Robert of Holy Island

Infobox bishopbiog
name =Robert of Holy Island


religion =Catholic
See =Diocese of Durham
Title = Bishop of Durham
Period = 1274–1283
Predecessor = Robert Stitchill
Successor =Antony Bek
ordination =
bishops =
post =
date of birth =
place of birth =
date of death =7 June 1283
place of death =

Robert of Holy Island or Robert de Insula was a medieval Bishop of Durham.

Robert was the son of crofters and was a native of the island of Lindisfarne.Moorman "Church Life" p. 25] He had a brother, Henry, who became Robert's executor. He became a Benedictine monk at Durham, where he served as sacrist from 1265 to 1269. He was prior of Durham's dependent monastic cell at Finchale by 1272. Robert was sent as a representative of the Durham cathedral chapter to the Second Council of Lyon in 1274. Piper "Holy Island, Robert of (d. 1283)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"] He was elected to the see of Durham on 24 September 1274. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33859 British History Online Bishops of Durham] accessed on 25 October 2007] He was consecrated on 9 December 1274 at York.

While Robert was bishop, in 1281, the Archbishop of York William Wickwane declared that he was going to inspect the cathedral chapter at Durham. The monks claimed an exemption from oversight by the archbishops of York, and were supported by Robert as bishop. When the archbishop attempted to enter the cathedral chapter in June of 1281, he found the doors shut and locked. Both sides sued each other, and the resulting litigation dragged on for year. In fact, it was never technically resolved, and is one of the longest law cases on record.

He died on 7 June 1283Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 242] at Bishop Middleham. He was buried in the chapter house at Durham Cathedral on 10 June 1283.

Notes

References

* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33859 British History Online Bishops of Durham] accessed on 25 October 2007
*
*
* Piper, A. J. "Holy Island, Robert of (d. 1283)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14434 Online Edition] accessed 2 February 2008

Persondata
NAME=Robert of Holy Island
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Insula, Robert de
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Bishop of Durham
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=7 June 1283
PLACE OF DEATH=