Lyfing, Abbot of Tavistock
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Lyfing of Winchester (died March 1046) was an Anglo-Saxon
prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...
who served as Bishop of Worcester,
Bishop of Crediton The Bishop of Crediton is an episcopal title which takes its name from the town of Crediton in Devon, England. The title was originally used by the Anglo-Saxons in the 10th and 11th centuries for a diocese covering Devon and Cornwall. It is now ...
and Bishop of Cornwall.


Life

Lyfing's uncle was Burhweald, Bishop of Cornwall,Lawson ''Cnut'' pp. 116–117 according to the medieval chronicler
William of Malmesbury William of Malmesbury ( la, Willelmus Malmesbiriensis; ) was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. He has been ranked among the most talented English historians since Bede. Modern historian C. Warren Hollister described him as " ...
.King "Ealdred" ''Anglo-Norman Studies XVIII'' p. 124 He was probably a monk either at
Winchester Abbey Hyde Abbey was a medieval Benedictine monastery just outside the walls of Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was dissolved and demolished in 1538 following various acts passed under King Henry VIII to dissolve monasteries and abbeys (see Diss ...
Barlow "Lyfing (d. 1046)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' or at
Glastonbury Abbey Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Its ruins, a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument, are open as a visitor attraction. The abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It w ...
. In 1009, he became Abbot of Tavistock,Knowles ''Heads of Religious Houses'' pp. 72, 255 and that was always his favourite of the offices he held. In 1027, he became the
Bishop of Crediton The Bishop of Crediton is an episcopal title which takes its name from the town of Crediton in Devon, England. The title was originally used by the Anglo-Saxons in the 10th and 11th centuries for a diocese covering Devon and Cornwall. It is now ...
, and about the same time he became Bishop of Cornwall on the death of his uncle Brihtwold, so he united those two sees, with the seat at Crediton.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 215Barlow ''English Church 1000–1066'' p. 73 His elevation probably was due both to his family and to his assistance to
Cnut Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norwa ...
in Rome.Lawson ''Cnut'' p. 137 There is also some indication he may have been a protégé of
Godwin, Earl of Wessex Godwin of Wessex ( ang, Godwine; – 15 April 1053) was an English nobleman who became one of the most powerful earls in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great (King of England from 1016 to 1035) and his successors. Cnut made Godwin the ...
. In 1038 or 1039, Lyfing also became Bishop of Worcester, but was deprived of the see in 1040.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 224 King
Harold Harefoot Harold I (died 17 March 1040), also known as Harold Harefoot, was King of the English from 1035 to 1040. Harold's nickname "Harefoot" is first recorded as "Harefoh" or "Harefah" in the twelfth century in the history of Ely Abbey, and according ...
gave Worcester to Lyfing because of Lyfing's support of Harold. His deprivation was due to King Harthacnut's belief that Lyfing was involved in the death of Harthacnut's half brother Alfred Atheling.Stenton ''Anglo-Saxon England'' p. 422-423 Lyfing was accused by Aelfric Puttoc, the
archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
, who briefly replaced Lyfing at Worcester.Stafford ''Unification and Conquest'' p. 80 Lyfing seems to have claimed that he was merely following the orders of Harold Harefoot.Mason ''House of Godwine'' p. 41 However, he was restored to Worcester in 1041 and held the three sees until his death on 20, 23 or 25 March 1046. Lyfing was a close friend and trusted counsellor of King Canute the Great and accompanied him on a pilgrimage to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
in 1027.
Florence of Worcester Florence of Worcester (died 1118), known in Latin as Florentius, was a monk of Worcester, who played some part in the production of the '' Chronicon ex chronicis'', a Latin world chronicle which begins with the creation and ends in 1140.Keynes, "Fl ...
, the medieval chronicler, claims that Lyfing, along with Godwin, was instrumental in securing the succession of Edward the Confessor to the throne of England on Harthacnut's death.Stafford ''Unification and Conquest'' p. 86 A tradition at Worcester also recorded that it was Lyfing, along with Archbishop
Eadsige Eadsige (died 29 October 1050), was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1038 to 1050. He crowned Edward the Confessor as king of England in 1043. Early career Eadsige was a royal priest for King Cnut before Cnut arranged for him to become a monk ...
of Canterbury, who forced
Sweyn Godwinson Sweyn Godwinson ( ang, Swegen Godƿinson) ( 1020 – 1052), also spelled Swein, was the eldest son of Earl Godwin of Wessex, and brother of Harold II of England. Early life In 1043 Sweyn was raised to an earldom which included Gloucestershi ...
to release Eadgifu, the abbess of
Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster i ...
whom Sweyn had kidnapped.Barlow ''Godwins'' p. 53 In revenge, Sweyn raided the lands of the diocese of Worcester.Barlow ''English Church 1000–1066'' p. 58 Before Lyfing's death, Aldred, who succeeded him at Worcester, had probably been acting as his suffragan or co-bishop.Barlow ''Edward the Confessor'' p. 86 When Lyfing died, he chose to be buried at
Tavistock Abbey Tavistock Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Rumon, is a ruined Benedictine abbey in Tavistock, Devon. Nothing remains of the abbey except the refectory, two gateways and a porch. The abbey church, dedicated to Our Lady and S ...
. Lyfing was a pluralist and never enjoyed a good reputation. However, the D version of the '' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' describes him as "the eloquent bishop", which may imply that he was noted as an important preacher.Lawson ''Cnut'' p. 66 Tavistock monks also remembered him as a great benefactor to their monastery.Barlow ''English Church 1000–1066'' p. 74


Notes


Citations


References

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Further reading

* Conner, Patrick W. (1993) ''Anglo-Saxon Exeter: a Tenth-century Cultural History'' Woodbridge : Boydell


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyfing Lyfing of Winchester Lyfing of Winchester Lyfing of Winchester Lyfing of Winchester Lyfing of Winchester Lyfing of Winchester Burials in Devon Year of birth unknown 11th-century English Roman Catholic bishops