William Ketel

William Ketel (floruit ) was a medieval English writer and clergyman. Little is known about the author, but his work survives in a transcription of a now-lost manuscript. The composition was a compilation of miracles relating to Saint John of Beverley as well as his cult. Most of the stories are known from other works, and the main historical value of Ketel's compilation lies in its information on the growth of the saint's cult and of Beverley Minster. The collection has been published as part of the Rolls Series.

Life The name "Ketel" was originally "Ketill", is of Scandinavian origin, and was common in the eastern section of England. Ketel was active around 1100 and is possibly the author of a work containing miraculous stories about Saint John of Beverley. From the dedication of the work, Ketel appears to have been a clerk of Beverley Minster. Ketel was also mentioned in John Leland's work Commentarii de Scriptoribus Britannicis, John Bale's work Scriptorum illustrium majoris Britanniae Catalogus, and Thomas Tanner's work Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica.