William Walcher

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William Walcher
Denomination Catholic
Senior posting
See Diocese of Durham
Title Bishop of Durham
Period in office 1070–1080
Predecessor Ethelwin
Successor William de St-Calais
Personal
Date of death May 14, 1080
Place of death Gateshead

William Walcher or just Walcher (sometimes Walchere or Walker) (d. 14 May 1080) was the bishop of Durham from 1071,[1] a Norman, the first to hold that see, and an appointment of William the Conqueror.

He was a priest in Lotharingia who was invited by William I to fill the post, and he was consecrated bishop in 1071 and probably enthroned on April 3, 1071.[2] During the first part of his term as bishop, he was on friendly terms with Waltheof earl of Northumbria, so much so that Waltheof sat with the clergy when Walcher held synods.[3] After Waltheof rebelled and lost his earldom, Walcher was allowed to buy the earldom.[4] Walcher planned to introduce monks into his cathedral chapter, and was remembered as encouraging monasticism in his diocese.[5]

Walcher was a saintly man[6] but an incompetent leader. According to Symeon of Durham, Walcher's household knights were allowed to plunder and occasionally kill natives without punishment. [7] One of Walcher's councellors was Ligulf of Lumley, who was connected by birth to the old Northumbrian line and was married to the daughter of Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia.[8] Ligulf's presence in the bishop's council provided a link with the local aristocracy. There was a Scottish invasion in 1079, which Walcher was unable or unwilling to deal with effectively.[9] The Scots, under Malcolm III, were able to plunder Northumberland for about three weeks unopposed before returning to Scotland with slaves and booty. [10] Ligulf was very critical of Walcher's conduct. A feud ensued between Ligulf and two of Walcher's henchmen, his chaplain Leobwin and his kinsman Gilbert. Gilbert attacked Ligulf's hall in the middle of the night and Ligulf and most of his household were killed. [11]

The Northumbrians were enraged at the murder of one of their leaders and there was a real threat of rebellion. In order to calm the situation Walcher agreed to travel from Durham and meet Ligulf's kinsmen at Gateshead. He travelled with at least one hundred retainers for safety. At Gateshead, he met Eodulf Rus the leader of the kinsmen and was presented with a petition of wrongs committed. Walcher rejected these and the enraged Northumbrians attacked the Norman party. Walcher and his men sought refuge in a nearby church but the Northumbrians set fire to it. Leobwin died in the blaze and when Walcher, Gilbert and the rest of his party were forced out by the flames they were killed.[8] on May 14, 1080[2] at Gateshead.[12]

Following the murder of Walcher, the rebels attacked Walcher’s castle at Durham and besieged it for four days, before returning to their homes. The result of their rising and the murder of William’s appointed bishop, led William to send his half brother Odo of Bayeux with an army to harry the Northumbrian countryside. Many of the native nobility were driven into exile and the power of the Anglo-Saxon nobility in Northumbria was broken. [13]

Walcher was considered a well-educated bishop, and had a reputation as a pious man.[5] Symeon of Durham portrayed him as an honest, upright man who diligently performed his episcopal duties. [14] Walcher's successor as Earl of Northumbria was Aubrey de Coucy.[15] William of Saint Carilef was the next prince-bishop, though not earl.[16]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 241
  2. ^ a b British History Online Bishops of Durham accessed on October 25, 2007
  3. ^ Barlow The English Church 1066-1154 p. 152
  4. ^ Douglas William the Conqueror p. 240
  5. ^ a b Barlow The English Church 1066-1154 p. 62
  6. ^ Douglas William the Conqueror p. 327
  7. ^ Kapelle, William The Norman Conquest of the North p. 138
  8. ^ a b John Sadler Battle for Northumbria p. 51
  9. ^ Barlow The Feudal Kingdom of England Fourth Edition p. 94
  10. ^ Kapelle, William The Norman Conquest of the North p. 139
  11. ^ Kapelle, William The Norman Conquest of the North p. 139
  12. ^ Stafford Unification and Conquest p. 123
  13. ^ Kapelle, William The Norman Conquest of the North p. 141
  14. ^ Kapelle, William The Norman Conquest of the North p. 137
  15. ^ Powell The House of Lords p. 32
  16. ^ Powell The House of Lords p. 36

[edit] References

  • Barlow, Frank The English Church 1066-1154 London:Longman 1979 ISBN 0-582-50236-5
  • Barlow, Frank The Feudal Kingdom of England: 1042-1216 Fourth Edition New York: Longman 1988 ISBN 0-582-49504-0
  • British History Online Bishops of Durham accessed on October 25, 2007
  • The Complete Peerage. London: The St. Catherine Press. 1936, 9:705. 
  • Douglas, David C. William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England Berkeley: University of California Press 1964
  • Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology, Third Edition, revised, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X. 
  • Kapelle,William. The Norman Conquest of the North University of North Carolina Press ISBN 0-7099-0040-6
  • Powell, J. Enoch and Keith Wallis The House of Lords in the Middle Ages: A History of the English House of Lords to 1540 London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1968
  • Sadler, John Battle for Northumbria Bridge Studios 1988 ISBN - 0 9512630 3 X
  • Stafford, Pauline Unification and Conquest: A Political and Social History of England in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries London: Edward Arnold 1989 ISBN 0-7131-6532-4
Roman Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Ethelwin		 Bishop of Durham
1071–1080		 Succeeded by
William de St-Calais
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Waltheof		 Earl of Northumbria
1075–1080		 Succeeded by
Aubrey de Coucy
Persondata
NAME Walcher, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Walcher; Walchere; Walker
SHORT DESCRIPTION Bishop of Durham; Earl of Northumbria
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH May 14, 1080
PLACE OF DEATH Gateshead