ABSTRACT
The 13th-century abbatial effigies in Peterborough have been a subject of antiquarian interest since they were recorded by Dugdale in the 17th century, and attention has focussed on the identification of the figures they commemorate. It is unsurprising to find that scholarly opinions have often conflicted, but the general consensus has been to date them all between the end of the 12th century and the end of the 13th. It is perhaps unfortunate that Peterborough had such a high turnover of abbots in this period, so that there are no fewer than thirteen candidates for the five places available. This paper does not seek to provide a definitive answer to the problem of attribution, but simply to examine the historiography and to offer a few suggestions.
