The identity of Jocelin of Brakelond, a monk of Bury St Edmunds who compiled a chronicle of the house, has fuelled debate over the years. It has been argued that he should in fact, be equated with Jocellus, the cellarer, whom he mentions in his chronicle. This was the opinion of R.H.C.Davis who in 1954 maintained that charters witnessed by ‘Jocelin the cellarer’ in 1198 and 1200/1 reveal that Jocelin of Brakelond was actually Jocellus the cellarer, whose sense of humility and modesty caused him to assume this pseudonym. For Davis this explained Jocelin's extensive knowledge of the cellarer's affairs and his concern to vindicate the office. Davis' interpretation has been accepted by Scarfe and Thomson, and Scarfe argued that Jocellus was, in fact, ‘a transparent pseudonym’ combining Jocelin and celerarius. In short, the Davis camp argues that Jocelin of Brakelond was demoted from the cellar to the sub-cellar c. 1200–1, where he officiated as guestmaster and subcellarer; Davis suggests that these two posts were joined, but Scarfe implies that the one official held both offices. This may well be so, but as Gransden argues, there is no evidence that this was the case. Bernard McGuire's more tentative interpretation is convincing. He suggests that it is likely, though not conclusive, that Jocelin was appointed guestmaster when Jocellus was assigned to the cellar in 1197, and that he remained there during the cellarer's demotion and reinstatement.