Gilbert Foliot

Infobox bishopbiog
name =Gilbert Foliot


religion =Roman Catholic Church
See =Diocese of London
Title = Bishop of London
Period = 1163–1187
Predecessor = Richard de Beaumis
Successor =Richard FitzNeal
ordination =
bishops = Bishop of Hereford
post =Abbot of Gloucester
date of birth =
place of birth =
date of death = 18 February 1187
place of death =

Gilbert Folliot (c.1110 – 1187), was a medieval Bishop of Hereford, and a Bishop of London.

Life

He was probably the son of Robert Foliot, who was the steward of the earl of Huntingdon, and Robert's wife Agnes, sister of Robert de Chesney who was Bishop of Lincoln. He is is first mentioned as a monk of Cluny, whence he was called in 1136 to plead the cause of the Empress Matilda against King Stephen of England at the Roman court. Shortly afterwards he became prior of Cluny, then prior of Abbeville, a house dependent upon Cluny. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34422 British History Online Bishops of Hereford] accessed on 26 October 2007] There are some indications that he studied law at Bologna at some point.Turner "Roman Law" "Journal of British Studies" p. 9]

In 1139 he was elected abbot of Gloucester. The appointment was confirmed by Stephen, and from the ecclesiastical point of view was unexceptionable. But the new abbot proved himself a valuable ally of the empress, and her ablest controversialist. Folliot's reputation grew rapidly. He was respected at Rome; and he acted as the representative of the primate, Theobald of Bec, in the supervision of the Welsh church. In 1148, on being nominated by Pope Eugene III to the see of Hereford, Gilbert with characteristic wariness sought confirmation both from Henry of Anjou and from Stephen.Fact|date=April 2008 He was consecrated bishop of Hereford on 5 September 1148Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 250] at St-Omer by Archbishop Theobald. But he was an Angevin at heart, and after 1154 was treated by Henry II with every mark of consideration. He was Becket's rival for the primacy, and the only bishop who protested against the kings choice. Becket, with rare forbearance, endeavoured to win his friendship by procuring for him the see of London,Fact|date=April 2008 to which he was translated on 6 March 1163. His transfer was confirmed by Pope Alexander III on 19 March 1163 and he was enthroned at London on 28 April 1163. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33800 British History Online Bishops of London] accessed on 26 October 2007] But Gilbert evaded the customary profession of obedience to the primate, and apparently aspired to make his see independent of Canterbury. On the questions raised by the Constitutions of Clarendon he sided with the king, whose confessor he had now become. He urged Becket to yield, and, when this advice was rejected, encouraged his fellow-bishops to repudiate the authority of the archbishop. In the years of controversy which followed Becket's flight, the king depended much upon Gilbert's skill as a disputant and diplomatist. Foliot was twice excommunicated by Becket, but both on these and on other occasions he showed great dexterity in detaching the pope from the cause of the exile. To him it was chiefly due that Henry avoided an open conflict with Rome of the kind which John afterwards provoked. Foliot was one of the bishops whose excommunication in 1170 provoked the king's knights to murder Becket; but he cannot be reproached with any share in the crime. His later years were uneventful, though he enjoyed great influence with the king and among his fellow-bishops. Scholarly, dignified, ascetic in his private life, devoted to the service of the Church, he was nevertheless more respected than loved. His nature was cold; he made few friends; and the taint of a calculating ambition runs through his whole career.Fact|date=April 2008 He died on 18 February 1187.Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 258]

He sent his nephew and a clerk of his household to Bologna to study law in the 1160's, part of the growing movement to study Roman law in England.Turner "Roman Law" "Journal of British Studies" p. 9]

In the motion picture "Becket", he is portrayed by Donald Wolfit.

Notes

References

* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34422 British History Online Bishops of Hereford] accessed on 26 October 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33800 British History Online Bishops of London] accessed on 26 October 2007
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Persondata
NAME= Foliot, Gilbert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Bishop of Hereford; Bishop of London; Abbot of Gloucester
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=18 February 1187
PLACE OF DEATH=