Baldwin of Forde facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baldwin of Forde
Archbishop of Canterbury
Statue of Baldwin of Forde from the exterior of Canterbury Cathedral
Appointed	December 1184
Reign ended	19 November 1190
Predecessor	Richard of Dover
Successor	Reginald fitzJocelin
Other posts	Archdeacon of Totnes Bishop of Worcester
Orders
Consecration	c. 1180
Personal details
Born	c. 1125 Exeter, Kingdom of England
Died	19 November 1190 near Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem
Parents	Hugh d'Eu

Baldwin of Forde (born around 1125 – died 19 November 1190) was an important church leader in England. He served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1185 to 1190. He was the son of a clergyman and studied church law and religious teachings in Bologna, Italy. He even tutored a nephew of Pope Eugene III.

After returning to England, Baldwin became a Cistercian monk and then the abbot of Forde Abbey. Later, he was chosen to be the Bishop of Worcester. Before becoming a bishop, he wrote many religious books and sermons, some of which we still have today. As archbishop, Baldwin had a big disagreement with the monks of his cathedral. He also spent time in Wales, preaching and raising money for a major religious war called the Third Crusade. He died in the Holy Land while on this crusade.

Baldwin's Early Life and Church Journey

Baldwin was born in Exeter, England, around 1125. His father, Hugh d'Eu, was an important church official called the Archdeacon of Totnes. Baldwin likely studied in Bologna, Italy, in the 1150s. He was sent there by Robert Warelwast, who was the Bishop of Exeter at the time.

In 1150 or 1151, Pope Eugene III chose Baldwin to teach his nephew. By 1155, Baldwin was back in England, working for Robert of Chichester, another Bishop of Exeter. Around 1161, after his father passed away, Baldwin became the Archdeacon of Totnes himself. He was known as an expert in canon law, which is the law of the church.

Baldwin was involved in the famous dispute between Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and King Henry II of England. In 1167, John of Salisbury, a supporter of Becket, wrote to Baldwin. He asked Baldwin to encourage his bishop, Bartholomew, to support Becket more strongly against the king.

Becoming a Monk and Bishop

Around 1170, Baldwin became a monk in the Cistercian order. Soon after, he was made the abbot of Forde Abbey. Because he was so knowledgeable about church law, he often acted as a special judge for the Pope. He would hear important church cases and make decisions.

In 1175, Baldwin worked with his old bishop, Bartholomew, to settle a dispute between two religious houses. In 1178, he was even suggested as a possible cardinal, a very high position in the church, but this never happened.

On 10 August 1180, Baldwin became the Bishop of Worcester. King Henry II was very impressed with Baldwin. Once, Baldwin stepped in to stop a hanging that was planned for a Sunday, which was against church rules. This showed his strong religious beliefs.

Archbishop of Canterbury

In December 1184, Baldwin was chosen to become the Archbishop of Canterbury. This was a very important role, as the Archbishop of Canterbury is the leader of the church in England. King Henry II strongly wanted Baldwin for this position.

There was a disagreement over who should choose the new archbishop. The monks of Canterbury Cathedral and the other bishops in England both claimed the right. In the end, the bishops chose Baldwin, who was the king's preferred candidate.

Baldwin received special approval from Pope Lucius III for his new role. In 1185, he was also named a special representative of the Pope, called a papal legate, but his power was limited to his own area.

Dispute with the Monks

During his time as archbishop, Baldwin had a big disagreement with the monks of Christ Church Priory in Canterbury. Baldwin felt the monks lived too luxuriously and benefited too much from the fame of Thomas Becket. He wanted to make them follow stricter rules.

The dispute grew when Baldwin took away some of the monks' income. Then, Baldwin suggested building a new church in Canterbury dedicated to Thomas Becket. This new church would be run by regular priests, not monks. The monks worried this was the first step to change their cathedral from a monastic one (run by monks) to one run by secular clergy (regular priests), which was more common in other countries.

The argument lasted for a long time. At one point, the monks were kept inside their monastery for a year and a half, from January 1188 to August 1189. This even stopped church services in the cathedral. Many important church leaders across Europe had to choose sides in the argument.

Serving King Henry II

In 1188, King Henry II asked for a special tax to support the Third Crusade. This crusade was a military journey to the Holy Land after the city of Jerusalem was captured by Saladin in 1187. This tax, called the "Saladin tithe", was a tenth of everyone's property and income, unless they vowed to go on the crusade themselves. It was the biggest tax ever collected in England at that time.

Baldwin himself promised to go on the crusade in January 1188. He also began a preaching tour in February 1188 to encourage others to join. His secretary, Peter of Blois, said Baldwin was at first against joining, but Peter convinced him it was his duty.

In April 1188, Baldwin traveled through Wales, preaching about the crusade. He was joined by the writer Gerald of Wales. Gerald claimed that Baldwin's efforts helped recruit about 3,000 people for the crusade from Wales. Baldwin also used this tour to show the king's authority in Wales and his own church authority over Welsh bishops. He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury to hold a church service in St Asaph's Cathedral.

Baldwin was with King Henry II shortly before the king died. He tried to help make peace between Henry and his son, Prince Richard, who had rebelled. After Henry's death, Baldwin helped Richard get forgiveness for disobeying his father. Baldwin then crowned Richard as King of England at Westminster Abbey on 13 September 1189. This was the first English coronation for which we have a detailed description.

Under King Richard I

After Richard became king, the monks of Christ Church Priory asked him to help end their long dispute with Archbishop Baldwin. In November 1189, King Richard and his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, went to Canterbury to try and settle the argument. Richard convinced Baldwin to stop his church-building project and remove the prior he had appointed.

Soon after, Richard left England for the Third Crusade. Baldwin then announced he would build his proposed church in Lambeth instead, and then join Richard on the crusade. Baldwin also objected to the marriage of Prince John (Richard's brother, who later became King John) to Isabel of Gloucester. Baldwin believed they were too closely related. John promised to get special permission from the Pope, but he never did. Baldwin tried to stop John's lands from receiving church services, but a papal representative later allowed the marriage.

The Third Crusade

In April 1190, Baldwin left England with King Richard to join the Third Crusade. Baldwin led the first group of English crusaders. They sailed directly to Syria, arriving at Tyre on 16 September 1190. King Richard arrived later in 1191. Baldwin was likely sent ahead to look after the king's interests and to quickly help the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

When Baldwin arrived at Acre on 12 October 1190, the city was under siege by Christian forces. Baldwin, leading about 200 knights and 300 soldiers, helped boost the spirits of the crusaders. On 12 November, a major attack was launched. Baldwin, though already unwell, absolved the crusaders (forgave their sins) before the attack. He even joined the forces fighting in the rear during the army's retreat. Some accounts say he fought bravely in the middle of the action.

Soon after Baldwin arrived, there was a problem with who would rule the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The queen, Sibylla, and her daughters died from an illness. This meant her husband, King Guy of Lusignan, no longer had a claim to the throne. The next in line was Sibylla's half-sister, Isabella.

Baldwin supported Guy's claim to the throne. However, other church leaders supported Conrad of Montferrat, who was Isabella's new husband. Isabella's first marriage was forced to end. Baldwin, who was already sick, tried to punish everyone involved in ending the marriage. But he died on 19 November 1190, just a week after the big attack. He made his will shortly before his death, surrounded by his followers on the crusade. After Baldwin's death, Hubert Walter took over leadership of the English forces and managed Baldwin's estate.

Baldwin's Writings

Baldwin was known for his writings and his powerful preaching. His longest surviving work is called De sacramento altaris, which discusses the eucharist (a Christian ceremony) and passover. This work also talks about martyrdom, which seems to defend Thomas Becket's status as a martyr.

Baldwin also wrote 22 sermons, which are religious speeches. He wrote another work on faith called De commendatione fidei. While some of his writings are lost, many copies of his sermons and other works still exist in old manuscripts. People continued to be interested in his sermons even after he died.

Baldwin also worked with Bartholomew Iscanus on a book about penance (saying sorry for sins). Other works are believed to be by Baldwin, but some are now lost. He also wrote some letters, but they are no longer available.

A collection of church laws, known as the Collectio Wigorniensis, might have belonged to Baldwin. This collection includes letters from the Pope addressed to Baldwin when he was Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of Canterbury. This shows Baldwin's continued interest in church law.

Baldwin's Reputation

Baldwin's long disagreement with the monks of his cathedral led some people to criticize him. One writer, Gervase of Canterbury, even called him "a greater enemy to Christianity than Saladin," which was a very strong statement.

However, another writer, Gerald of Wales, praised Baldwin. He described him as "distinguished for his learning and religion," but also noted that Baldwin could be gloomy and nervous. The historian A. L. Poole called Baldwin a "distinguished scholar and deeply religious man," but also said he was "injudicious and too austere to be a good leader."

Baldwin was known as a theologian (someone who studies religion) and an expert in church law. His nephew, Joseph of Exeter, went with Baldwin on the crusade. After returning to England, Joseph wrote two poems, one about King Richard on the crusade.

Images for kids

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  King Henry II of England

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  Baldwin crowned Richard I, shown on his effigy, in 1189.