Henry Murdac

Infobox Archbishop of York
name = Henry Murdac


consecration = 7 December 1147
began= January 1151
term_end = 14 October 1153
predecessor = William FitzHerbert
successor = William FitzHerbert
birth_date =
birthplace =
death_date = 14 October 1153
deathplace = Beverley
tomb =

Henry Murdac was abbot of Fountains Abbey (1144–1147) and Archbishop of York (1147–1153),

Early life

He was a native of Yorkshire,Knowles "The Monastic Order in England" p. 239] but descended from a wealthy family from Compton Murdac (now Compton Verney), in Warwickshire. He was friendly with Archbishop Thurstan of York, who gave him preferment in the Cathedral of York, however he resigned soon afterwards when Bernard of Clairvaux invited him to become a Cistercian monk at Clairvaux. He was a friend and companion there of the future Pope Eugenius III. He was later appointed the first abbot of Vauclair Abbey in the diocese of LaonClay "The Early Abbots of the Yorkshire Cistercian Houses" "Yorkshire Archaeological Journal" p. 16-17] and in 1144 returned to Yorkshire to assume the abbacy at Fountains.Knowles "Heads of Religious Houses" p. 132] Henry was a strict disciplinarian and a magnificent administrator, enforcing his rules by example, in living a life of great austerity and constantly wearing sackcloth next to his skin.

Henry was also at the forefront of opposition to the appointment of William FitzHerbert to the see of York, by King Stephen.Barlow "The English Church 1066-1154" p. 98-99] William, who was the king’s nephew, was accused by some of simony and unchaste living; in a letter to Pope Innocent II, Bernard maintained that Fitzherbert was ‘rotten from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.’ FitzHerbert was first suspended by the pope and then in 1147 formally deposed by the Council of Rheims at the instigation of Pope Eugenius III, Murdac's fellow monk of Clairvaux.

Archbishop

Murdac was then installed as the new archbishop, being consecrated on 7 December 1147Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 281] by Eugenius III.Davis "King Stephen" p. 99] He was the first Cistercian bishop in England,Bartlett "England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings" p. 431] as well as being the first bishop or archbishop elected since the Norman Conquest without the approval of the king.Burton "Monastic and Religious Orders" p. 77] However, the Chapter of York refused to acknowledge his appointment, so he retired to Ripon.Knowles "The Monastic Order in England" p. 255-257] King Stephen also refused to recognise him,Huscroft "Ruling England 1042-1217" p. 133-134] sequestering the stalls of York and imposing a fine on the town of Beverley for harbouring him. In retaliation, Murdac excommunicated Hugh de Puiset, Treasurer of York, and his other enemies and laid the city under interdict. Puiset, in return, excommunicated the Archbishop and ordered the services to be conducted as usual.Davis "King Stephen" p. 103-105] In this he was supported by Eustace, son of Stephen.

Murdac, in retaliation for Stephen's refusal to recognize his election, supported King David I of Scotland in 1449, when David invaded the north of England. David was ostensably invading to put his nephew Henry Plantagenet on the English throne, but modern historians feel that David was also pursuing his own aims of strengthening his kingdom. Murdac probably took the step of aligning himself with the Scots because of Murdac's desire to establish York's independence from the primacy of the see of Canterbury. Murdac hoped that David would be able to install Murdac in York, where the archbishop had been refused entry.Stringer "State-Building" in Appleby "Government, Religion and Society in Northern England" p. 57-59]

In 1150, Stephen finally recognized Henry Murdac as Archbishop of York, probably hoping that Henry would then intercede with Eugenius to secure the coronation of Eustace, but that didn't happen.Davis "King Stephen" p. 114] Murdac also continued to lack support in the city of York itself, and continued to reside at Ripon.Matthew "King Stephen" p. 131] Finally, in January of 1151, Henry was able to enter York. Later in 1151, the archbishop traveled to Rome to consult with the pope about Eustaces's coronation, but was unable to secure permission from the pope.Matthew "King Stephen" p. 201-203] In 1153, Puiset was elected Bishop of Durham, which greatly offended Murdac chiefly because he, as metropolitan of the province, had not been consulted. He excommunicated the prior and Archdeacon of Durham, who came to York to implore mercy and absolution. The King and his son Eustace implored him to grant the rebels absolution, but he refused, until they came to Beverley, acknowledged their fault, and submitted to scourging at the entrance to the Minster when he did finally absolve them.

Murdac spent five of his six years as Archbishop at Ripon. Despite everything, he retained his influence over Fountains and the three succeeding abbots, Maurice (1148), Thorald (1148-1150) and Richard (1150-1170), were suffragen abbots under him.

Death and afterwards

Henry died at Beverley on 14 October 1153. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=8457 British History Online Archbishops of York] accessed on 15 September 2007] Following Henry’s death, William FitzHerbert was reinstalled as archbishop and made his peace with the community at Fountains. Murdac was buried at York Minster.Burton "Murdac, Henry (d. 1153)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/19557 Online Edition] accessed 12 November 2007]

Notes

References

* Appleby, John C. and Paul Dalton (ed.) "Government, Religion and Society in Northern England 1000-1700" Stroud: Sutton Publishing 1997 ISBN 0-7509-1057-7
* Barlow, Frank "The English Church 1066-1154" London:Longman 1979 ISBN 0-582-50236-5
* Bartlett, Robert "England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings: 1075-1225" Oxford:Clarendon Press 2000 ISBN 0-19-822741-8
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=8457 British History Online Archbishops of York] accessed on 15 September 2007
*
* Burton, Janet "Murdac, Henry (d. 1153)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/19557 Online Edition] accessed 12 November 2007
* Clay, C. T. "The Early Abbots of the Yorkshire Cistercian Houses" "Yorkshire Archaeological Journal" vol. cxlix 1952 p. 8-43
* Davis, R. H. C. "King Stephen 1135-1154" Third Edition London:Longman 1990 ISBN 0-582-04000-0
*
* Huscroft, Richard "Ruling England 1042-1217" London: Pearson Longman 2005 ISBN 0-582-84882-2
*
* Knowles, Dom David "The Monastic Order in England: From the Times of St. Dunstan to the Fourth Lateran Council" Second Edition Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1976 reprint ISBN 0-521-05479-6
* Matthew, Donald "King Stephen" London: Hambledon and London 2002 ISBN 1-85285-514-2
* Stringer, Keith J. "State-Building in Twelfth-Century Britain: David I, King of Scots, and Northern England" in Appleby, John C. and Paul Dalton (ed.) "Government, Religion and Society in Northern England 1000-1700" Stroud: Sutton Publishing 1997 ISBN 0-7509-1057-7

External links

* [http://www.britannia.com/bios/abofy/hmurdac.html Henry Murdac at Britannia Biographies]

Persondata
NAME= Murdac, Henry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Abbot of Fountains; Archbishop of York
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=14 October 1153
PLACE OF DEATH=