a ▁have ▁been ▁dis cred ited ; ▁they ▁are ▁alleg ed ▁to ▁be ▁" pi ous ▁for ger ies " ▁introduced ▁in ▁attempts ▁to ▁establish ▁independence ▁or ▁senior ity ▁in ▁the ▁ecc les iast ical ▁hierarchy ▁formal ised ▁following ▁the ▁Norman ▁con quest ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁Wales . ▁The ▁first ▁arch ae ological ▁evidence ▁and ▁cred ible ▁records ▁showing ▁a ▁community ▁large ▁enough ▁to ▁maintain ▁churches ▁and ▁b ish ops ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁and ▁ 4 th ▁centuries . ▁These ▁more ▁formal ▁organis ational ▁structures ▁arose ▁from ▁material ly ▁mod est ▁beg inn ings : ▁the ▁British ▁deleg ation ▁to ▁the ▁ 3 5 3 ▁Council ▁of ▁R im ini ▁had ▁to ▁beg ▁for ▁financial ▁assistance ▁from ▁its ▁fell ows ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁return ▁home . ▁The ▁Rom ano - B rit ish ▁population ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁mostly ▁Christian ▁by ▁the ▁Sub - R oman ▁period . ▁The ▁Great ▁Cons pi racy ▁in ▁the ▁ 3 6 0 s ▁and ▁increased ▁ra iding ▁around ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁Britain ▁saw ▁some ▁ens la ved . ▁The ▁Sax on ▁invas ions ▁of ▁Britain ▁destroyed ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁formal ▁church ▁structures ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁Britain ▁as ▁they ▁progress ed , ▁replacing ▁it ▁with ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁German ic ▁poly the ism . ▁There ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁l ull ▁in ▁the ▁Sax on ▁west ward ▁expansion ▁tradition ally ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bad on ▁but , ▁following ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁Justin ian ' s