William Cumin (bishop)

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William Cumin
Denomination Catholic
Senior posting
See Diocese of Durham
Title Bishop of Durham elect
Period in office 1141–1143
Predecessor Geoffrey Rufus
Successor William of St. Barbara
Religious career
Previous post Archdeacon of Worcester
Personal
Date of death circa 1159

William Cumin was a medieval Bishop of Durham elect.

Contents

[edit] Life

William probably was related to a clerical family from near Rouen in Normandy. Several Cumin's were clerks in the chanceries of King Henry I of England and King Henry II of England, as well as in the dioceses of Rouen and Bayeux. A John Cumin, who became Archbishop of Dublin in 1182 may also have been a relative.[1] William Cumin was Archdeacon of Worcester by March of 1125 and the chancellor of King David I of Scotland[2] before 1136.[1] David was the uncle of the Empress Matilda.[3] Cumin was educated by Geoffrey Rufus, who had been chancellor to King Henry I of England and Bishop of Durham.[4] Cumin was captured at the Battle of the Standard in August of 1138, but was set free at the instigation of the papal legate, Alberic of Ostia.[1]

At the time of the death of Geoffrey Rufus, most of the diocese of Durham was under the control of King David. With the death of Geoffrey, David tried to gain control of the English diocese by installing his own candidate into Durham, this being his chancellor, Cumin.[5] When David came sourth to meet with the Empress, he stopped in Durham, where he refused to allow the burial of the previous bishop until Cumin was allowed into the see.[6] Cumin was intruded into the see of Durham about May 11, 1141, but was never consecrated.[2] However, when the Empress was driven from London in June of 1141, this deprived Cumin of some support.[4] Cumin still had the support of one of Geoffrey's nephews and support in the cathedral chapter and castle. But he was opposed by the nephew of another previous Bishop, Ranulf nephew of Ranulf Flambard who was an archdeacon at Durham, and by the papal legate to England.[3]

By 1142, David had withdrawn his support, and Cumin resorted to using a forged letter of support from the papacy in an attempt to get consecrated.[1] Eventually Cumin was deprived of his benefices by Pope Innocent II about March 14, 1143 as well as being excommunicated.[2] At the same time, the pope ordered a new election held at York Minster which selected the Dean of York, William of St. Barbara.[5] Cumin, however, still had the support of two of the local magnates, Henry, Earl of Northumbria and Alan, Earl of Richmond, and Cumin garrisoned the priory.[6] In 1144, Cumin negotiated a settlement of the dispute, in which he relinquished his claims to Durham in exchange for lands to endow his nephew Richard. Cumin was imprisoned for a time, but eventually returned to the south of England where he had the support of Gilbert Foliot, then Abbot of Gloucester.[1]

Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury then took up Cumin's cause in about 1146, and Theobald lobbied the papacy for Cumin's absolution.[1] Cumin was restored to some of his benefices by 1152, and was once more Archdeacon of Worcester by 1157. He died probably about 1158 or 1159.[7]

Two of his nephews served as knights in Scotland. William is noted as a knight by the Durham chronicle, and Osbert served Henry, earl of Northumberland. Both died in the before 1144 during the conflicts in Durham. Another nephew, Richard Comyn, received the honour of Richmond as part of his uncle's settlement at Durham. Richard was the ancestor of the Comyn family of Scotland.[1]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Young "Cumin , William (d. c.1160)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
  2. ^ a b c British History Online Bishops of Durham accessed on October 25, 2007
  3. ^ a b Barlow The English Church 1066-1154 p. 96-97
  4. ^ a b Barlow The English Church 1066-1154 p. 88
  5. ^ a b Huscroft Ruling England p. 134
  6. ^ a b Crouch Reign of King Stephen p. 310-311
  7. ^ British History Online Archdeacons of Worcester accessed on October 25, 2007

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

  • Young, A. William Cumin: border politics and the bishopric of Durham, 1141–1144 Borthwick Papers, 54 (1979)
  • Young, A. "The bishopric of Durham in Stephen's reign" Anglo-Norman Durham ed. D. Rollason, M. Harvey, and M. Prestwich (1994), p. 353–68
  • Round, J. H. "The origins of the Comyns" The Ancestor 10 (1904) p. 104–19
Roman Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Geoffrey Rufus		 Bishop of Durham
intruded, never consecrated
1141–1143		 Succeeded by
William of St. Barbara
Persondata
NAME Cumin, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Bishop of Durham elect
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH circa 1159
PLACE OF DEATH