Biography of Bishop Henry of Blois 1098-1171

Paternal Family Tree: Blois

Maternal Family Tree: Gerberge Unknown Viscountess Anjou

1162 Thomas Becket appointed Archbishop of Canterbury

Bishop Henry of Blois was appointed Abbot of Glastonbury.

In 1080 [his father] Stephen Blois II Count Blois and Chartres (age 35) and [his mother] Adela Normandy Countess Blois (age 13) were married at Chartres [Map]. She by marriage Countess Blois. The difference in their ages was 22 years. She the daughter of [his grandfather] King William "Conqueror" I of England (age 52) and [his grandmother] Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England (age 49). He the son of [his grandfather] Theobald Blois III Count Blois (age 68) and [his grandmother] Gersenda Maine Countess Blois. They were third cousins.

Around 1098 Bishop Henry of Blois was born to Stephen Blois II Count Blois and Chartres (age 53) and Adela Normandy Countess Blois (age 31). He a grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England.

On 19th May 1102 [his father] Stephen Blois II Count Blois and Chartres (age 57) died. His son [his brother] William (age 17) succeeded Count Blois, Count Chartres.

In 1129 Bishop Henry of Blois (age 31) was appointed Bishop of Winchester.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 25th January 1129. This same year died the Bishop William Giffard of Winchester; and was there buried, on the eighth day before the calends of February. And the [his uncle] King Henry (age 61) gave the bishopric after Michaelmas to the Abbot Henry of Glastonbury (age 31), his nephew, and he was consecrated bishop by the Archbishop William of Canterbury (age 59) on the fifteenth day before the calends of December.

Florence of Worcester. 1130. Hugh, abbot of Reading, was elected archbishop of Rouen. Christ church, at Canterbury, was dedicated with great pomp, by William, archbishop of that city, on the fourth of the nones [the 4th] of May. The following bishops were present at the consecration:- John, bishop of Rochester, Gilbert of London, Henry of Winchester (age 32), Simon of Worcester, Alexander of Lincoln, Roger of Salisbury, Godfrey of Bath, Everard of Norwich, Sigefrid of Chichester, Bernard of St. David's; with Owen, bishop of Evreux, and John, bishop of Séez, from beyond sea. On the fourth day afterwards——that is, on the nones [the 7th] of May—the city of Rochester, Kent [Map] was destroyed by fire, while the king was there; and on the day following, being the feast of our Lord's Ascension, the new church of St. Andrew was consecrated by William the archbishop, some of the beforementioned bishops assisting him in the service. [Ansger], the excellent prior of Lewes, was elected at Winchester abbot of Reading, and afterwards ordained; also Ingulph, prior of Winchester, having been elected at Woodstock abbot of Abingdon, was ordained by RogerRoger, bishop of Salisbury. William, abbot of Gloucester, having voluntarily resigned his pastoral charge by reason of age, chose, with the consent of the brethren, a pious monk, of the same house, named Walter, who was ordained abbot by Simon, bishop of Worcester, on Sunday, the nones [the 3rd] of August. Serlo, also, a canon of Salisbury, was ordained abbot by the same bishop, at Blockley, an episcopal vill, and appointed to govern the abbey of Cirencester. Robert, prior of the church of Llanthony, being elected to the see of Hereford, was consecrated at Oxford, by William (age 60), archbishop of Canterbury. Henry, king of England, went over the sea.

Florence of Worcester. 16th August 1135. Godfrey, bishop of Bath, died on the seventeenth of the calends of September [16th August]; after some interval he was succeeded by a monk named Robert, a Fleming by descent, but born in England. Thus Robert, from a monk became a bishop, such being the pleasure of Henry (age 37), bishop of Winchester, who is now, but was not at that time, legate of the Roman church.

Note 1. From this passage, as we have remarked elsewhere, the continuator of Florence appears to have been a contemporary with Henry de Blois, at least, when he was in the zenith of his power.

Death of King Henry I

On 3rd January 1136 [his uncle] King Henry I "Beauclerc" England was buried at Reading Abbey, Berkshire [Map]. The Archbishop of Canterbury William of Corbeil (age 66), Bishop of Winchester Henry of Blois (age 38), Bishop Roger of Sailsbury and Edwar,d Abbot of Reading, were present at the burial, where masses were sung, rich offerings made and alms were distributed to the poor of Reading. The dead king's effigy was displayed on a hearse, and his body was buried in a tomb before the abbey church's High Altar, while [his brother] King Stephen (age 42) sat enthroned watching the rituals. The abbey church and the ground immediately outside became a desirable location for other royals and nobles to be buried.

On 8th March 1137 [his mother] Adela Normandy Countess Blois (age 70) died.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1140. And the earl stole out, and went after Robert, Earl of Glocester (age 41), and brought him thither with a large army. And they fought strenuously on Candlemas day against their lord, and took him; for his men forsook him and fled. And they led him to Bristol, and there put him into prison in close quarters. Then was all England stirred more than ere was, and all evil was in the land. Afterwards came the daughter of [his uncle] King Henry, who had been Empress of Germany (age 37), and now was Countess of Anjou. She came to London; but the people of London attempted to take her, and she fled, losing many of her followers. After this the Bishop of Winchester, Henry (age 42), the brother of [his brother] King Stephen (age 46), spake with Earl Robert, and with the empress, and swore them oaths, "that he never more would hold with the king, his brother," and cursed all the men that held with him, and told them, that he would give them up Winchester; and he caused them to come thither. When they were therein, then came the king's queen with all her strength, and beset them, so that there was great hunger therein. When they could no longer hold out, then stole they out, and fled; but those without were aware, and followed them, and took Robert, Earl of Glocester, and led him to Rochester, and put him there into prison; but the empress fled into a monastery. Then went the wise men between the king's friends and the earl's friends; and settled so that they should let the king out of prison for the earl, and the earl for the king; and so they did. After this settled the king and Earl Randolph at Stamford, and swore oaths, and plighted their troth, that neither should betray the other. But it availed nothing. For the king afterwards took him at Northampton, through wicked counsel, and put him into prison; and soon after he let him out again, through worse counsel, on the condition that he swore by the crucifix, and found hostages, that he would give up all his castles. Some he gave up, and some gave he not up; and did then worse than he otherwise would. Then was England very much divided. Some held with the king, and some with the empress; for when the king was in prison, the earls and the rich men supposed that he never more would come out: and they settled with the empress, and brought her into Oxford, and gave her the borough. When the king was out, he heard of this, and took his force, and beset her in the tower.¹⁶⁵ And they let her down in the night from the tower by ropes. And she stole out, and fled, and went on foot to Wallingford [Map]. Afterwards she went over sea; and those of Normandy turned all from the king to the Earl of Anjou (age 26); some willingly, and some against their will; for he beset them till they gave up their castles, and they had no help of the king. Then went Eustace, the king's son, to France, and took to wife the sister of the King of France. He thought to obtain Normandy thereby; but he sped little, and by good right; for he was an evil man. Wherever he was, he did more evil than good; he robbed the lands, and levied heavy guilds upon them. He brought his wife to England, and put her into the castle at…¹⁶⁶ Good woman she was; but she had little bliss with him; and Christ would not that he should long reign. He therefore soon died, and his mother also. And the Earl of Anjou died; and his son Henry took to the earldom. And the Queen of France parted from the king; and she came to the young Earl Henry; and he took her to wife, and all Poitou with her. Then went he with a large force into England, and won some castles; and the king went against him with a much larger force. Nevertheless, fought they not; but the archbishop and the wise men went between them, and made this settlement: That the king should be lord and king while he lived, and after his day Henry should be king: that Henry should take him for a father; and he him for a son: that peace and union should be betwixt them, and in all England. This and the other provisions that they made, swore the king and the earl to observe; and all the bishops, and the earls, and the rich men. Then was the earl received at Winchester, and at London, with great worship; and all did him homage, and swore to keep the peace. And there was soon so good a peace as never was there before. Then was the king stronger than he ever was before. And the earl went over sea; and all people loved him; for he did good justice, and made peace.

Note 165. The tower of the castle at Oxford, built by D'Oyley, which still remains.

Note 166. The MS. is here deficient.

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Florence of Worcester. 1140. A certain monk, of profound learning and knowledge, Peter by name, was preferred to the abbey of Malmesbury by Henry (age 42), bishop of Winchester, and legate of the holy Roman church. Having assumed the monastic habit at Cluni, he filled for some time the office of prior of La Charité, and was removed from thence to preside over the monastery of St. Urban, pope, in the diocese of Catalonia, but troubles increasing and threatening his own safety, he was compelled to quit the place, and at the instance of the before-mentioned bishop of Winchester, came to England, and this year undertook the government of the aforesaid church.

Annals of Winchester. [1141]. In this year, [his brother] King Stephen (age 47) came to Lincoln with a great army, thinking he could easily subdue the Earl of Chester (age 42) and his brother, along with their castle. However, Robert, Earl of Gloucester (age 42), whose sister [daughter] had been married to the Earl of Chester, came to their aid. Crossing the river Trent with difficulty, Robert and the Earl of Chester fought valiantly against the king and his forces. After many of the king's men were killed and captured, the king himself was captured, having been struck by a stone. He was then presented to the Empress Matilda (age 38), imprisoned in the castle, and held in chains. The Empress was received as the ruler by nearly all the leaders of England in Winchester, with the Lord Legate Henry (age 43), the Bishop of Winchester, presiding over the ceremony. She received the homage and fealty of all. However, the people of London did not submit willingly, or if they did, they did so grudgingly. Regardless, they continually plotted against her. When she happened to be in London, they made every attempt to capture her, but she was forewarned, leaving her belongings behind and escaping with her supporters. Finally, a dispute arose between the legate and the Empress. The Empress and her followers held the royal castle and the eastern part of Winchester, along with the townsmen. The legate and his supporters held their castle with the western part of the city and the Londoners. To make a long story short, the city was set on fire and laid waste. The nunnery church was burned, as was the church of Hyde, and a large crucifix was stripped of over two hundred marks of silver and thirty marks of gold. In the end, the Earl was captured and released as part of a ransom deal with the king. And so, the others were exchanged for others. The king regained his realm.

MCXLI. Hoc anno venit rex Lincolniam cum magno exercitu, æstimans comitem Cestrensem cum fratre suo et castello facile sibi posse subicere. Sed Robertus comes Glouecestriæ, cujus sororem comes Cestrensis dudum duxerat, venit eis in auxilium. Transitoque, licet cum difficultate, flumine Trenta, cum invento ibi rege et exercitu viriliter dimicavit, et comes Cestrensis cum suis ex parte altera. Exclusus rex, interfectis multis ex suis et captis, ictu denique lapidis procumbens, captus est, et imperatrici præsentatus, et in castello in annulis missus. Imperatrix igitur a domino legato Henrico, Wintoniensi episcopo, et omnibus fere capitaneis Angliæ apud Wintoniam in dominam suscepta est, suscepitque omnium homagia et fidelitates. Londonienses tamen non fecerunt fidelitatem, aut si fecerunt hoc, inviti. Licet autem fecerunt an non, semper ei insidiabantur, ita ut cum forte fuisset Londoniæ, illam capere modis omnibus temptaverunt; sed præmunita, relictis supellectilibus suis, clanculo cum suis aufugit. Facta demum inter legatum et imperatricem discordia, imperatrix cum suis castellum tenuit regium et orientalem partem Wintoniæ, et burgenses cum ea; legatus cum suis castrum suum cum parte occidentali et Londoniensibus. Quid multa? Combusca est civitas et depopulata. Ecclesia sanctimonialiurn combusta, et ecclesia de Hida, et excrustata est magna crux, inventæqne sunt in illa plus quam D. marcæ argenti et auri xxx. Comes postremo captus est, et redditus pro excambio regis, et sic cæteri alii pro aliis. Recepitque regnum suum rex.

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Florence of Worcester. 1141. Matilda goes to London. The empress, as we have already said, having treated with the Londoners, lost no time in entering the city with a great attendance of bishops and nobles: and being received at Westminster with a magnificent procession, took up her abode there for some days to set in order the affairs of the kingdom. Her first care was to take measures for the good of God's holy church, according to the advice of good men. She therefore gave the bishopric of London to a monk of Reading, a vene rable man, Robert by name [who accepted it], in the presence and by the command of his reverend abbot, Edward. God's business being thus done, the queen of England interceded with the lady [Matilda] for her lord the king, who was a captive in close custody and fetters. She was also entreated on his behalf by the highest and greatest nobles of England, who offered to deliver to her any number of hostages, with castles and large sums of money if the king were set free, and his liberty, though not his kingdom, was restored to him; promising to persuade him to abdicate the crown, and thenceforth devote himself to the service of God only, as a monk or pilgrim; but she would not listen to them. The bishop of Winchester (age 43), too, petitioned her that the earldom which belonged to his brother, should be given to his nephew, the king's son, but the lady [Matilda] refused also to listen to him. The citizens also prayed her that they might be permitted to live under the laws of king Edward, which were excellent, instead of under those of her father, king Henry, which were grievous. But, refusing to accept good advice, she very harshly rejected their petition, and in consequence there was a great tumult in the city; and a conspiracy being formed against her, the citizens, who had received her with honour, now attempted to seize her person with indignity. Being, however, forewarned by some of them, she fled shamefully with her retinue, leaving all her own and their apparel behind.¹

Note 1. "See "Gesta Stephani," pp. 383–385, Antiq. Lib.

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Thomas Becket appointed Archbishop of Canterbury

On 3rd June 1162 Archbishop Thomas Becket (age 42) was consecrated Archibishop Canterbury by Bishop Henry of Blois (age 64).

On 8th August 1171 Bishop Henry of Blois (age 73) died.

Florence of Worcester. Relics found at Southwell. At Southwell, a vill of the archbishop's, while a grave was being made for a funeral, there were found some relics of saints, and a glass phial with raised sides to prevent its being broken, and full of very clear water; which being given to the sick, they were on tasting it restored to their former health. I give the first of these miracles as I heard it; the last was related to me by Henry, bishop of Winchester.

Florence of Worcester. The bishop of Winchester, who was also legate of the holy Roman church, perceiving this, turned his mind to his brother's liberation, and to accomplish it, gained over the good-will and influence of the Londoners to his purpose. Meanwhile, the fugitive lady reached Gloucester, by way of Oxford, where, having consulted with Milo, the ex-constable, she immediately returned with him to Oxford, intending to tarry there while she re-assembled her scattered troops. And as she had chiefly used the counsel, and been supported by the assistance of Milo, insomuch that up to that time she had neither received provisions for a single day, nor had her table served, except by his munificence and forethought, as we have heard from Milo's own mouth¹, she conferred upon him while she was there the earldom of Hereford, to bind him more closely to her service, and as a distinguished reward for it.

Note 1. It appears from this and other incidental notices, that the monk of Worcester, to whom we are indebted for the continuation of the Chronicle of Florence, was not only cotemporary with the events be describes, but had access to persons of rank who took a leading part in them.