Gisa (bishop of Wells)

Gisa (also spelt Giso; died 1088) was Bishop of Wells from 1060 to 1088.

Life

Gisa was born in Lorraine, probably the village of St Trond in modern Belgium, and was among a number of foreign churchmen brought to England by Edward the Confessor. At first he held the position of king's chaplain, but in January 1060 or possibly January 1061 he was elected to become Bishop of Wells. Pope Nicholas II consecrated him on 15 April 1061 in Rome. He went to Rome for consecration because the current Archbishop of Canterbury was Stigand, who successive popes had excommunicated for various irregularities, and traveled in company with another bishop Walter of Lorraine, the Bishop of Hereford-elect and Tostig Godwinson. The Vita Edwardi says that he was "most suitably and excellently trained."

On Gisa's arrival in the see he found the church there quite poor. He constructed cloisters to the north of Wells Cathedral and communal buildings to the south for the canons. He ordered the canons to live together under a rule, but exactly which rule it was is unknown. After the Conquest, he introduced the veneration of new saints into his cathedral, as well as setting up an archdeacon in the diocese for the first time He also wrote a history of the church. He worked to restore lands formerly held by the bishop or cathedral that had been unjustly acquired by others.