Reginald Fitz Jocelin
Encyclopedia
Reginald fitz Jocelin was a medieval Bishop of Bath
and an Archbishop of Canterbury
-elect in England. A member of an Anglo-Norman noble family, he was the son of a bishop
, and was educated in Italy. He was a household clerk for Thomas Becket
, but by 1167 he was serving King Henry II of England
. He was also a favourite of King Louis VII of France
, who had him appointed abbot
of the Abbey of Corbeil. After Reginald angered Becket while attempting to help negotiate a settlement between Becket and the king, Becket called him "that offspring of fornication, that enemy to the peace of the Church, that traitor." When he was elected as a bishop, the election was challenged by King Henry's eldest son, Henry the Young King
, and Reginald was forced to go to Rome to be confirmed by Pope Alexander III
. He attended the Third Lateran Council
in 1179, and spent much of his time administering his diocese. He was elected Archbishop of Canterbury in 1191, but died before he could be installed.
Reginald was the son of Josceline de Bohon
, the Bishop of Salisbury
, although he was possibly born before his father became a priest. Reginald was a great-great-grandson of Humphrey de Bohun
, one of the companions of William the Conqueror
. Some sources say that he was born while his father was studying law in Italy. His uncle Richard de Bohon was Bishop of Coutances from 1151 to 1180. He was also related to Robert, Earl of Gloucester
. Savaric FitzGeldewin
, Reginald's successor at Bath, was Reginald's father's second cousin. Reginald's mother may have a member of the family of the counts
of Maurienne
. He was born and brought up in Italy, which led to him sometimes being referred to as Reginald Italus, Reginald Lombardus or Reginald the Lombard. He was appointed Archdeacon of Wiltshire by his father before 8 December 1161, when he first signed a document as archdeacon
. He served in Thomas Becket's household after Becket became archbishop
, and by June 1164 was serving Becket's interests in France at both the court of the French King Louis VII and the papal Curia
. It was probably in November of 1164 that Louis named Reginald abbot of the Abbey of Corbeil.
Reginald probably studied at Paris sometime during 1163 or 1164, as he had a letter of introduction from Pope Alexander III to Hugues de Champfleury, Bishop of Soissons
, the chancellor of Louis VII. Reginald did not complete his studies for the title of master, however, as he was in service with the King of England by 1167. He served King Henry II as a royal messenger to Rome during the crisis with Becket in 1167. For the next four years, Reginald would be embroiled in the dispute and with trying to find a diplomatic solution to it. While serving Henry, Reginald incurred Becket's displeasure enough that Becket called Reginald "that offspring of fornication, that enemy to the peace of the Church, that traitor." However, John of Salisbury
always maintained friendly relations with both Reginald and his father, even though John was a partisan of Becket's.
Reginald took part in the negotiations in August and September 1169 that attempted to reach a settlement between Henry and Becket. These negotiations included papal nuncios and most of the Norman bishops and prominent abbots, as well as the royal clerks. However, the negotiations came to nothing, and led to Becket's castigation of Reginald. Reginald was one of the main clerics working for King Henry during the dispute with Becket, along with John of Oxford
, Richard of Ilchester
, and Geoffrey Ridel. Henry's plans to reward the four with bishoprics in late 1170 probably precipitated the final crisis that led to Becket's murder.
Reginald was elected Bishop of Bath in late April 1173, and was consecrated 23 June 1174. However, Henry the Young King challenged the election, on the grounds of illegitimacy
and an uncanonical
election. Reginald went to Rome in the company of Richard of Dover
, who had just been elected Archbishop of Canterbury and was facing a challenge from the Young King to his election. Reginald was confirmed by Pope Alexander III on 18 April 1174 with Walter Map
alleging bribery as the only reason the election was confirmed. Ralph de Diceto
, however, states that Reginald swore an oath that he was uninvolved in the death of Becket and that his birth took place before his father became a priest. During the dispute, Reginald's friend Peter of Blois
wrote him a letter, which is still extant, encouraging him to persevere.
As a bishop, Reginald was kept busy attending the king's councils and the royal court, but also took part in the 1178 mission to Toulouse
, led by Cardinal Pierre of San Crisogono, which attempted to deal with the Cathar heretics there. He attended the Third Lateran Council in 1179. During the 1180s, he was more active in the affairs of his diocese, and appears less often in the secular affairs of the kingdom, but in 1189 he took part in the coronation of King Richard I of England
. In April 1191 he was one of the persons selected to arbitrate between the chancellor William Longchamp
and Prince John of England
. He also attended the trial of William Longchamp on 5 October 1191 at Loddon Bridge between Reading
and Windsor
that dismissed Longchamp from his offices. He may have been an unsuccessful candidate for the chancellorship
of England. He was active as a bishop: some 122 acta from his time as bishop survive. He built the hospital of St. John
in Bath, as well as building extensively at Wells
. He also issued a confirmation of the status of the town of Wells.
, who had been sent by the king to deal with the issue of Longchamp's misgovernment, and Prince John. Walter then turned to the issue of the vacant see of Canterbury, and ordered an election to take place on 2 December, and several bishops as well as Prince John and Walter arrived early at Canterbury. But Reginald was elected to the Archbishopric of Canterbury on 27 November 1191, by the monks. His election was an attempt by the monks to prevent a candidate unacceptable to them being forced on them, and his election was contested by Walter, who appealed to the papacy, and the monks counterappealed. Reginald's death on 26 December 1191 stopped the controversy and appeals. Reginald was probably chosen by the monks because he had supported the monks of Canterbury against their archbishop Baldwin of Forde in their dispute over the foundation of a church dedicated to Saint Thomas Becket. He died at Dogmersfield
, Hampshire
and was buried at Bath. Before his death, he was admitted as a confrater of Christ Church Priory
, Canterbury, and was buried in the habit of a Benedictine
monk
. According to a monk of Eynsham Abbey
, after Reginald's death "he performed miraculous cures for certain weak and sick people." The same source claimed Reginald wore a hair shirt under his episcopal vestments.
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
and an Archbishop 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...
-elect in England. A member of an Anglo-Norman noble family, he was the son of a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, and was educated in Italy. He was a household clerk for Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
, but by 1167 he was serving King Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
. He was also a favourite of King Louis VII of France
Louis VII of France
Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
, who had him appointed abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the Abbey of Corbeil. After Reginald angered Becket while attempting to help negotiate a settlement between Becket and the king, Becket called him "that offspring of fornication, that enemy to the peace of the Church, that traitor." When he was elected as a bishop, the election was challenged by King Henry's eldest son, Henry the Young King
Henry the Young King
Henry, known as the Young King was the second of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine but the first to survive infancy. He was officially King of England; Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine.-Early life:Little is known of the young prince Henry before the events...
, and Reginald was forced to go to Rome to be confirmed by Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
. He attended the Third Lateran Council
Third Council of the Lateran
The Third Council of the Lateran met in March 1179 as the eleventh ecumenical council. Pope Alexander III presided and 302 bishops attended.By agreement reached at the Peace of Venice in 1177 the bitter conflict between Alexander III and Emperor Frederick I was brought to an end...
in 1179, and spent much of his time administering his diocese. He was elected Archbishop of Canterbury in 1191, but died before he could be installed.
Early life
Josceline de Bohon
Josceline de Bohon was an English religious leader.-Life:...
, the Bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
, although he was possibly born before his father became a priest. Reginald was a great-great-grandson of Humphrey de Bohun
Humphrey with the Beard
Humphrey with the Beard was a Norman soldier and landed aristocrat, the earliest known member of the Bohun family who took part in the Norman conquest of England as one of the original companions at Hastings....
, one of the companions of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. Some sources say that he was born while his father was studying law in Italy. His uncle Richard de Bohon was Bishop of Coutances from 1151 to 1180. He was also related to Robert, Earl of Gloucester
Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
Robert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. He was called "Rufus" and occasionally "de Caen", he is also known as Robert "the Consul"...
. Savaric FitzGeldewin
Savaric FitzGeldewin
Savaric fitzGeldewin was an Englishman who became Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury in England. Related to his predecessor as well as to the German Emperor Henry VI, he was elected bishop on the urging of his predecessor, who urged his election on the cathedral chapter of Bath...
, Reginald's successor at Bath, was Reginald's father's second cousin. Reginald's mother may have a member of the family of the counts
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
of Maurienne
Maurienne
Maurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:...
. He was born and brought up in Italy, which led to him sometimes being referred to as Reginald Italus, Reginald Lombardus or Reginald the Lombard. He was appointed Archdeacon of Wiltshire by his father before 8 December 1161, when he first signed a document as archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
. He served in Thomas Becket's household after Becket became archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
, and by June 1164 was serving Becket's interests in France at both the court of the French King Louis VII and the papal Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
. It was probably in November of 1164 that Louis named Reginald abbot of the Abbey of Corbeil.
Reginald probably studied at Paris sometime during 1163 or 1164, as he had a letter of introduction from Pope Alexander III to Hugues de Champfleury, Bishop of Soissons
Roman Catholic Diocese of Soissons
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Soissons is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church, in France. The diocese is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Reims and corresponds, with the exception of two hamlets, to the entire Department of Aisne. The current bishop is Hervé Jean Robert Giraud,...
, the chancellor of Louis VII. Reginald did not complete his studies for the title of master, however, as he was in service with the King of England by 1167. He served King Henry II as a royal messenger to Rome during the crisis with Becket in 1167. For the next four years, Reginald would be embroiled in the dispute and with trying to find a diplomatic solution to it. While serving Henry, Reginald incurred Becket's displeasure enough that Becket called Reginald "that offspring of fornication, that enemy to the peace of the Church, that traitor." However, John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury , who described himself as Johannes Parvus , was an English author, educationalist, diplomat and bishop of Chartres, and was born at Salisbury.-Early life and education:...
always maintained friendly relations with both Reginald and his father, even though John was a partisan of Becket's.
Reginald took part in the negotiations in August and September 1169 that attempted to reach a settlement between Henry and Becket. These negotiations included papal nuncios and most of the Norman bishops and prominent abbots, as well as the royal clerks. However, the negotiations came to nothing, and led to Becket's castigation of Reginald. Reginald was one of the main clerics working for King Henry during the dispute with Becket, along with John of Oxford
John of Oxford
John of Oxford was a medieval Bishop of Norwich.John's father was Henry of Oxford, sheriff of Oxford. He was a royal clerk and represented King Henry II at a diet held in May of 1165 at Würzburg that dealt with the issue of the Antipope Paschal III. Some reports held that John supported the...
, Richard of Ilchester
Richard of Ilchester
Richard of Ilchester , also called Richard of Toclyve or Richard of Toclive, was a medieval English statesman and prelate-Life:He was born in the diocese of Bath, where he obtained preferment...
, and Geoffrey Ridel. Henry's plans to reward the four with bishoprics in late 1170 probably precipitated the final crisis that led to Becket's murder.
Bishop of Bath
Legitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
and an uncanonical
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
election. Reginald went to Rome in the company of Richard of Dover
Richard of Dover
Richard was a medieval Benedictine monk and Archbishop of Canterbury. Employed by Thomas Becket immediately before Becket's death, Richard arranged for Becket to be buried in Canterbury Cathedral and eventually succeeded Becket at Canterbury in a contentious election...
, who had just been elected Archbishop of Canterbury and was facing a challenge from the Young King to his election. Reginald was confirmed by Pope Alexander III on 18 April 1174 with Walter Map
Walter Map
Walter Map was a medieval writer of works written in Latin. Only one work is attributed to Map with any certainty: De Nugis Curialium.-Life:...
alleging bribery as the only reason the election was confirmed. Ralph de Diceto
Ralph de Diceto
Ralph de Diceto was archdeacon of Middlesex, dean of St Paul's Cathedral , and author of two chronicles, the Abbreviationes Chronicorum and the Ymagines Historiarum.-Early career:...
, however, states that Reginald swore an oath that he was uninvolved in the death of Becket and that his birth took place before his father became a priest. During the dispute, Reginald's friend Peter of Blois
Peter of Blois
Peter of Blois or Petrus Blesensis was a French poet and diplomat who wrote in Latin. Peter studied law in Bologna and theology in Paris...
wrote him a letter, which is still extant, encouraging him to persevere.
As a bishop, Reginald was kept busy attending the king's councils and the royal court, but also took part in the 1178 mission to Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, led by Cardinal Pierre of San Crisogono, which attempted to deal with the Cathar heretics there. He attended the Third Lateran Council in 1179. During the 1180s, he was more active in the affairs of his diocese, and appears less often in the secular affairs of the kingdom, but in 1189 he took part in the coronation of King Richard I of England
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
. In April 1191 he was one of the persons selected to arbitrate between the chancellor William Longchamp
William Longchamp
William Longchamp , sometimes known as William de Longchamp or William de Longchamps, was a medieval Lord Chancellor, Chief Justiciar, and Bishop of Ely in England. Born to a humble family in Normandy, he owed his advancement to royal favour. Although contemporary writers accused Longchamp's father...
and Prince John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. He also attended the trial of William Longchamp on 5 October 1191 at Loddon Bridge between Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
that dismissed Longchamp from his offices. He may have been an unsuccessful candidate for the chancellorship
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
of England. He was active as a bishop: some 122 acta from his time as bishop survive. He built the hospital of St. John
St John's Hospital, Bath
St John's Hospital in Bath, Somerset, England, was founded around 1180, by Bishop Reginald Fitz Jocelin and is among the oldest almshouses in England...
in Bath, as well as building extensively at Wells
Wells
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
. He also issued a confirmation of the status of the town of Wells.
Archbishop of Canterbury
Baldwin of Forde, the archbishop of Canterbury, died in 1190, while on Crusade in Palestine. Early in 1191, King Richard wrote to the cathedral chapter of Canterbury, which was composed of monks, not regular clergy, to recommend the election of William, who was Archbishop of Monreale, but this idea was not acted upon by the monks. In the autumn, William Longchamp, the chancellor, was driven from the kingdom by Walter de CoutancesWalter de Coutances
Walter de Coutances was a medieval English Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of Rouen. He began his royal service in the government of Henry II, serving as a vice-chancellor...
, who had been sent by the king to deal with the issue of Longchamp's misgovernment, and Prince John. Walter then turned to the issue of the vacant see of Canterbury, and ordered an election to take place on 2 December, and several bishops as well as Prince John and Walter arrived early at Canterbury. But Reginald was elected to the Archbishopric of Canterbury on 27 November 1191, by the monks. His election was an attempt by the monks to prevent a candidate unacceptable to them being forced on them, and his election was contested by Walter, who appealed to the papacy, and the monks counterappealed. Reginald's death on 26 December 1191 stopped the controversy and appeals. Reginald was probably chosen by the monks because he had supported the monks of Canterbury against their archbishop Baldwin of Forde in their dispute over the foundation of a church dedicated to Saint Thomas Becket. He died at Dogmersfield
Dogmersfield
Dogmersfield is a small and peaceful village between the towns of Fleet and Hartley Wintney located in Hampshire, England.Places of interest include the village church, the Queen's Head pub and a mansion house known variously as Dogmersfield House or Dogmersfield Park...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and was buried at Bath. Before his death, he was admitted as a confrater of Christ Church Priory
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, Canterbury, and was buried in the habit of a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. According to a monk of Eynsham Abbey
Eynsham Abbey
Eynsham Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, in England between 1005 and 1538. King Æthelred allowed Æthelmær the Stout to found the abbey in 1005. There is some evidence that the abbey was built on the site of an earlier minster, probably founded in the 7th or 8th...
, after Reginald's death "he performed miraculous cures for certain weak and sick people." The same source claimed Reginald wore a hair shirt under his episcopal vestments.