Bishop of Winchester Saints Birinus and Agilbert. It was transferred to Winchester in AD 660. During the Middle Ages, it was one of the wealthiest English sees and its bishops have included a number of politically prominent Englishmen, notably the 9th century Saint Swithun and medieval magnates including William of Wykeham and Henry of Blois. A cathedral at Dorchester was founded in 634 by the Roman missionary Saint Birinus. It was the seat of a Bishop of the West Saxons; the episcopal see for that kingdom was moved to Winchester in 660 and so the Wessex Bishops of Dorchester were succeeded by the
Dedications in the Church of England saints. An early example of this was in 386 when Saint Ambrose dedicated Milan Cathedral to Gervasius and Protasius whose graves he found nearby. Once the Church was established in England it became practice to dedicate a new church's patron saint during the act of consecration by the diocesan bishop, and in fact mass could not be held in a building until the consecration act had taken place. There is much evidence of the dedication of churches prior to 800, with most being dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Mary. During consecration the building would usually be named in honour