settling at Chester-le-Street,
until, in the year 990, Bishop Aldhun, in terror of the Danes, again
fled southward to Ripon. The country at this time was ruled by that weak
monarch, Ethelred the Unready, and the Danes, finding no determined
opposition, continually made piratical incursions, and eventually,
through the treachery of three chieftains, the Castle of Bamburgh fell
into their hands. After an interval of three or four months peace was
made with the invaders, and Aldhun and his monks ventured to return
towards Chester-le-Street. It was during this journey, at a place called
Wredelau, that the car carrying the saint stuck fast, and the incidents
previously related occurred, which led to the founding of the Bishopric
of Durham.

#Aldhun# may therefore be called the first Bishop of Durham. He held
the see for twenty-nine years, and died in 1018. Aldhun it was who built
the first or White Church, now destroyed. It is extremely probable that
some of the stones of this church were used in the foundations of
Carileph's choir and apses.

After Aldhun's death the see remained vacant for three years, when he
was succeeded by

#Edmund# (1020-1040). It is said that the monks could not agree as to
who should succeed Aldhun, when one day Edmund, a presbyter, asked in a
joke, "Why not appoint me?" Being a pious and a faithful man, they took
him at his word, and, after much persuasion and fasting and prayer, he
was consecrated. The choice was a good one. Edmund was an energetic and
beloved prelate. He died at Gloucester in 1041. One of the most
important events during his episcopate was the invasion of Northumbria
by Duncan, King of the Scots. He besieged Durham, but was beaten off,
with great slaughter, and the heads of many of his men were exposed in
the market-place.

#Egelric# (1042-1056) was the next bishop. He was an alien, and made
himself obnoxious to the clergy and people. With the intention of
rebuilding, he pulled down the wooden church at Chester-le-Street, which
had been the seat of the bishopric for one hundred and thirteen years. A
large quantity of treasure was found while digging foundations, and this
Egelric appropriated and sent to his monastery at Peterborough, where he
soon followed it. Before resigning the see of Durham, however, he
secured the appointment of his brother to the bishopric. Some years
later William the Conqueror called him to account for his behaviour in