Henry of Blois

Infobox bishopbiog
name =Henry of Blois


religion =Catholic
See =Diocese of Winchester
Title = Bishop of Winchester
Period = 1129–1171
Predecessor = William Giffard
Successor =Richard of Ilchester
ordination =
bishops =
post =Abbot of Glastonbury
date of birth = 1101
place of birth =
date of death =8 August 1171 (aged 69-70)
place of death =

Henry of Blois, often known as Henry of Winchester; [That name was also a nickname of Henry III of England.] (1101 – 1171) was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126 and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death.

Life

Henry was one of five sons of Stephen, Count of Blois by Adela of Normandy (daughter of William the Conqueror) and therefore brother of King Stephen. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33876 British History Online Bishops of Winchester] accessed on 2 November 2007] Henry's father died in 1102 while on crusade during the Second Battle of Ramla, leaving an estate with more than 350 castles and large properties in France including Chartres.

Henry was educated at Cluny and adhered to the principles of Cluniac reform, which included a sense of intellectual freedom and humanism, as well as a high standard of devotion and discipline. Henry was brought to England by King Henry I, to be Abbot of Glastonbury. On 4 October 1129, he was given the bishopric of WinchesterPowicke "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 258] and allowed to keep his beloved Glastonbury Abbey. He was consecrated bishop on 17 November 1129. He had ambitions to become Archbishop of Canterbury, but refused to abandon his work and obligations to Glastonbury. Soon after his appointment to the see of Winchester, Blois came to resent his subservience to Canterbury. He therefore set about building a power base to persuade the king to create a third, West Country archdiocese with himself at the head [McIlwain, John (1999), "The Hospital of St Cross", page 4, Pitkin Unichrome Ltd, Andover. ISBN 0 85372 642 6] . This scheme was unsuccessful. However, on 1 March 1139, during the reign of his brother Stephen, Henry obtained a commission as papal legate, which gave him higher rank than Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury, making him the most powerful figure in the English Church during the troubled times of the so-called "Anarchy". Thus, when his brother was unavailable, Henry Blois was the most powerful man in England.

Stephen Blois was crowned King of England in 1135, but the relations between the two were not always peaceful. After the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, Henry found it more advantageous to support Empress Matilda; but later found her arrogant and greedy. The next year, Henry rejoined his brother's side, and his successful defence of Winchester against the Empress was the turning point of the civil war. As Abbot of Glastonbury, Blois remained in contact with Peter the Venerable at Cluny and was made aware of most of the controversies on the continent, specifically the persecution of Peter Abelard.

Before and after his elevation to Bishop, Blois was an advisor to his brother Stephen and survived him. Henry Blois engineered hundreds of projects, including the greatest developments at Glastonbury Abbey before the destructive fire of 1185. Unlike most bishops of his age, Henry had a passion for architecture. He built the final additions to Winchester Cathedral and Winchester Palace, including a tourist tunnel under the cathedral to make it easier for pilgrims to view relics. He also designed and built additions to many palaces and large houses including the castle of Farnham, Surrey [http://www.farnhamcastle.com/history/ History of Farnham Castle] accessed on 2 November 2007] and began the construction of the hospital of St Cross at Winchester.

The expiration of his legatine commission on 23 September 1143 deprived him of much of his power. His efforts to renew the commission were unsuccessful, but he made a personal visit to Rome and secured several favors for Glastonbury and the Benedictine order in general. Shortly after his brother's death and the accession of Henry II, Blois retired to Cluny for three years to mourn his mentor Peter the Venerable, who died on Christmas Day, 1156.

Blois wrote or sponsored several books including the "Antiquities of Glastonbury", by William of Malmsbury, his close personal friend. He also inspired the largest illuminated bible project ever attempted, a huge folio edition standing nearly three feet in height. This Bible is still on display at Winchester, although it was never fully finished.

In his later years Bishop Blois was appointed to preside over the trial of Thomas Becket and secretly supported Becket's family before and after his assassination.

He died on 8 August 1171.

Bishop Blois is now buried at Winchester in a plain stone crypt in the choir, but there is a controversy because some sources claim he was also buried at Cluny. During his lifetime he was occasionally referred to as, "a king without a throne", and "the power behind the throne". In the "Antiquities", Malmsbury described him saying, "Yet, in spite of his noble birth he blushes when praised."

Hank Harrison in the "Grail in the Stars" claims Henry Blois is the anonymous author of the famed book "Perlesvaux", known in English as the "High History of the Holy Grail".

ee also

* List of bishops of Winchester

Notes

References

*
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33876 British History Online Bishops of Winchester] accessed on 2 November 2007
* [http://www.farnhamcastle.com/history/ History of Farnham Castle] accessed on 2 November 2007
* Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961

Further reading

*

Persondata
NAME=Henry of Blois
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Henry of Winchester
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Bishop of Winchester; Abbot of Glastonbury
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=8 August 1171
PLACE OF DEATH=