Accord of Winchester facts for kids
The Accord of Winchester was a very important document from the 1000s. It decided that the archbishop of Canterbury was the main leader of the church in England. This meant the Archbishop of Canterbury had "primacy" (was more important) over the archbishop of York.
This document came about because of a big argument. Thomas, the Archbishop of York, and Lanfranc, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, disagreed about who was in charge. King William I heard their case. First, they met in Winchester in 1072. Later, they met at Windsor. King William decided that Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was right. The Accord of Winchester was the official document that recorded this decision. Even with this agreement, the argument between Canterbury and York didn't completely stop. It continued for many years.
Who Signed the Accord?
When King William and Queen Matilda signed the document, they used crosses. This didn't mean they couldn't write. Many important people, including bishops, signed with crosses back then. It was a common legal practice, like a special way to make it official.
The Accord of Winchester was signed by many important people. These included:
- The Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc.
- The Archbishop of York, Thomas. He signed "I concede" (meaning he agreed), while others signed "I subscribe" (meaning they signed).
- Wulfstan, the bishop of Worcester.
- Walkelin, the bishop of Winchester.
- Remigius de Fécamp, the bishop of Lincoln.
- Herfast, the bishop of Thetford.
- Hubert, a special messenger from Pope Alexander II. The Pope had supported King William's invasion of England and Lanfranc in this argument.
Other important church leaders also signed different versions of the document. These included many other bishops and abbots (leaders of monasteries) from across England.
Where are the Copies?
The main copies of the Accord of Winchester are kept safe. They are in the archives at Canterbury Cathedral. There is also another copy at the British Library in London.
