Reynelm
Encyclopedia
Reynelm was a medieval Bishop of Hereford
.
, the Bishop of Rochester
, may have been his patron, as a letter of 1101 implies that Gundulf ordained him a priest. He was the chancellor to Queen Matilda of England, wife of King Henry I
before 3 September 1101. He was also prior
of the church of Rochester. He was nominated to the see of Hereford around Christmas of 1102 and invested
, or given the symbols of the office along with the temporalities
of the see, with the bishopric by the king. Anselm
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
, refused to consecrate Reynelm then, because Reynelm had been invested by the king. The archbishop and the king were involved in the Investiture Crisis, where the church objected to the secular powers giving the symbols of ecclesiastical office to clerics. King Henry then persuaded the Archbishop of York
to consecrate the bishops that had been elected but whom Anselm refused to consecrate because they had been invested by the king. Reynelm refused to be consecrated by Gerard, the Archbishop of York, and the king exiled Reynelm from England in retaliation. Reynelm resigned the temporalities back into the king's control before 29 March 1103 because of concerns over having received investiture by the king.
Reynelm was consecrated by Archbishop Anselm on 11 August 1107, at Canterbury. Reynelm made a written profession of obedience to Anselm also. The profession is the only charter or other document to survive from his episcopate. He probably was responsible for the rebuilding of Hereford Cathedral
as a Romanesque
cathedral. Reynelm also assisted at the consecration of Llanthony Priory
in the see of Llandaff
in 1108.
Reynelm died in October 1115, either on the 27th or the 28th, of gout. He was buried in Hereford Cathedral, but the effigy on his tomb dates from the 14th century.
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is...
.
Life
Reynelm's origins are unknown, but Gundulf of RochesterGundulf of Rochester
Gundulf was a Norman monk who came to England following the Conquest. He was appointed Bishop of Rochester and Prior of the Cathedral Priory there; built castles including Rochester, Colchester and the White Tower of the Tower of London and the Priory and Cathedral Church of...
, the Bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
, may have been his patron, as a letter of 1101 implies that Gundulf ordained him a priest. He was the chancellor to Queen Matilda of England, wife of 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...
before 3 September 1101. He was also prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of the church of Rochester. He was nominated to the see of Hereford around Christmas of 1102 and invested
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
, or given the symbols of the office along with the temporalities
Temporalities
Temporalities are the secular properties and possessions of the Christian Church. It is most often used to describe those properties that were used to support a bishop or other religious person or establishment. Its opposite description would be the spiritualities.In the Middle Ages, the...
of the see, with the bishopric by the king. Anselm
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...
, the 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...
, refused to consecrate Reynelm then, because Reynelm had been invested by the king. The archbishop and the king were involved in the Investiture Crisis, where the church objected to the secular powers giving the symbols of ecclesiastical office to clerics. King Henry then persuaded 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...
to consecrate the bishops that had been elected but whom Anselm refused to consecrate because they had been invested by the king. Reynelm refused to be consecrated by Gerard, the Archbishop of York, and the king exiled Reynelm from England in retaliation. Reynelm resigned the temporalities back into the king's control before 29 March 1103 because of concerns over having received investiture by the king.
Reynelm was consecrated by Archbishop Anselm on 11 August 1107, at Canterbury. Reynelm made a written profession of obedience to Anselm also. The profession is the only charter or other document to survive from his episcopate. He probably was responsible for the rebuilding of Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral
The current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Mappa Mundi, a mediæval map of the world dating from the 13th century. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.-Origins:...
as a Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
cathedral. Reynelm also assisted at the consecration of Llanthony Priory
Llanthony Priory
Llanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay...
in the see of Llandaff
Diocese of Llandaff
The Diocese of Llandaff is a Church in Wales diocese. It is headed by the Bishop of Llandaff, whose seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Llandaff, a suburb of Cardiff...
in 1108.
Reynelm died in October 1115, either on the 27th or the 28th, of gout. He was buried in Hereford Cathedral, but the effigy on his tomb dates from the 14th century.