Theobald of Bec facts for kids

Theobald of Bec (born around 1090 – died 18 April 1161) was an important church leader from Normandy, a region in France. He served as the Archbishop of Canterbury in England from 1139 to 1161. An archbishop is a very senior bishop who leads a large area of churches. Canterbury was, and still is, the most important church position in England.

Theobald started his life as a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Bec in Normandy. He became the head of the abbey, called an abbot, in 1137. In 1138, King Stephen of England chose him to be the Archbishop of Canterbury. During Theobald's time, it was decided that Canterbury had special authority over the churches in Wales.

Theobald faced challenges, especially from Henry of Blois, who was the Bishop of Winchester and King Stephen's brother. Theobald's relationship with King Stephen was often difficult. Once, Stephen told Theobald not to go to a church meeting called by the Pope. Theobald went anyway, which made the king angry. Stephen took away Theobald's property and sent him away from England for a short time.

Theobald served during a time of great trouble in England, known as The Anarchy, when King Stephen and his cousin, Empress Matilda, fought for the throne. Theobald helped bring peace by refusing to crown Stephen's son, Eustace, as the next king. After Eustace died, Theobald helped Stephen and his rival, Henry of Anjou, make a deal for Henry to become the next king. After Stephen died, Theobald was even named the temporary ruler of England until Henry arrived.

Theobald died in 1161 after a long illness. People tried to have him recognized as a saint, but it didn't happen. He was a mentor to Thomas Becket, who became the next Archbishop of Canterbury and is much more famous. Many other future bishops and archbishops also worked for Theobald. He helped make the Canterbury church stronger and more powerful during his time.

Early Life and Becoming an Abbot

Family and Where He Grew Up

Theobald's family came from a place called Thierville in Normandy, France. Some historians think he might have been a distant relative of Thomas Becket, who also came from that area. We don't know exactly when Theobald was born, but people thought he was old when he died in 1161, so he was probably born around 1090. His father was likely a knight, but we don't know his name. Theobald's brother, Walter, also became a priest and later a bishop.

Theobald joined the Abbey of Bec in Normandy as a Benedictine monk in the late 1000s or early 1100s. He was the 266th monk to join under the abbot William.

Life at Bec Abbey

In 1127, Theobald became the prior of Bec, which is like a second-in-command. He then became the abbot in 1137. The monks chose him without asking the Archbishop of Rouen, who was the main church leader in that area. This caused a problem, but it was eventually sorted out. Theobald also had to argue about whether he needed to promise to obey the Archbishop of Rouen in writing, which no abbot had done before. After 14 months, they agreed he could just say it out loud.

We don't have many records from when Theobald was abbot, but we know that 47 new monks joined Bec during his time. He also traveled to England at least once to check on the abbey's lands there, just before he was chosen to be the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Becoming Archbishop of Canterbury

In 1138, King Stephen chose Theobald to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Stephen picked Theobald over his own brother, Henry, who was the Bishop of Winchester. The king was worried that Henry would become too powerful if he was both a bishop and the archbishop.

The election happened on December 24. King Stephen was there, along with a special representative from the Pope, but Henry was not. Many historians believe Stephen planned it this way so Henry wouldn't be there. Henry thought Theobald was chosen not just because of Stephen's worries, but also because a powerful lord named Waleran of Meulan wanted his own person in a top position in England.

Even though Theobald was a good and educated monk, he had only been an abbot for a year. His monastery, Bec, was famous for producing two previous Archbishops of Canterbury, so that probably helped him get the job. Theobald didn't have powerful family connections or many church friends to help him rise.

Archbishop of England

First Years as Archbishop

Theobald officially became archbishop on January 8, 1139. He then traveled to Rome to receive his pallium, a special woolen vestment that symbolizes his authority from the Pope. He also attended an important church meeting called the Second Lateran Council.

Compared to Henry of Blois, Theobald was less involved in politics. Henry of Blois was made a special representative of the Pope in England in March 1139. This meant Henry could call church meetings and had power equal to or even greater than Theobald's. Theobald promised loyalty to King Stephen when he became archbishop.

Soon after becoming archbishop, Theobald made his brother Walter an archdeacon in Canterbury. In 1148, he promoted Walter to be the Bishop of Rochester. Theobald was also present at a council held by King Stephen in 1139, where three bishops lost their castles.

Both sides of the seal of Stephen, from an engraving made in 1846

The Civil War in England

After King Henry I died in 1135, there was a big fight over who should be the next ruler. Henry's nephews, Stephen and Theobald, both wanted the throne, as did Henry's daughter, Empress Matilda. Henry I's only son had died earlier. Even though everyone had promised to support Matilda as Henry's heir, Stephen quickly went to England and was crowned king.

Matilda didn't give up. She got support from the Scottish king and her half-brother, Robert. England became divided, with people supporting either Stephen or Matilda. This period of fighting is known as the Anarchy.

In 1141, King Stephen was captured in battle. Theobald didn't immediately join Empress Matilda. He said he needed to talk to Stephen first. After getting Stephen's permission, Theobald joined Henry of Blois (who had switched sides) at a meeting to try and make Matilda queen. However, Matilda couldn't be crowned because she didn't control London.

Later, Theobald helped negotiate a deal to exchange Robert of Gloucester, who had been captured, for King Stephen. This happened in November 1141. After Stephen was released, Theobald officially crowned him again at Canterbury during the Christmas celebrations. Matilda stayed in England until 1148, but neither side could win completely, so the fighting continued.

Problems with Henry of Blois

Theobald and Henry of Blois, the Bishop of Winchester, often had disagreements. Henry was the Pope's special representative, which gave him a lot of power. Henry supported a different person for Archbishop of York, which Theobald didn't like.

In 1143, Henry's special powers from the Pope ended when Pope Innocent II died. Theobald then traveled to Rome to try and get those powers for himself. He arrived just before the next Pope, Celestine II, died. Before he died, Celestine told Theobald not to allow any changes to the English crown, meaning Theobald shouldn't crown anyone else as king while Stephen was alive. This became the Pope's new policy.

After Celestine's death, Theobald returned to England. Meanwhile, Henry of Blois had gone to Rome to try and make Winchester an archbishopric, which would have given him more power.

Arguments with King Stephen

In 1147, Theobald went to Paris to meet the new Pope, Eugene III. At this time, Theobald and King Stephen seemed to get along well. However, when the Pope called a meeting in Rheims in 1148, the king told all the English bishops not to go, except for three he chose.

Despite the king's order, Theobald secretly left England in a fishing boat to attend the meeting. He felt he had to obey the Pope. Also, he wanted to make sure the Pope didn't favor the new Archbishop of York, who was close to Pope Eugene.

At the meeting, the Pope suspended the bishops who didn't attend, including Henry of Blois. Theobald quickly reinstated most of them, but Henry of Blois had to be reinstated by the Pope himself.

The king was very angry with Theobald for going to the meeting. Even though Theobald tried to smooth things over with the Pope, Stephen took away Theobald's property and sent him away from England. In September 1148, the Pope put England under an interdict, which meant that most church services (like baptisms and burials) were stopped. This was a very serious punishment.

Theobald went to St Omer in France, and then returned to England, setting up in Framlingham. From there, he continued to manage church affairs. His presence in England was a threat to Stephen, so the king quickly made peace with Theobald.

Around 1150, Theobald was appointed the Pope's special representative in England, a role he held until his death in 1161. In 1151, Theobald held a church council in London, attended by the king and his son. They passed rules about protecting church property and how church courts should handle cases.

The next year, Theobald refused to crown Stephen's son, Eustace, as the next king. Stephen wanted to do this to make sure his son would inherit the throne, like kings in France did. Theobald said the Pope had forbidden it, but it was also likely that he and the other bishops didn't want the civil war to continue. Stephen again sent Theobald away, this time to Flanders. Theobald said that Stephen had become king unfairly, and crowning Eustace would be continuing that wrong. The king and archbishop made a truce in August.

In January 1153, Henry of Anjou, Matilda's son, invaded England. When Eustace died in August 1153, Stephen finally gave up his claim to the throne. Theobald played a key role in the talks between Henry and Stephen that led to the Treaty of Wallingford. This treaty made Henry the official heir to the throne. Theobald was also there when Henry and Stephen's second son, William, settled their lands after Eustace's death. The Pope made Stephen allow Theobald to return to Canterbury. Theobald and Henry of Blois, who had previously struggled to work together, were crucial in ending the civil war in England.

Under King Henry II

Theobald was with King Stephen when he died in October 1154. Stephen named Theobald as the temporary ruler until Henry could arrive and take the crown. Theobald managed to keep the peace for six weeks until Henry arrived. On December 19, 1154, Theobald crowned Henry and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, at Westminster Abbey.

For the rest of his life, Theobald focused on church matters in his area and attended the royal court when Henry was in England. In 1155, Theobald helped his assistant, Thomas Becket, become the Chancellor, a very important government job. Theobald hoped this would give him more influence with the king, but it didn't quite work out that way.

The king and the archbishop sometimes disagreed, but they usually tried to find a compromise to keep their relationship good. For example, when Pope Adrian IV died in 1159, two people claimed to be the new Pope. King Henry, following his grandfather's example, told the bishops not to recognize either one. After Henry decided which Pope was better for political reasons, Theobald also recognized him.

However, things weren't always smooth. In 1156, Theobald supported a man accused of poisoning the Archbishop of York. Theobald wanted the man to be tried in a church court, not a royal court, which King Henry opposed. Even though Theobald's position displeased the king, it didn't cause a major break between them.

In June 1160, Theobald called a church council in London. He was very ill and had to be carried to the meeting. He was also upset that Thomas Becket didn't visit him when he was sick.

Working with His Cathedral Monks

Theobald's main church, Christ Church Cathedral, was run by monks, and he was considered their abbot. Because of his duties as archbishop, the daily running of the cathedral was handled by the prior, who was the monks' leader. When Theobald was chosen, there were about 140 monks, and they expected him, as a former monk, to support them.

Theobald started well. He sent monks from his cathedral to another church, St Martin's Priory, which had been run by canons (another type of priest) and replaced them with monks. He also set up a new church at South Malling to provide income for his cathedral monks.

Theobald worked with his first prior, Jeremiah, to stop priests from marrying in the diocese. However, Jeremiah had been chosen by the monks without the Pope's permission, so Theobald decided to remove him and choose his own prior. Jeremiah appealed to the Pope, but Theobald removed him anyway and appointed Walter Durdent. The Pope then ordered Jeremiah to be put back in charge. Theobald refused to perform any services in the cathedral until Jeremiah was removed by the monks. This would have caused the monks to lose money, so Jeremiah resigned and left. Durdent was put back in charge.

In 1151, Theobald took over managing the monks' lands because the new prior, Walter Parvus, wasn't doing a good job. At first, there were no problems, but then the monks felt Theobald was being unfair and making them too poor. They asked for their lands to be given back to Parvus, but Theobald refused. The monks tried to appeal to the Pope, but Theobald's agents caught their messengers. Theobald then removed Parvus and appointed a new prior. After this, his relationship with the monks seemed to be fine.

Working with Other Monasteries

Ruins of St Augustine's Abbey, with Canterbury Cathedral behind

Theobald also had a disagreement with St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury about whether the archbishop had the right to receive yearly payments from them. They also argued about whether the archbishop had a say in choosing new abbots and if the abbots had to promise obedience to the archbishop. These issues were eventually settled, with the abbey continuing payments and the abbots promising obedience.

The conflict with St Augustine's came up again in 1149 when some monks refused to obey the interdict (church ban) placed on England by Theobald and the Pope. Theobald had the leaders of these monks punished. In 1151, when the abbot of St Augustine's died, the prior, Silvester, paid the king for the right to run the abbey and hold a free election. The monks chose Silvester as the new abbot, but Theobald refused to approve him, saying Silvester had bought the job. Eventually, Pope Eugene III ordered Theobald to allow Silvester to become abbot.

Theobald and St Augustine's also argued about whether the abbey was free from the archbishop's control and only answered to the Pope. Papal documents supported the abbey, but English royal documents did not. Theobald tried to clear up the confusion in court. The Pope's documents favored the abbey, but at a royal meeting in 1157, King Henry II sided with Theobald. As part of the agreement, Silvester had to formally promise obedience to Theobald. This fight was just one part of a long history of disagreements between Canterbury and St Augustine's.

Theobald also received promises of obedience from abbots and priors from other monasteries, even some outside his own diocese. This usually happened when a monastery claimed to be free from its local bishop and instead answered directly to Canterbury. Theobald also got involved in choosing some abbots, though not always successfully.

He also supported the Bishop of Chichester in a dispute with Battle Abbey. The abbey claimed it was free from the bishop's control because it was founded by King William I of England. Theobald supported the bishop, but the case was eventually decided in the abbey's favor, based on documents that historians now believe were fake.

Working with Other Bishops

Theobald was very important in making sure the Welsh bishops were under Canterbury's authority. In 1140, he consecrated Meurig as Bishop of Bangor, and Meurig promised obedience to Canterbury. However, Bernard, the Bishop of St David's, argued that St David's should be an archbishopric itself and be independent.

Theobald also consecrated Uhtred as Bishop of Llandaff in 1140 and Gilbert as Bishop of St Asaph in 1142, and both promised obedience to him. Theobald's legal efforts stopped Bernard's attempts to make St David's an archbishopric. When Bernard was replaced in 1148, Theobald made sure the new bishop promised obedience to Canterbury, ending the efforts to remove Wales from Canterbury's control. In 1148, Pope Eugene also sided with Canterbury on this issue.

Theobald even maintained Canterbury's claim to authority over Irish churches by consecrating Patrick as Bishop of Limerick in 1140. However, this was the last time Canterbury made such a claim, as in 1152, the Pope's representative reorganized the Irish dioceses and made the Archbishop of Armagh the main church leader in Ireland.

Relations with bishops in England remained good. There wasn't much activity in the long-running dispute between Canterbury and York over which was the most important church in Britain. Theobald got a general confirmation of Canterbury's importance from Pope Celestine II in 1143–1144. However, at a council in 1148, the Pope clarified that this didn't affect York's claim to be independent of Canterbury. Because of problems with the election of the Archbishop of York in the 1140s, Theobald didn't face many challenges from York. When the Archbishop of York died in 1154, Theobald helped his assistant, Roger de Pont L'Evêque, become the new Archbishop of York. Theobald consecrated Roger without making him promise obedience, which had often caused arguments between the two churches in the past.

His Household and Supporters

Medieval stained-glass window depicting Thomas Becket

Theobald had many talented young men in his household, including his future successor, Thomas Becket. Theobald was important in bringing Roman law to England. He invited a legal expert named Vacarius to join his staff and advise on legal matters. It's not clear if Vacarius started a formal school in Theobald's house, but he did teach for a short time at Oxford. Theobald also encouraged the study of church law in England. The later conflicts between King Henry II and Thomas Becket had their roots in issues that came up during Theobald's time. Theobald himself had studied church law very closely.

Even though Theobald was a monk, his household was not like a monastery. As he settled into being an archbishop, he seemed to leave most of his monk habits behind, though he always had a monk as a companion. His nephews and brother benefited from his help, with his nephews joining his household early in his time as archbishop.

Theobald was a supporter of three very important men: Thomas Becket, Vacarius, and John of Salisbury. John of Salisbury was Theobald's secretary for many years and later became a bishop. While working for Theobald, John wrote two of his most famous books. Other people who studied in Theobald's household included Roger de Pont L'Evêque (later Archbishop of York), John Belemis (later Archbishop of Lyons), and many others who became bishops. In total, his household produced three archbishops and six bishops. His household acted like a school, preparing many people for careers in the church.

Death and What He Left Behind

Theobald died on April 18, 1161, after a long illness, at his palace in Canterbury. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral. When his coffin was opened in 1190 during repairs, his body was found to be in good condition. However, efforts to have him recognized as a saint based on this evidence were not successful.

Even though Theobald faced opposition from Henry of Blois, he managed to regain control of the English Church. He also secured the rights of his church in Canterbury and helped keep England united during a difficult time. People at the time had different opinions of him. Some thought he was too quick-tempered. Others, who knew him, thought he was a good archbishop. Theobald's legacy might be less well-known because his successor, Thomas Becket, became so famous. Modern historians tend to be kinder, with one saying Theobald was "an upright man, but quick tempered, and sometimes spoke far too rashly."

Images for kids

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  A medieval plaque depicting Henry of Blois, dating from around 1150