William II and the Church (IV)
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 14-06-17 15:21
View mindmap
- To what extent did William II support the growth of monasticism?
- Generally
- Normans influenced Saxon monasteries in two ways
- They ravaged them and stole their treasures
- Restored them
- Normans influenced Saxon monasteries in two ways
- The Norman restoration and revival of monastic life involved:
- Continuation of reforms started by later Saxon kings with secular clergy being replaced by orders of monks such as Cluniacs, Augustinians, Cistercians and Gilbertines
- nepotistic appointments whereby Norman abbots populated abbeys with members of their families and close friends
- Removal of old, recalcitrant abbots such as those at Glastonbury and Winchester
- Building of new monasteries in Norman style
- E..g. Battle Abbey, which became bedrock of religious support for William I
- Endowment of monasteries, old and new, with land
- E.g. Bermondsey Abbey
- William II's attitude towards monasticism viewed in context of reforms made by father
- Rufus continued with his father's approach but not in spectacular way
- Rufus made several grants of property to monasteries and founded one under his own name.
- Battle Abbey
- Rufus became great supporter
- Circumstances it was built
- During Conqueror's reign
- Pope Alexander II instructed Conqueror and his followers to do penance for all killing and destruction they had committed.
- William I's reaction was order to build abbey at site of Battle of Hastings (hence, Abbey was called battle)
- High altar of new building was to be located at place where King Harold was killed
- Conqueror died before project was finished, which left his son to complete work.
- 1095: Abbey was consecrated and Rufus was left to ensure that it was supported in way in which his father had intended.
- Gundulf
- Bishop of Rochester
- Commissioned Rufus to rebuild castle defences around cathedral in city
- Had been damaged in rebellion of 1088-89
- Bishop probably had to foot costs
- £60 probably taken from Bishopric's funds
- Rufus awarded his commitment to project by cancelling payments amounting to £100 Bishop had been obliged to make for grant of manor of Haddenham (Buckinghamshire)
- Benefits
- Cathedral improved
- Gundulf made net financial gain
- William 'Rufus' got considerable support from people of Rochester
- Founding Bermondsey Abbey in London
- Probably Rufus's biggest achievement
- St Peter's
- Monastery had existed there since 8th C.
- During Conquest
- Ownership of monastery seems to have been transferred to bigger institution in Norman France run by Cluniac monks of St Mary at La-Charite-sur-Loire
- For a while, property, renamed St Saviour's, was rented from monks by Londoner called Alwin Child
- Alwin Child
- Intention was to develop site so new priory of monks could be established
- Required attracting patrons who would provide gifts of money, churches and manors
- Successful
- Required attracting patrons who would provide gifts of money, churches and manors
- Intention was to develop site so new priory of monks could be established
- Result of Child's success
- Some time between 1093 and 1097
- St Saviour's housed first group of French Cluniac monks sent from St Mary
- Monks
- Peter (who became 1st prior)
- Richard
- Osbert (sent from St Mary)
- Umbold (or Vinbald)
- Monks
- St Saviour's housed first group of French Cluniac monks sent from St Mary
- Some time between 1093 and 1097
- Foundation of new priory was only possible with William II's grant of royal manor of Bermondsey to the monks
- Manor was valued at £15 per annum (in terms of the rents that could be gained from it)
- Once agreed to by charter, other gifts of land came flooding in
- E.g. a mill at Sutton (worth 10 shillings a year), manors of Charlton (Kent), Little Hallingbury (Essex) and Quickbury (Essex)
- Motives of Rufus for funding new priory are unclear
- Possibly purely for spiritual reasons
- Little indication Rufus was religious or he supported institutions of Church so they would pray for his soul
- Most likely is he gained some financial recompense for deal from St Mary in France
- No record of this
- Possibly purely for spiritual reasons
- Overall
- William II's attitude to monasticism were in line with his views on religion and Church in general
- He did what he felt he was obliged to do (in respect to his father) to maintain monasteries but did not actively seek to make extensive reforms.
- In many ways, through his taxation policy towards Church, he actually obstructed changes clergy wished to make.
- Generally
Comments
No comments have yet been made