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William Walcher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Senior posting | |
| See | Diocese of Durham |
| Title | Bishop of Durham |
| Period in office | 1070–1080 |
| Predecessor | Ethelwin |
| Successor | William of Saint Carilef |
| Personal | |
| Date of birth | |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | May 14, 1080 |
William Walcher or just Walcher (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 the first prince-bishop (or earl-bishop) from his elevation to the earldom of Northumbria after Waltheof's rebellion, deposition, and execution in 1075. Waltheof had been a close friend: he built a castle at Durham for his bishop.
He was consecrated bishop in 1071 and probably enthroned on April 3, 1071.[2]
Walcher was a saintly man but an incompetent leader. One of Walcher's councellors was Ligulf, who was connected by birth to the old Northumbrian line. There was a Scottish invasion in 1079, which Walcher was unable or unwilling to deal with effectively, and 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. The outcome was that Ligulf and his household were butchered. 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 fell upon 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 massacred[3] on May 14, 1080[2]
Walcher's successor as Earl of Northumbria was Aubrey de Coucy. William of Saint Carilef was the next prince-bishop, though not earl.
- ^ Powicke Handbook of British Chronology p. 220
- ^ a b British History Online Bishops of Durham accessed on October 25, 2007
- ^ John Sadler Battle for Northumbria p. 51
- British History Online Bishops of Durham accessed on October 25, 2007
- The Complete Peerage. London: The St. Catherine Press. 1936, 9:705.
- Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
- Sadler, John Battle for Northumbria Bridge Studios 1988 ISBN - 0 9512630 3 X
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ethelwin |
Bishop of Durham 1071–1080 |
Succeeded by William of Saint Carilef |
| Regnal titles | ||
| Preceded by Waltheof |
Earl of Northumbria 1075–1080 |
Succeeded by Aubrey de Coucy |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Walcher, William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Walcher |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Bishop of Durham, Earl of Northumbria |
| DATE OF BIRTH | |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 14, 1080 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |