Hermit.

His name is unknown.  Kerry called him Cornelius (In Reliquary) wrongly:  his vision was similar to Cornelius' (CLARK).

He probably came to Depedale between 1130 and 1140 (WARD, CLARK).

He was a baker from St Mary's Street, Derby, who had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary who told him to serve God in Depedale (WARD, CLARK).
At this time Mickleover church was subject to Derby church. The vision occurred during a midday sleep in the autumn (CLARK).

He went to Stanley, where he heard a woman telling a girl to take the calves to Depedale.
She told him to follow the girl (WARD).  St Mary's Derby had disappeared by the thirteenth century (CLARK).

He was found *in about 1135 by a rudely constructed hut (WHITE) aged and hairy (WHITE) *clothed in rags and skins (FOX) *destitute by Ralph FitzGeremund, who gave him the tithe of a mill at *Borrowash (WARD, FOX, CW/C).
*Not Borrowash, because FitzGeremund did not have charge of Borrowash, and the cartularies of Dale and Darley prove that the mill was in Alvaston (CLARK)..  
*Not Borrowash, but Alvaston (reason not explained) (SALTMAN).
Matilda gave Dale Abbey the 2nd moiety in 1261 (CLARK).

He *dug out a cave which took several years (WHITE) *found a well and *built an oratory nearby (CLARK).
*The hermit built a second oratory on the site of the south aisle of the church, which was built c. 1250 on the site of the oratory, it being no longer reparable. The Gomme had repaired the oratory when she built her chapel - the nave of the present church (KERRY).
*This is not proven:  the chronicle says he built his second' oratory near the well and
(1) the well is. not necessarily the one by the church
(2) 'near' doesn't necessarily mean the present south aisle and
(3) if the Gomme had rebuilt the south aisle c. 1250, Thomas would have known from Humphrey and would almost certainly have said.  The south aisle was not necessarily detached because the Norman abacus in the impost was not necessarily part of the original church, and anyway there may have been many reasons for rebuilding in 1250.  Case not proven (CLARK).

He performed simple services for travellers;  he was not a recluse (WARD).