Nigel (bishop of Ely) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nigel
Bishop of Ely
Memorial to Nigel in Ely Cathedral
Appointed	1133
Predecessor	Hervey le Breton
Successor	Geoffrey Ridel
Other posts	Archdeacon of the diocese of Salisbury (territory is not known)
Orders
Consecration	1 October 1133 by William de Corbeil
Personal details
Born	c. 1100
Died	30 May 1169
Buried	perhaps Ely Cathedral

Nigel (c. 1100 – 1169) was an important church leader and government official in England. He was known as an Anglo-Norman clergyman. He served as the Bishop of Ely from 1133 until his death in 1169.

Nigel came from a family deeply involved in the church and government. His uncle, Roger of Salisbury, was a bishop and a powerful minister for King Henry I. Other family members also held important positions. Nigel's career advanced thanks to his uncle. His probable brother, Alexander of Lincoln, also became a bishop. Nigel studied in Europe before becoming a royal administrator. He worked as the Treasurer of England under King Henry I. In 1133, he was appointed to lead the bishopric of Ely.

During his time as bishop, Nigel had disagreements with the monks of his cathedral chapter. They felt he kept money that should have gone to them. After King Stephen took the throne in 1135, Nigel lost his role as treasurer. His family was removed from political power. Nigel then joined Stephen's rival, Empress Matilda. However, he later made peace with King Stephen. He held some minor jobs but never regained his top position under Stephen.

When Henry II became king in 1154, Nigel was made treasurer again. His second time as treasurer involved bringing back the old ways of managing money from Henry I's reign. Around 1164, Nigel became ill and stepped back from public work. His son, Richard fitzNeal, took over as treasurer. Nigel had taught him how the Exchequer, or Treasury, worked. Historians generally agree that Nigel was an excellent administrator. They see him as more skilled in government than in religious matters.

Early Life and Family Connections

Nigel was likely born around 1100. People sometimes called him Nigel Poor or Nigel of Ely. Before he became a bishop, he was often known as "Nigel, the bishop's nephew" or "Nigel, the treasurer." He probably came from a Norman family, but he grew up in England. England had been conquered by William the Conqueror in 1066.

After William the Conqueror died, his kingdom was divided among his sons. His son, Henry, eventually became King of England and took control of Normandy.

Nigel's uncle, Roger of Salisbury, who was the Bishop of Salisbury, made sure Nigel received a good education. Nigel studied mathematics at a school in Laon, France. Many other students there also became important bishops later on.

It is not known exactly when Nigel became a cleric. He held a church office in London before becoming an archdeacon in Salisbury. Most historians believe Nigel was the brother of Alexander of Lincoln, who later became Bishop of Lincoln. Both were nephews of Roger of Salisbury. A medieval writer, William of Malmesbury, said both Nigel and Alexander were well-educated and hardworking. Nigel started serving as a royal chaplain around 1112. He witnessed many royal documents during this time.

Working for King Henry I

Nigel first became Treasurer during the reign of King Henry I, around 1126. He was already an auditor and administrator in the treasury of Normandy. He served as treasurer for both England and Normandy, traveling with the king. The exact date he became treasurer is unclear. Royal documents often just called him "nephew of the bishop" (Roger of Salisbury). But in 1131, a letter from the Pope called him "Nigel, the treasurer." This confirms he held the job by then.

In 1133, Roger of Salisbury helped Nigel become the Bishop of Ely. Ely had not had a bishop since 1131. King Henry appointed Nigel as he was finishing important business before returning to Normandy. Nigel was consecrated as bishop on October 1, 1133. He continued to be treasurer until 1136, when a relative named Adelelm took over.

Ely had been a monastery until 1109. It then became a bishopric. But the changes needed to make it a bishopric were still being worked out when Nigel arrived. Nigel was often at court with the king. This meant he had little time for his diocese. He appointed a clergyman, Ranulf of Salisbury, to manage things. Ranulf seemed to treat the monks badly, and Nigel did not do much to protect them.

Later, Nigel claimed that Ranulf was plotting against Normans. Ranulf fled the country, and Nigel made peace with his monks. The monks also wanted to keep certain rights that their abbey had before it became a bishopric. These rights included collecting dues and holding courts. Around 1135, Nigel agreed to give these rights back to the monks. However, the Liber Eliensis, a chronicle written by the monks, still complained about Nigel. They said he kept church property for himself and treated them unfairly.

Challenges Under King Stephen

After King Henry I died in 1135, there was a fight over who would be the next king. Henry's nephews, Stephen and Theobald, and Henry's daughter, Matilda, all wanted the throne. Stephen quickly crowned himself king. Matilda, however, had the support of her uncle, the Scottish king, and her half-brother, Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester.

Nigel was kept as treasurer at first. But King Stephen began to suspect Nigel and his family of supporting Matilda. The Beaumont family, powerful nobles, wanted to be the king's main advisors. They accused Roger, Alexander, and Nigel of preparing their castles to give to Matilda. They urged the king to take the castles. While some thought Roger was disloyal, others believed the accusations came from jealousy. Nigel's own feelings about Matilda are less clear. He continued to witness Stephen's documents for the first four years of his reign.

Arrest of the Bishops

Remains of Sleaford Castle

In 1139, supporters of Roger and his family had a fight with men loyal to Alan of Brittany. This fight might have been planned by the Beaumonts. At a meeting in Oxford in June 1139, Stephen demanded that Roger, Alexander, and Nigel give up their castles. When they hesitated, the king ordered their arrest. Nigel escaped to Devizes castle. The king followed and began a siege. Stephen threatened to hang Roger in front of the castle. Nigel, pressured by Roger's wife, surrendered the castle after three days. All three bishops gave up their government jobs and castles. However, they were allowed to keep their church positions. Nigel gave up Newark Castle and Sleaford Castle, which Alexander had built.

Stephen's brother, Henry of Blois, who was Bishop of Winchester and a representative of the Pope, called a church meeting. He summoned the king to explain why he arrested the clergy. The king refused to come. The meeting ended without a decision, and they decided to appeal to the Pope. This appeal never reached Rome. Stephen's representatives argued that the bishops gave up their castles and money willingly.

Many historians believe the arrest of the bishops was a major turning point in Stephen's reign. It made the church leaders turn against him. Some modern historians, like David Crouch, think it marked the start of the period known as The Anarchy. This was a time of civil war, not because the church was alienated, but because Stephen struggled to control the different groups at his court.

Roger died in December 1139 while held by the king. After his uncle's death, Nigel, who was in East Anglia, rebelled. In January 1140, he fortified the Isle of Ely. But he was soon surrounded and forced to flee. Even his own monks refused to support him. Nigel sought safety with Empress Matilda. His rebellion had little chance of success. He likely acted out of fear and anger over his uncle's death.

Nigel appealed to Pope Innocent II. In October 1140, the Pope ordered Nigel's lands to be returned to him. After Stephen was captured by Matilda's forces, Matilda briefly restored Nigel to Ely. In 1141, Nigel and his brother Alexander supported Matilda. They agreed with Henry of Blois to make Matilda queen. But this plan failed when Matilda's chief supporter was captured and exchanged for Stephen. Stephen's release meant he could send forces against Nigel. Nigel submitted to the king, probably in 1142.

Later Years and Return to Power

In 1143, Nigel had a conflict with Henry of Blois. Nigel was accused of taking a church from a priest, giving church property to laymen, and encouraging rebellion. He had to travel to Rome to defend himself, arriving in 1144. He did not return to his diocese until 1145. While in Rome, Pope Lucius II made rulings in Nigel's favor, ordering his return to Ely. Nigel finally made peace with Stephen by paying a fine of £200 and offering his son Richard fitzNeal as a hostage. While Nigel was in Rome, the king's forces attacked Ely. The monks asked Geoffrey de Mandeville for help. Both forces damaged the lands of the diocese. The monks complained that Nigel had taken items from the church to pay for his trip to Rome.

By 1147, Nigel was again witnessing Stephen's documents. In 1153 or 1154, he was mentioned in a grant of land to St Radegund's Priory in Cambridge. He helped consecrate Hilary of Chichester as Bishop of Chichester in August 1147. He also took part in local courts in 1150. There are no records of him being involved with treasury matters during this time. He was likely at court only for important meetings. Nigel witnessed Stephen's document that named Matilda's son, Henry of Anjou, as the next king. When Henry became king, Nigel was at his coronation.

Reorganizing the Exchequer

After Henry II became king, Nigel was asked to reorganize the Exchequer, which managed the government's money records. The king had to ask Nigel several times before he agreed. One reason for Nigel's hesitation might have been that he would have to work with Robert, Earl of Leicester. Robert was one of the Beaumonts who had turned Stephen against Nigel's family in 1139.

Nigel was the only surviving minister from Henry I's time. His knowledge of the Exchequer was crucial to restore the king's income and administrative practices lost during Stephen's reign. Nigel was able to increase the government's income compared to Stephen's reign. However, he could not quickly return it to the amounts collected under Henry I. Nigel likely encouraged the king to try and get back lands that had been given away during Stephen's reign.

Nigel's involvement in the Exchequer seemed to lessen after the initial reorganization. However, he continued to be active. He obtained tax exemptions and other special rights until his death in 1169. His son, Richard fitzNeal, who later wrote about the Exchequer, said he took over Nigel's treasury duties when Nigel was ill. Nigel continued to have disagreements with Robert, the Earl of Leicester. Richard fitzNeal tells a story about them arguing at the Exchequer.

Nigel also served as a royal judge under Henry II. While his relationship with the government improved, his relationship with the monks of his cathedral chapter remained difficult. In 1156, Pope Adrian IV threatened to suspend Nigel from office. This was because Nigel had not returned all the lands that belonged to the church when he became bishop. The dispute lasted until Nigel promised to return the lands. By 1158, Nigel had returned enough possessions that the Pope eased the conditions. But the quarrels with the monks continued. Nigel appointed a married clerk as sacrist of Ely, which was criticized by Thomas Becket, the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Nigel did manage to reduce the amount of knight's fees owed by the diocese.

Death and Lasting Impact

Nigel died on May 30, 1169. Around 1164 or 1166, he suffered from paralysis. After this, he seemed to withdraw from active public life. He did not play a large part in the disputes between the king and Thomas Becket. However, he did agree with other bishops who opposed the king's attempts to reduce benefits for clergy. He may have been buried at Ely.

Nigel had a son, Richard fitzNeal, who later became Lord Treasurer and Bishop of London. Richard wrote a book called the Dialogus de Scaccario, which explained how the Exchequer worked. His father, Nigel, had taught him these procedures. Nigel's uncle Roger also had a son, Roger, who was King Stephen's chancellor. Another relative, William of Ely, succeeded Richard fitzNeal as treasurer in 1196.

Nigel worked to drain the Fens, which were swampy lands around Ely. This helped create more farmland for his bishopric. He also strengthened the Isle of Ely with stone defenses, starting around 1140. The remains of a castle on Cherry Hill in Ely likely date from Nigel's fortifications. Early in his time as bishop, he tried to get back church lands that had been given to knights by earlier bishops. Soon after becoming bishop, he ordered an investigation into the lands owned by the diocese and the cathedral chapter.

Nigel was often in debt throughout his life. But in the year he died, he managed to clear it with his son's help. The monks of his cathedral chapter disliked that they had to pay for Nigel's appeals to Rome to get his bishopric back. Their dislike for him is clear in the Liber Eliensis. The art historian C. R. Dodwell wrote that Nigel sold or used many valuable church treasures to help his political career. These included gold and silver crucifixes and richly embroidered church garments.

Most historians see Nigel as a skilled administrator, rather than a religious leader. Historian David Knowles wrote that Nigel "devoted all his energies and abilities to matters purely secular." He was excellent at managing finances. He helped ensure that the good administrative practices started under Henry I continued. Historian W. L. Warren said that Stephen likely paid a high price for dismissing Nigel and his uncle, Roger of Salisbury. This was because their knowledge was essential to the Exchequer. While Nigel was a talented administrator, his religious abilities are generally considered low. The Gesta Stephani, a medieval chronicle, said that both Nigel and Alexander "loved display and were reckless." It said they focused so much on worldly things that they amazed people with the large number of knights who surrounded them.

Images for kids

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  Nigel's family tree

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  Remains of Sleaford Castle