The Most Revd. Martyn Douglas - Superior General
The Most Reverend Martyn Douglas is the Superior General of TESSAC and Bishop of the Diocese of Hamtun, based in Southampton. He has over twenty years experience in parochial ministry. Bishop Martyn trained for the Anglican Priesthood at St. Stephen's House, Oxford from 1985-1988. Bp. Martyn was originally ordained in Winchester Cathedral in 1988. His orders were regularised (sub conditione) in September of 2009 by the Right Reverend Robert McBride and possesses valid, Old Catholic and Roman Catholic Lines of Succession as well as Greek and Russian Orthodox. On Saturday 31st of October 2009, the Right Reverend Robert McBride consecrated Bishop Martyn to the Episcopate. Bishop Martyn also looks after the training needs of ordinands and the post-ordination training of the clergy. Bishop Martyn has an extensive funeral ministry in the local area, covering from Southampton, Winchester, Basingstoke, Wimborne, Poole, and surrounding areas..
Bishop Martyn enjoys photography, reading, walking the dogs, and at weekends a nice glass of red wine! Bishop Martyn has a particular devotion to St. Francis, and has an ambition to travel to Assisi one day to see the church St. Francis re-built. The real Francis was a high-spirited and rather wealthy young man, on the road toward economic success and military glory. He renounced it all to follow the gospel. The ideas and values that he personified - simplicity of life, nonviolence, humility, love of the creation, are worthy ones for us all to follow.
Bishop Martyn is available for Baptisms, Funerals, Weddings, and Various Blessings after Civil Services. He can be contacted via Email: bishopofhamtun@tessac.co.uk
Bishop Martyn offers an Independent Ministry. We believe that the main stream churches alienate so many different people. Whoever comes to our church will be welcomed, whatever their background, race or sexual orientation. We are not here to judge individuals, but to accept them as they are. Individual spiritual growth is offered. We offer worship in the Catholic Tradition, and are Orthodox in our teachings about Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Bishop Martyn enjoys photography, reading, walking the dogs, and at weekends a nice glass of red wine! Bishop Martyn has a particular devotion to St. Francis, and has an ambition to travel to Assisi one day to see the church St. Francis re-built. The real Francis was a high-spirited and rather wealthy young man, on the road toward economic success and military glory. He renounced it all to follow the gospel. The ideas and values that he personified - simplicity of life, nonviolence, humility, love of the creation, are worthy ones for us all to follow.
Bishop Martyn is available for Baptisms, Funerals, Weddings, and Various Blessings after Civil Services. He can be contacted via Email: bishopofhamtun@tessac.co.uk
Bishop Martyn offers an Independent Ministry. We believe that the main stream churches alienate so many different people. Whoever comes to our church will be welcomed, whatever their background, race or sexual orientation. We are not here to judge individuals, but to accept them as they are. Individual spiritual growth is offered. We offer worship in the Catholic Tradition, and are Orthodox in our teachings about Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Why Hamtun?
The history of Southampton, as a settled site, reaches back in time almost 2000 years. In the 1st century AD the Romans established a harbour at modern-day Bitterne on the eastern bank of the River Itchen, one of the two rivers that flow into Southampton Water. This Roman port was called Clausentum and by the 4th century it had been reduced in area and surrounded by a defensive stone wall - excavations in 1951-4 revealed the remains of a number of stone buildings from the Romano-British period, including a bathhouse.
The next recorded settlement on the site is the Saxon port of Hamtun, important enough in the 8th century to give its name to the county of Hamtunsiir, thus Hampshire, while the Domesday Book version Hantescire provides the modern abbreviation of Hants. It is here at the site of the future Southampton that King Canute (1017-35) is reputed to have ordered the tide to recede. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, William had landed more of his troops at Southampton, and the township grew rapidly under Norman rule, as the port of convenience situated between Normandy and the then English capital of Winchester.
Some dates:
c.510: Probable founding of royal estate of Hamtun at St. Mary’s.
534: Death of Cerdic. His territories later becomes Hamtunscir. Hamtun has about 150 people.
635: Gewissian capital moved to Winchester (NB water travel much easier, and Hamtun is Winchester’s port). Christianity; St. Mary’s Church prob. built soon after.
661: Meonwaras and Wihtware (East Hampshire and Wight) fall under Mercian control after battle of Pontesbury. Hamtun's first ‘town’ wall built of wood.
685: Cadwalla regains lost Gewissan lands. Threat lifts. Country renamed Wessex.
690: King Ine builds a new trading port a mile away at Hamwick (wick = trading centre). Vast increase in trade with the Continent.
757: Deposed King Sigeberht murders Cumbra, alderman of S. Hampshire, in the town and is later killed at Privett by a pig-farmer, one of Cumbra’s men.
840: Viking fleet defeated N. of Southampton after raiding Winchester. There is a gradual defection from Hamtun to Hamwic, but the people take their name with them, the 'new' town becoming Hamtun.
875: Viking fleet passes Southampton on way to Wareham. Luckily doesn’t stop!
911-27: Great Reconquest captures (Northampton) in 918. Hamtun becomes Southamtun to avoid confusion.
The history of Southampton, as a settled site, reaches back in time almost 2000 years. In the 1st century AD the Romans established a harbour at modern-day Bitterne on the eastern bank of the River Itchen, one of the two rivers that flow into Southampton Water. This Roman port was called Clausentum and by the 4th century it had been reduced in area and surrounded by a defensive stone wall - excavations in 1951-4 revealed the remains of a number of stone buildings from the Romano-British period, including a bathhouse.
The next recorded settlement on the site is the Saxon port of Hamtun, important enough in the 8th century to give its name to the county of Hamtunsiir, thus Hampshire, while the Domesday Book version Hantescire provides the modern abbreviation of Hants. It is here at the site of the future Southampton that King Canute (1017-35) is reputed to have ordered the tide to recede. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, William had landed more of his troops at Southampton, and the township grew rapidly under Norman rule, as the port of convenience situated between Normandy and the then English capital of Winchester.
Some dates:
c.510: Probable founding of royal estate of Hamtun at St. Mary’s.
534: Death of Cerdic. His territories later becomes Hamtunscir. Hamtun has about 150 people.
635: Gewissian capital moved to Winchester (NB water travel much easier, and Hamtun is Winchester’s port). Christianity; St. Mary’s Church prob. built soon after.
661: Meonwaras and Wihtware (East Hampshire and Wight) fall under Mercian control after battle of Pontesbury. Hamtun's first ‘town’ wall built of wood.
685: Cadwalla regains lost Gewissan lands. Threat lifts. Country renamed Wessex.
690: King Ine builds a new trading port a mile away at Hamwick (wick = trading centre). Vast increase in trade with the Continent.
757: Deposed King Sigeberht murders Cumbra, alderman of S. Hampshire, in the town and is later killed at Privett by a pig-farmer, one of Cumbra’s men.
840: Viking fleet defeated N. of Southampton after raiding Winchester. There is a gradual defection from Hamtun to Hamwic, but the people take their name with them, the 'new' town becoming Hamtun.
875: Viking fleet passes Southampton on way to Wareham. Luckily doesn’t stop!
911-27: Great Reconquest captures (Northampton) in 918. Hamtun becomes Southamtun to avoid confusion.