Council of Hertford facts for kids

The Council of Hertford was a very important meeting for the early Anglo-Saxon Church in England. It was the first time bishops from different parts of Anglo-Saxon England came together for a big church meeting. This council happened in 672 in a place called Herutford, which is probably the modern town of Hertford.

The meeting was called by Theodore of Tarsus, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was like the main leader of the church in England at that time. A famous historian named The Venerable Bede wrote about this council in his book, Ecclesiastical History of the English People. The Council of Hertford was a big step in organizing the church in England. The rules they made helped to unite the different church groups across the country.

Who Attended the Council?

Besides Archbishop Theodore, several other important church leaders, called bishops, were there. These included:

• Bisi, bishop of the East Angles
• Putta, bishop of Rochester
• Leuthere, bishop of the West Saxons
• Winfrith, bishop of Mercia

Wilfrid of Northumbria, another important bishop, couldn't be there himself. So, he sent people to represent him. Many other church teachers also attended. A person named Titill, who was a notary (like a secretary), wrote down all the decisions made. Even though there weren't many bishops, they came from all over Anglo-Saxon England, making it a national meeting.

King Ecgfrith of Northumbria was also present at the council. We don't know exactly what his role was, but his presence showed how important the meeting was. However, Archbishop Theodore was clearly in charge. Bede described Theodore as the first archbishop that the whole English Church agreed to follow. Theodore called the meeting and told Titill what to write down.

When Did the Council Happen?

There's a bit of a puzzle about the exact date of the Council of Hertford. Bede, the historian, wrote that it happened in 673. However, the actual document from the council says it took place on September 24, 672.

Most historians now agree that the council happened in 672. It seems Bede might have made a small mistake with the year. This kind of dating confusion sometimes happens with old historical records.

Where Was Hertford?

The name Herutford was common back then, so it's not 100% certain where the council was held. There were four places called Heortford mentioned in the Domesday Book (a very old survey of England).

Most experts believe it was in Hertford, which is in the county of Hertfordshire today. This location was easy to reach for people traveling from different parts of England. It was near a main road called Ermine Street and on the River Lea.

Some people have suggested it might have been Hartford, Cambridgeshire. However, Hertford in Hertfordshire is generally thought to be the most likely spot.

What Happened at the Meeting?

The council began with Archbishop Theodore explaining why everyone was there. This part of the record is quite detailed and gives us a good idea of how these old church meetings worked.

Theodore arranged the bishops in their places, probably based on their importance. He then asked them if they agreed to follow the church rules, called "canonical decrees," that had been set by earlier church leaders. Everyone enthusiastically agreed!

Then, Theodore showed them a book of church laws. He pointed out ten rules that were "especially necessary" for the English Church. These ten rules were discussed and then officially agreed upon by everyone present. Theodore finished by stressing how important it was to follow these rules and warned about what would happen if they didn't.

Important Rules Made at Hertford

Here are the main rules that were discussed and agreed upon at the Council of Hertford:

Rule One: Easter Day This rule said that Easter should be celebrated at the same time everywhere. It confirmed that the English Church would follow the Roman way of calculating Easter, which had been decided at the Synod of Whitby in 664.

Rule Two: Bishops' Areas This rule stated that no bishop should try to take control of another bishop's area, called a "diocese." Bishops should be happy with their own assigned areas.

Rule Three: Monasteries Bishops were not to interfere with monasteries or take their property by force. This rule helped protect monasteries, which were important religious communities.

Rule Four: Monks Traveling Monks were not allowed to wander from one monastery to another without permission. They needed a special letter from their own abbot (the head of their monastery) to travel.

Rule Five: Clergy Traveling Similar to monks, clergy (like priests) were not allowed to leave their bishop or travel freely. They needed a letter from their bishop to be accepted anywhere else. If this rule was broken, both the traveling cleric and the person who accepted them could face serious church punishment. These rules helped create a more stable church system.

Rule Six: Hospitality for Travelers Traveling bishops and clergy were expected to be happy with the hospitality offered to them. They were not allowed to perform any church duties without the permission of the local bishop.

Rule Seven: Regular Meetings The council suggested that bishops should meet twice a year. However, this was difficult to do. So, they decided to meet once a year on August 1st at a place called Clofesho. We don't know exactly where Clofesho was, and this rule wasn't always followed in practice.

Rule Eight: Bishop Rank This rule said that no bishop should try to be more important than another just because they wanted to. Instead, their rank should be based on when they became a bishop.

Rule Nine: More Bishops This rule discussed creating more bishops as the number of Christians grew. They didn't make a final decision on this at Hertford, but it showed Theodore's plan to create more dioceses, which he continued to push for.

Rule Ten: Marriage This rule simply confirmed that only lawful marriage was allowed.

Why Was This Council Important?

The Council of Hertford was a very important event because it introduced a new way of governing the church in England. It brought the English Church in line with how churches were run in other parts of Europe.

Before Hertford, there was the Synod of Whitby, which was also important. But Whitby was only about one specific issue (the date of Easter). Hertford was the first time bishops met to discuss many different general church issues. This made it the true beginning of a tradition of regular church councils in Anglo-Saxon England.

The rules and structure put in place at Hertford set the stage for future church meetings. Even though later councils didn't happen as often as Theodore wanted, they were definitely influenced by the way things were done at Hertford. These early councils helped shape the future of the English Church.

Images for kids

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  Map of Anglo-Saxon England, displaying the 'heptarchy': the seven kingdoms which existed from the fifth century until their unification in the tenth. Shows the location of Hertford.