England Lord of Ely
The Lordship of Ely
Ely's lordship is one of resistance and ecclesiastical power. Hereward the Wake made his last stand here in 1071, holding out until the Conqueror built a causeway across the fens.
The Bishop of Ely was one of the wealthiest medieval churchmen, holding a Liberty with palatinate-like powers until 1836. Ely Cathedral, the 'Ship of the Fens,' features a unique octagonal lantern tower.
Oliver Cromwell lived in Ely before the Civil War. The drainage of the Fens by the Earl of Bedford and Cornelius Vermuyden transformed the lordship of the region.
Ely Place in London, the Bishop's townhouse in Holborn, was technically outside the Lord Mayor's jurisdiction until 1772.
Ely and the Peerage
The Bishop held palatinate-like powers until 1836. The Earl of Bedford directed the Fen drainage.
Among the notable figures associated with Ely, Bishop of Ely was known for palatinate-like powers. Hereward the Wake, last English resistance, also left a significant mark on the area's history.
View the full Peerage Hierarchy ChartNotable Lords of Ely
Ely Place in London was part of Cambridgeshire until 1772 because it belonged to the Bishop, the only London street outside the Lord Mayor's jurisdiction.
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