William of York

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This article is about St. William, Archbishop of York, England. See also Saint William for other saints with this name.
Saint William of York
St William of York
Bishop and Confessor
Born c. late 11th century, York, England
Died June 8, 1154, York, England
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Canonized March 18, 1226, Rome by Pope Honorius III
Major shrine York Minster, York, England
Feast June 8
Attributes Bishop, Confessor
Saints Portal
Saint William of York
Archbishop of York
Enthroned {{{began}}}
Ended deprived 1147
June 8, 1154
Predecessor Henry de Sully
Henry Murdac
Successor Henry Murdac
Roger de Pont L'Evêque
Birth name William FitzHerbert
Died June 8, 1154
York
Buried York Minster
Christianity Portal

Saint William of York, (d. 1154) also known as William FitzHerbert, William I FitzHerbert and William of Thwayt, was an English priest and Archbishop of York. William FitzHerbert has the unusual distinction of having been Archbishop of York twice, both before and after his rival Henry Murdac. He was a relative of King Stephen of England, and the king helped secure FitzHerbert's election to York after a number of candidates had failed to secure papal confirmation. FitzHerbert faced opposition from the Cistercians who, after the election of the Cistercian Pope Eugenius III, managed to have the archbishop deposed in favor of the Cistercian Murdac. From 1147 until 1153, FitzHerbert worked to secure his restoration to York, which he finally achieved after the deaths of both Murdac and Eugenius. He did not retain the see long, as he died shortly after returning to York, allegedly having been poisoned. After St William's death miracles were reported at his tomb from the year 1177 onwards, and in the year 1226 he was declared a saint.

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[edit] Early life

Born William FitzHerbert in York, Yorkshire, William was the son of Herbert of Winchester, chancellor and treasurer of King Henry I. Most sources say his mother was Emma, half-sister of King Stephen and Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester,[1] and that she was an illegitimate daughter of Stephen II, Count of Blois, Stephen's father.[2] New research, however, suggests that Emma might have been a daughter of Hunger fitz Odin, who held lands in Dorset in the Domesday survey.[3] Fitzherbert was born sometime before the 1090s, but the exact date of birth is unknown.[3]

FitzHerbert held the prebendary of Weighton in the diocese of Yorkshire between June 27, 1109 and February 24, 1114.[4] Sometime between 1109 and 1114 he was appointed Treasurer of the Cathedral of York.[5] He was also appointed archdeacon of the East Riding of Yorkshire at an unknown date between 1125 and 1133. He apparently held both of these offices until his election as archbishop.[6]

[edit] Election problems

In January 1141 he was elected Archbishop.[7] Originally, the cathedral chapter of York had elected Waltheof in 1140, but that election was set aside because one of Waltheof's supporters had made an uncanonical gift[8] to secure Waltheof's election. Then Henry of Blois tried to secure the see for Henry de Sully, another nephew of Stephen and Henry's. Sully's election was opposed by Pope Innocent II, and it was only at the third election that FitzHerbert was selected. Whether he had been a candidate in the previous two elections is unknown.[9]

The election was opposed by the Cistercians and the archdeacons of York.[10] Theobald of Bec, the Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to recognize FitzHerbert's election due to allegations of simony, or the acquisition of church positions by bribery, and of interference by King Stephen.[11] In 1143, Pope Anastasius IV ruled that FitzHerbert could be confirmed in office if he swore under oath that the allegations were false. After he swore the oath, Henry of Blois, who was also papal legate, found FitzHerbert innocent, and he was consecrated as archbishop on September 26, 1143.[1]

[edit] Archbishop and controversy

View of the Ouse Bridge, which collapsed under William
View of the Ouse Bridge, which collapsed under William

As archbishop, FitzHerbert undertook a number of ecclesiastical reforms, and became popular with the people of York. However, he still needed a pallium, the sign of an archbishop's authority from the pope, which he not yet received. The Cistercians, who were still adamantly opposed his being archbishop, were determined to prevent his receiving it. FitzHerbert traveled to Rome in an attempt to obtain the pallium. The election of Pope Eugenius III, a Cistercian, in 1145, was a setback for FitzHerbert's cause.[12] The new pope suspended him from office for an alleged irregularity in the appointment of William of St. Barbara as Dean of York. Bernard of Clairvaux, the famous Cistercian abbot and religious leader, exerted all his influence to ensure FitzHerbert's suspension,[12] and FitzHerbert was required to obtain an in-person refutation of the old charges by William of St. Barbara, who was now the Bishop of Durham. While awaiting the decision in his case, FitzHerbert took up residence with one of his friends, Roger II, King of Sicily. He was deposed by Eugenius in early 1147 and the deposition was confirmed at the Council of Rheims on March 21, 1148. Another election to York was held, and the candidates included Hilary of Chichester who was the king's candidate, and Henry Murdac, who was the Cistercian abbot of Fountains Abbey. Murdac's supporters included the Cistercians and the clergy of the diocese, including William of St. Barbara. Both sides appealed to the pope, and the pope selected Murdac as the successful candidate.[1][10]

Stephen refused to accept FitzHerbert's deposition and the appointment of Murdac, and prevented Murdac from taking up residence in York. Stephen probably wished to trade recognition of Murdac for support for his son Eustace. Stephen was trying to secure the coronation of Eustace as his successor during his own lifetime, to defeat the rival claims to the throne of Henry of Anjou.[13][14] Within a few years, however, both Murdac and the new Pope had died, so FitzHerbert traveled to Rome to plead with the new pope, Anastasius V, for restoration to office. The pope concurred, and FitzHerbert's reappointment was confirmed on December 20, 1153.[1][15] On his return to York, while crossing the Ouse Bridge in York in triumphal procession, the bridge collapsed, yet no one was killed.[16]

[edit] Death and sainthood

St William's College near the Minster
St William's College near the Minster

However, after less than a month back in York, William FitzHerbert died, on June 8, 1154,[7] allegedly due to poison administered in the chalice at Mass.[15] One of FitzHerbert's clerks accused Osbert, an archdeacon of York, of the murder, and Osbert was summoned before the king to be tried at the royal court. Before the trial could take place, however, Stephen died, and the trial never took place.[17] William FitzHerbert was buried in York Minster and within a few months of his death, miracles were attributed to his intervention and, in 1223, a sweet-smelling oil flowed from his tomb. Pope Honorius III then ordered an investigation into the miracles. On March 18, 1226, he was canonized in Rome by Pope Honorius III.[18][1]

St William's feast day is celebrated on June 8, the day of his death,[19] although his veneration is largely localized to York. Traditional iconography and windows often depict St William's crossing of the Tweed; some iconography shows him crossing in a boat. St William's Coat of arms traditionally depict seven mascles or lozenges.[20] St William's College, which was named for him is next to York Minster. It was established between 1465 and 1467 with the permission of King Edward IV as the home for chancery priests of the Cathedral.[21] His remains were rediscovered in the 1960s and are now in the crypt at York Minster.[22]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Greenway "Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 6: York: List 1: Archbishops"
  2. ^ Davis King Stephen p. 172-173
  3. ^ a b Burton "William of York (d. 1154)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"
  4. ^ Greenway "Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 6: York: List 46: Prebendaries: Weighton"
  5. ^ Greenway "Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 6: York: List 5: Treasurers"
  6. ^ Greenway Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 6: York: List 11: Archdeacons: East Riding
  7. ^ a b Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 281
  8. ^ Known to non-clergy as a bribe.
  9. ^ Crouch The Reign of King Stephen p. 304
  10. ^ a b Barlow The English Church 1066-1154 p. 98
  11. ^ Poole Domesday Book to Magna Carta p. 191
  12. ^ a b Davis King Stephen p. 97-99
  13. ^ Davis King Stephen p. 103
  14. ^ Henry eventually became King Henry II of England after the death of Eustace and Stephen.
  15. ^ a b Barlow The English Church 1066-1154 p. 102
  16. ^ Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints p. 627-628
  17. ^ Richardson "The Governance of Mediaeval England," p. 288
  18. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope Honorius III
  19. ^ Manser (ed.) "Dictionary of Saints," p. 300
  20. ^ Heraldry associated with St. Wilfrid (& St. William of York) accessed on September 15, 2007
  21. ^ Page (ed.) "Collegiate churches: York (including York Minster)" "A History of the County of York: Volume 3," p. 375-386
  22. ^ York Minster FAQs, Question 8

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Roman Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Henry de Sully		 Archbishop of York
1143–1147		 Succeeded by
Henry Murdac
Preceded by
Henry Murdac		 Archbishop of York
(2nd Enthronement)
1153–1154		 Succeeded by
Roger de Pont L'Evêque
Persondata
NAME William of York, Saint
ALTERNATIVE NAMES FitzHerbert, William
SHORT DESCRIPTION Saint; Archbishop of York
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH June 8, 1154
PLACE OF DEATH
Languages