GUGLIELMO DI SHOREHAM (DE SCHORHAM)

GUGLIELMO of SHOREHAM (DE SCHORHAM). - English priest, born near Sevenoaks in Kent towards the end of the 13th century. In 1313 he became rector of Chart Sutton in the same county. The year of his death is unknown. He is probably the author of the first complete English version of the book of Psalms, found in a manuscript containing various poems, some of which bear his name in the colophon.

The Psalms are written in the Mercian dialect (of central England), not in that of Kent, but this does not seem sufficient reason to doubt G.'s authorship. The Psalms also contain 11 canticles, besides the Athanasian Creed. The poems were published by the Percy Society in 1849, and the Psalms, edited by Prof. Bülbring, appeared in 1891. G.'s work possesses great devotional value and is not without considerable, though not outstanding, literary merits.

BIBL.: A. W. Ward-A. R. Waller, Cambridge History of Engl. Liter., I. Cambridge 1907, p. 353; M. Ott, William of Shoreham, in Cath. Enc., 15 (1912), p. 638. Enrico Rope
Cite this article

“GUGLIELMO DI SHOREHAM (DE SCHORHAM).” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VI (1951), p. 755. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/guglielmo-di-shoreham-de-schorham.