Hervey le Breton
Encyclopedia
Hervey le Breton (died 30 August 1131) was a Breton
cleric who became Bishop of Bangor
in Wales and later Bishop of Ely
in England. Appointed to Bangor by King William II of England
, when Normans were advancing into Wales, Hervey was unable to remain in his diocese when the Welsh began to drive the Normans back from their recent conquests. Hervey's behavior towards the Welsh seems to have contributed to his expulsion from his see. Although the new king, Henry I
wished to translate Hervey to the see of Lisieux
in Normandy, it was unsuccessful.
In 1109, a new diocese was created in England, at Ely
, and Hervey was appointed to the bishopric created. While bishop, Hervey ordered the compilation of a house chronicle, which later became the Liber Eliensis
. He supervised the construction of a causeway between Ely
and Exning
, which allowed easier access to Ely.
, which had recently been overrun by the Normans, and following the killing of Robert of Rhuddlan
had been taken over by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester
. The appointment of Hervey was probably intended to further consolidate the Norman hold on the area. Bangor was under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury
, but Hervey was consecrated by Thomas of Bayeux, who was the Archbishop of York
, since the see of Canterbury
was vacant at the time.
, and by the late 1090s Hervey had been driven from his diocese by the Welsh. William of Malmesbury
, however, states that the reason Hervey left Bangor was that the revenues of the see were too low. He remained nominally Bishop of Bangor until 1109. King Henry I of England
tried to translate Hervey to the see of Lisieux in 1106, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The main opposition came from Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury
, who was the metropolitan
of Bangor, and refused to allow Hervey to go to a Norman bishopric. Anselm had the ability to decide the issue as Pope Paschal II
had turned the decision of whether to translate Hervey to another see over to Anselm in 1102. While in exile, Hervey served as King Henry's confessor. Bangor itself remained vacant until 1120, when David the Scot
was appointed.
. Also in 1109, the pope approved Hervey's translation to a new see, and he was made Bishop of Ely
. He was enthroned at Ely in October 1109.
While bishop, Hervey ordered the compilation of a history of the refounding of the abbey of Ely, which later became incorporated into the Liber Eliensis. This was a Latin reworking of an Old English book of grants compiled by Bishop Æthelwold of Winchester
. He was energetic in recovering the feudal rights of the bishopric against knights who had intruded themselves on the lands, but were not rendering knight service to the bishop. As bishop, he attended a legatine council
, or council held by a papal legate
, in 1127, and a royal council in 1129, but otherwise his administrative actions remain obscure. The causeway between the island of Ely and Exning
, which made it easier for pilgrims to visit the shrine of Saint Ethelreda
, was built under Hervey's orders. Insight into his activities as bishop is given in the Pipe Roll
of 1130, the first surviving Pipe Roll. In that record, Hervey is recorded as owing King Henry 45 pounds to provide an office for a nephew, 100 pounds on an old settlement with the king, another 100 pounds for the settlement of a case dealing with Ramsey Abbey
, Bury St. Edmunds Abbey
and the bishop, 240 pounds for the right to be rid of a surplus of knights, and finally 1000 pounds for the king to allow the bishop's knights to serve castleguard at Ely instead of Norwich.
on 31 August 1131. He was disliked by Archbishop Anselm, and he was described as a man of "secular tastes". His nephew, William Brito, was a royal chaplain and was appointed Archdeacon of Ely by 1110. Another nephew was Richard, who in 1130 is recorded in the Pipe Roll as paying a fine to the king because of land that his uncle had given him. Another of Hervey's relative was Gilbert Universalis
, who was appointed to the see of London
in 1128 by Henry I.
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
cleric who became Bishop of Bangor
Bishop of Bangor
The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire...
in Wales and later Bishop of Ely
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
in England. Appointed to Bangor by King William II of England
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
, when Normans were advancing into Wales, Hervey was unable to remain in his diocese when the Welsh began to drive the Normans back from their recent conquests. Hervey's behavior towards the Welsh seems to have contributed to his expulsion from his see. Although the new king, Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
wished to translate Hervey to the see of Lisieux
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lisieux
The Diocese of Lisieux was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in France, centered on Lisieux, in Calvados.The bishop of Lisieux was the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lisieux. The first known Bishop of Lisieux is one Theodibandes, mentioned in connexion with a council held in...
in Normandy, it was unsuccessful.
In 1109, a new diocese was created in England, at Ely
Diocese of Ely
The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now covers Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk...
, and Hervey was appointed to the bishopric created. While bishop, Hervey ordered the compilation of a house chronicle, which later became the Liber Eliensis
Liber Eliensis
The Liber Eliensis is a 12th-century English chronicle and history, written in Latin. Composed in three books, it was written at Ely Abbey on the island of Ely in the fenlands of eastern Cambridgeshire. Ely Abbey became the cathedral of a newly formed bishopric in 1109...
. He supervised the construction of a causeway between Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
and Exning
Exning
Exning is a village in Suffolk, England.It lies just off the A14 trunk road, roughly east-northeast of Cambridge, and south-south-east of Ely...
, which allowed easier access to Ely.
Early life
Hervey was a native of Brittany, and some sources state a chaplain of King William II of England, while others are less certain that he was a chaplain for the king. He was appointed Bishop of Bangor in 1092 by King William. Bangor at the time was in the Kingdom of GwyneddKingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
, which had recently been overrun by the Normans, and following the killing of Robert of Rhuddlan
Robert of Rhuddlan
Robert of Rhuddlan was a Norman adventurer who became lord of much of north-east Wales and for a period lord of all North Wales....
had been taken over by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester
Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester
Hugh d'Avranches , also known as le Gros and Lupus was the first Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England.-Early career:...
. The appointment of Hervey was probably intended to further consolidate the Norman hold on the area. Bangor was under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, but Hervey was consecrated by Thomas of Bayeux, who was the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, since the see of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
was vacant at the time.
Problems at Bangor
Relations between Hervey and the Welsh appear to have been very bad. The Liber Eliensis described the situation as follows:Since they [the Welsh] did not show the respect and reverence due to a bishop, he [Hervey] wielded the sharp two-edged sword to subdue them, constraining them both with repeated excommunications and with the host of his kinsmen and other followers. They resisted him nonetheless and pressed him with such dangers that they killed his brother and intended to deal with him the same way, if they could lay hands on him.Hervey was forced to rely on his own armed bands for protection. In 1094 a Welsh revolt against Norman rule in Gwynedd began under the leadership of Gruffydd ap Cynan
Gruffydd ap Cynan
Gruffydd ap Cynan was a King of Gwynedd. In the course of a long and eventful life, he became a key figure in Welsh resistance to Norman rule, and was remembered as King of all Wales...
, and by the late 1090s Hervey had been driven from his diocese by the Welsh. William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
, however, states that the reason Hervey left Bangor was that the revenues of the see were too low. He remained nominally Bishop of Bangor until 1109. King Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
tried to translate Hervey to the see of Lisieux in 1106, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The main opposition came from Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury , also called of Aosta for his birthplace, and of Bec for his home monastery, was a Benedictine monk, a philosopher, and a prelate of the church who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109...
, who was the metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Bangor, and refused to allow Hervey to go to a Norman bishopric. Anselm had the ability to decide the issue as Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II , born Ranierius, was Pope from August 13, 1099, until his death. A monk of the Cluniac order, he was created cardinal priest of the Titulus S...
had turned the decision of whether to translate Hervey to another see over to Anselm in 1102. While in exile, Hervey served as King Henry's confessor. Bangor itself remained vacant until 1120, when David the Scot
David the Scot
David the Scot was a Welsh or Irish cleric who was Bishop of Bangor from 1120 to 1138.There is some doubt as to David's nationality, as he is variously described as Irish and Welsh. He was master of the cathedral school of Würzburg before 1110, and in that year accompanied the Emperor Henry V to...
was appointed.
Appointment to Ely
Before his death in 1107, Richard the abbot of Ely had attempted to secure from the papacy the elevation of his abbey into a bishopric. After Richard's death, Hervey was appointed to oversee the abbey during the vacancy. He convinced the monks of Ely to support Richard's project, which received the conditional approval of Archbishop Anselm, contingent on papal approval. Paschal signaled his approval, and in 1109 the monastery became a bishopric. Ely still remained a monastic house, as the abbey itself became the cathedral and the monks of the abbey became the monks of the cathedral chapterCathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
. Also in 1109, the pope approved Hervey's translation to a new see, and he was made Bishop of Ely
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
. He was enthroned at Ely in October 1109.
While bishop, Hervey ordered the compilation of a history of the refounding of the abbey of Ely, which later became incorporated into the Liber Eliensis. This was a Latin reworking of an Old English book of grants compiled by Bishop Æthelwold of Winchester
Æthelwold of Winchester
Æthelwold of Winchester , was Bishop of Winchester from 963 to 984 and one of the leaders of the tenth century monastic reform movement in Anglo-Saxon England....
. He was energetic in recovering the feudal rights of the bishopric against knights who had intruded themselves on the lands, but were not rendering knight service to the bishop. As bishop, he attended a legatine council
Legatine council
A legatine council or legatine synod is an ecclesiastical council or synod that is presided over by a papal legate.According to Pope Gregory VII, writing in the Dictatus papae, a papal legate "presides over all bishops in a council, even if he is inferior in rank, and he can pronounce sentence of...
, or council held by a papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
, in 1127, and a royal council in 1129, but otherwise his administrative actions remain obscure. The causeway between the island of Ely and Exning
Exning
Exning is a village in Suffolk, England.It lies just off the A14 trunk road, roughly east-northeast of Cambridge, and south-south-east of Ely...
, which made it easier for pilgrims to visit the shrine of Saint Ethelreda
Æthelthryth
Æthelthryth is the proper name for the popular Anglo-Saxon saint often known, particularly in a religious context, as Etheldreda or by the pet form of Audrey...
, was built under Hervey's orders. Insight into his activities as bishop is given in the Pipe Roll
Pipe Rolls
The Pipe rolls, sometimes called the Great rolls, are a collection of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, or Treasury. The earliest date from the 12th century, and the series extends, mostly complete, from then until 1833. They form the oldest continuous series of records kept by...
of 1130, the first surviving Pipe Roll. In that record, Hervey is recorded as owing King Henry 45 pounds to provide an office for a nephew, 100 pounds on an old settlement with the king, another 100 pounds for the settlement of a case dealing with Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey located in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, England, southeast of Peterborough and north of Huntingdon, UK.-History:...
, Bury St. Edmunds Abbey
Bury St. Edmunds Abbey
The Abbey of Bury St Edmunds was once among the richest Benedictine monasteries in England. Its ruins lie in Bury St Edmunds, a town in the county of Suffolk, England.-History:...
and the bishop, 240 pounds for the right to be rid of a surplus of knights, and finally 1000 pounds for the king to allow the bishop's knights to serve castleguard at Ely instead of Norwich.
Death
Hervey died on 30 August 1131. He was buried in Ely CathedralEly Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
on 31 August 1131. He was disliked by Archbishop Anselm, and he was described as a man of "secular tastes". His nephew, William Brito, was a royal chaplain and was appointed Archdeacon of Ely by 1110. Another nephew was Richard, who in 1130 is recorded in the Pipe Roll as paying a fine to the king because of land that his uncle had given him. Another of Hervey's relative was Gilbert Universalis
Gilbert Universalis
Gilbert Universalis was a medieval Bishop of London.-Life:Gilbert was elected to the see of London about December 1127. He was consecrated on 22 January 1128. He died on 9 August 1134...
, who was appointed to the see of London
Diocese of London
The Anglican Diocese of London forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.Historically the diocese covered a large area north of the Thames and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north and west. The present diocese covers and 17 London boroughs, covering most of Greater...
in 1128 by Henry I.