Leofric (bishop)

Infobox bishopbiog
name =Leofric


religion =Catholic
See =Diocese of Crediton
Diocese of Exeter
Title = Bishop of Crediton
Bishop of Exeter
Period = 1046–1072
Predecessor = Lyfing of Winchester
Successor =Osbern FitzOsbern
ordination =
bishops =
post =
date of birth = 1016
place of birth =
date of death =1072
place of death =

Leofric (1016–1072 AD) was a medieval Bishop of Exeter.

Early life

He was probably born in Cornwall, and his parents probably were English.Hindley "Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons" p. 239] The medieval chronicler Florence of Worcester referred to him as a "Brytonicus", which presumably meant that he was a native of Cornwall.Barlow "English Church 1000-1066" pp. 83-84] He had a brother, Ordmaer, who acted as his steward and administered the family estates.Barlow "Leofric (d. 1072)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"] Leofric was educated in Lotharingia,Barlow "Feudal Kingdom of England" p. 34] and may have been brought up abroad also.Huscroft "Ruling England" p. 50] His education may have taken place at the church of St Stephen's in Toul.

He became King Edward the Confessor's chaplain while Edward was still in exile on the continent, although how or when exactly the two met is unknown.Barlow "Edward the Confessor" p. 50] The historian Frank Barlow speculates that it may have been at Bruges in 1039. When Edward returned to England at the invitation of King Harthacnut, Edward's half-brother, Leofric accompanied him, witnessing charter's during Harthacnut's lifetime along with Herman who later became Bishop of Sherborne.Barlow "Edward the Confessor" p. 53] Leofric remained a close supporter and friend of Edward for the king's entire life. In 1044, Edward granted him lands at Dawlish, Devonshire.Powell "House of Lords" p. 3]

Bishop

When Bishop Lyfing died in 1046, the king made Leofric Bishop of Crediton and St. Germans.Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 215] Barlow "English Church 1000-1066" pp. 213-215] The two sees united by Lyfing became the see of Exeter when in 1050 Bishop Leofric moved his episcopal seat from Crediton to Exeter. The move of the see received the support of Pope Leo IX,Barlow "Feudal Kingdom of England" p. 32] and dates from 1051.Walker "Harold" p. 25] Although Leofric had been a royal clerk before he became bishop, after his elevation he managed to avoid entanglement in the various disputes taking place between the king and Earl Godwine of Essex. Instead he spent his energies on the administration of his diocese. He remained on good terms with the king, however. Leofric's penitential, the Leofric Missal, includes a prayer for a childless king, which probably referred to King Edward.Barlow "Edward the Confessor" p. 82]

The abbey church of St. Peter's at Exeter became his cathedralKnowles "Heads of Religious Houses" p. 48] and he was enthroned as Bishop of Exeter there on St. Peter's Day in 1050 with King Edward in attendance.Barlow "Edward the Confessor" p. 106] Leofric replaced the monks with canons. The new community was given the Rule of Chrodegang by Leofric.Blair "Church in Anglo-Saxon Society" p. 361 footnote 331 and p. 362] Leofric moved the seat of his see because Crediton was too poor and rural, and Exeter was a city and had protective walls and an abandoned church that could be used as the new cathedral.

After the move to Exeter, he worked to increase the endowment of the diocese, and especially the library. He still remained on good terms with the king, for he was present at Edward's Christmas court in 1065 that saw the consecration of Edward's church at Westminster.Barlow "Edward the Confessor" pp. 244-245] He was also a supporter of the cult of Saint Leo IX.Barlow "English Church 1000-1066" p. 307]

Bishop Leofric survived William the Conqueror's 1068 siege of Exeter unscathed and remained bishop until he died on February 10 or February 11 1072.Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 246] He was buried in the crypt of his cathedral. When the cathedral was rebuilt, his remains were moved to the new church, but the location of the tomb has been lost. The current tomb only dates from 1568 and does not mark Leofric's resting spot. During his bishopric, his cathedral library was the fourth largest in England, and was an important scriptorium. He gave an important manuscript of Old English poetry, the Exeter Book, to the cathedral library in 1072.Fletcher "Bloodfeud" p. 11]

Notes

References

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External links

* [http://www.britannia.com/bios/leofricex.html Britannia Biographies entry for Leofric]
* [http://www.archive.org/details/theleofricmissal00unknuoft The Leofric Missal]
* [http://www.dsnell.zynet.co.uk/Oliver/01.html Oliver's Lives of the Bishops of Exeter entry for Leofric]

Persondata
NAME=Leofric
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Bishop of Crediton; Bishop of Exeter
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=1072
PLACE OF DEATH=