Reading Annalistic Obituaries as Biography

Annalistic obituaries of abbots who had resigned their positions frequently display their former titles without reference to the fact that these were no longer current. We may infer from this that some of the obits of churchmen, to whom multiple offices were ascribed without indication as to whether or not they were extant at the time of death, may actually record the positions held throughout their careers. Consideration of the demands of office and distances between churches substantiates this conclusion in a number of instances. Analysis of certain clerical obituaries allows us to reconstruct, tentatively, the career-paths of their subjects.