Savaric FitzGeldewin
Encyclopedia
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. While bishop, Savaric spent many years attempting to annex Glastonbury Abbey
as part of his bishopric. Savaric also worked to secure the release of King Richard I of England
from captivity, when the king was held by Emperor Henry VI.
, Bishop of Bath. Geldwin's father was Savaric Fitzcana, who held Midhurst
in Sussex
. The elder Savaric's wife was Muriel, who was a granddaughter of Humphrey de Bohun
. The younger Savaric's mother Estrangia was a Burgundian and related to the Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI. Savaric's elder brother was Franco. Thus the younger Savaric was a cousin of Emperor Henry VI and also of Reginald Fitz Jocelin, his predecessor as Bishop of Bath.
He was archdeacon of Northampton in 1175 and Treasurer of Salisbury in 1174. The medieval chronciler Ralph Diceto
says that a Savaric was appointed as Archdeacon of Canterbury, but if this was the same Savaric is unclear. He incurred large debts to King Henry II of England
, which caused the king to complain to Pope Urban III
. During the years 1182–1184, Savaric was deprived of his archdeaconries, which may be connected the debt issue with the king.
. Savaric's election was held under controversial conditions, for Savaric had obtained from Richard I letters allowing Savaric to be elected to the next available bishopric. When Savaric's cousin Reginald was elected to Canterbury in 1191, Reginald went to Bath and pressed the clergy there to select Savaric as Reginald's successor. On the strength of the letters from Richard, the justiciar Walter de Coutances
ratified the election of Savaric. The canon
s of Wells
objected because they had not been consulted, but Savaric was ordained a priest on 19 September 1192 at Rome. He was consecrated bishop there on 20 September 1192 by the Bishop of Albano
. He went on the Third Crusade
with Richard.
When Richard was held for ransom in Germany while returning from crusade, Savaric met with his cousin the Emperor Henry VI in an attempt to secure Richard's release. He remained in Germany throughout 1193 and continued to be involved in the negotiations, until he returned to England at the end of the year. Once Richard was released, Savaric was one of the hostages left behind in Germany to ensure the payment of the remainder of the ransom. It may have been while he was in Germany negotiating about Richard's ransom that he was named imperial chancellor of Burgundy, but as he was not named by that title until 1197, the exact date of his occupation of the office is unclear.
for the takeover the abbey as the seat of his bishopric, replacing Bath
. The plan was that Savaric would be bishop of Bath as well as abbot of Glastonbury. In his support, Savaric obtained letters from various ecclesiastics, including the Archbishop of Canterbury
, Hubert Walter
, that claimed that this arrangement would settle longstanding disputes between the abbey and the bishops. The monks of Glastonbury objected to Savaric's plan, and sent an appeal to Rome, which was dismissed in 1196. But King Richard, no longer imprisoned in Germany, sided with the monks, and allowed them to elect an abbot, William Pica, in place of Savaric, who responded by excommunicating the new abbot. With the succession of John as king in place of his brother Richard in 1199, Savaric managed to force his way into the monastery and set up his episcopal see within the abbey. The monks appealed to Innocent III
, the new pope.
At first, Innocent took the side of the monks, and lifted Pica's excommunication. While the newest appeal was taking place, Pica and a number of his supporters, who had traveled to Rome to appeal in person, died in Rome in 1200, and some of the monks alleged this was by poison administered on the orders of Savaric. Meanwhile, Innocent had changed his mind, and reinstalled Savaric as abbot, ordering some English clergy to judge the specifics of the case, and allot the revenues of the abbey between Savaric and the monks. Savaric then attempted to secure more control over other monasteries in his diocese, but died before he could set the plans in motion.
or Siena
on 8 August 1205 while visiting the papacy in Rome on business for Peter des Roches
, Bishop-elect of Winchester
. He was there to support Roches election which had been contested. Roches also support Savaric in his struggles with Glastonbury, loaning the bishop money and being appointed to a papal commission to deal with Savaric's petitions, which went nowhere because Savaric died before the commission first met. He was buried at Bath.
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...
in England. Related to his predecessor as well as to the German Emperor Henry VI
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
, he was elected bishop on the urging of his predecessor, who urged his election on the cathedral chapter
Cathedral 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...
of Bath. While bishop, Savaric spent many years attempting to annex Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
as part of his bishopric. Savaric also worked to secure the release 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...
from captivity, when the king was held by Emperor Henry VI.
Early life
Savaric's date of birth is unknown. His father was Geldwin, who was a member of the Bohun family and was probably a second cousin of Reginald fitz JocelinReginald Fitz Jocelin
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...
, Bishop of Bath. Geldwin's father was Savaric Fitzcana, who held Midhurst
Midhurst
Midhurst is a market town and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England, with a population of 4,889 in 2001. The town is situated on the River Rother and is home to the ruin of the Tudor Cowdray House and the stately Victorian Cowdray Park...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. The elder Savaric's wife was Muriel, who was a granddaughter 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....
. The younger Savaric's mother Estrangia was a Burgundian and related to the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Henry VI. Savaric's elder brother was Franco. Thus the younger Savaric was a cousin of Emperor Henry VI and also of Reginald Fitz Jocelin, his predecessor as Bishop of Bath.
He was archdeacon of Northampton in 1175 and Treasurer of Salisbury in 1174. The medieval chronciler Ralph 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:...
says that a Savaric was appointed as Archdeacon of Canterbury, but if this was the same Savaric is unclear. He incurred large debts to 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...
, which caused the king to complain to Pope Urban III
Pope Urban III
Pope Urban III , born Uberto Crivelli, was Pope from 1185 to 1187. He was made cardinal and archbishop of Milan by Pope Lucius III, whom he succeeded on November 25, 1185...
. During the years 1182–1184, Savaric was deprived of his archdeaconries, which may be connected the debt issue with the king.
Bishop
Savaric went with Henry's son and successor King Richard I on crusade, and it was while they both were in Sicily that Savaric obtained his bishopric. In December 1191 he was elected Bishop of BathBishop 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...
. Savaric's election was held under controversial conditions, for Savaric had obtained from Richard I letters allowing Savaric to be elected to the next available bishopric. When Savaric's cousin Reginald was elected to Canterbury in 1191, Reginald went to Bath and pressed the clergy there to select Savaric as Reginald's successor. On the strength of the letters from Richard, the justiciar Walter de Coutances
Walter 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...
ratified the election of Savaric. The canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s of 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...
objected because they had not been consulted, but Savaric was ordained a priest on 19 September 1192 at Rome. He was consecrated bishop there on 20 September 1192 by the Bishop of Albano
Roman Catholic Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano
The Diocese of Albano is a suburbicarian see of the Roman Catholic Church in a diocese in Italy, comprising seven towns in the Province of Rome...
. He went on the Third Crusade
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
with Richard.
When Richard was held for ransom in Germany while returning from crusade, Savaric met with his cousin the Emperor Henry VI in an attempt to secure Richard's release. He remained in Germany throughout 1193 and continued to be involved in the negotiations, until he returned to England at the end of the year. Once Richard was released, Savaric was one of the hostages left behind in Germany to ensure the payment of the remainder of the ransom. It may have been while he was in Germany negotiating about Richard's ransom that he was named imperial chancellor of Burgundy, but as he was not named by that title until 1197, the exact date of his occupation of the office is unclear.
Controversy with Glastonbury
After his consecration, Savaric traded the city of Bath to the king in return for the monastery of Glastonbury. Savaric secured the support of Pope Celestine IIIPope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III , born Giacinto Bobone, was elected Pope on March 21, 1191, and reigned until his death. He was born into the noble Orsini family in Rome, though he was only a cardinal deacon before becoming Pope...
for the takeover the abbey as the seat of his bishopric, replacing Bath
Diocese of Bath and Wells
The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in the tiny city of...
. The plan was that Savaric would be bishop of Bath as well as abbot of Glastonbury. In his support, Savaric obtained letters from various ecclesiastics, including 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...
, Hubert Walter
Hubert Walter
Hubert Walter was an influential royal adviser in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries in the positions of Chief Justiciar of England, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor. As chancellor, Walter began the keeping of the Charter Roll, a record of all charters issued by the...
, that claimed that this arrangement would settle longstanding disputes between the abbey and the bishops. The monks of Glastonbury objected to Savaric's plan, and sent an appeal to Rome, which was dismissed in 1196. But King Richard, no longer imprisoned in Germany, sided with the monks, and allowed them to elect an abbot, William Pica, in place of Savaric, who responded by excommunicating the new abbot. With the succession of John as king in place of his brother Richard in 1199, Savaric managed to force his way into the monastery and set up his episcopal see within the abbey. The monks appealed to Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
, the new pope.
At first, Innocent took the side of the monks, and lifted Pica's excommunication. While the newest appeal was taking place, Pica and a number of his supporters, who had traveled to Rome to appeal in person, died in Rome in 1200, and some of the monks alleged this was by poison administered on the orders of Savaric. Meanwhile, Innocent had changed his mind, and reinstalled Savaric as abbot, ordering some English clergy to judge the specifics of the case, and allot the revenues of the abbey between Savaric and the monks. Savaric then attempted to secure more control over other monasteries in his diocese, but died before he could set the plans in motion.
Death and legacy
Savaric died at CivitavecchiaCivitavecchia
Civitavecchia is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located 80 kilometers west-north-west of Rome, across the Mignone river. The harbor is formed by two piers and a breakwater, on which is a lighthouse...
or Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
on 8 August 1205 while visiting the papacy in Rome on business for Peter des Roches
Peter des Roches
Peter des Roches was bishop of Winchester in the reigns of King John of England and his son Henry III. Roches was not an Englishman, but a Poitevin.-Life:...
, Bishop-elect of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
. He was there to support Roches election which had been contested. Roches also support Savaric in his struggles with Glastonbury, loaning the bishop money and being appointed to a papal commission to deal with Savaric's petitions, which went nowhere because Savaric died before the commission first met. He was buried at Bath.
Further reading
- Poole, A. L. (1927) "England and Burgundy in the Last Decade of the Twelfth Century", Essays in History Presented to Reginald Lane Poole, ed. H. W. C. Davis pp. 261–273