William Warelwast facts for kids

William Warelwast (died 1137) was an important church leader in England during the Middle Ages. He was from Normandy, a region in France. William Warelwast became the Bishop of Exeter, a major religious role.

Before 1087, not much is known about his early life. However, he soon became a trusted helper for King William II. William Warelwast often worked as a diplomat, which means he represented the king in talks with other leaders. He was very involved in the king's arguments with Anselm, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. This big disagreement was part of a larger conflict called the Investiture Controversy.

William Warelwast traveled to Rome many times to speak with the Pope about Anselm. Some people, like the writer Eadmer, even claimed that Warelwast bribed the Pope to get what King William wanted.

After King William II died, William Warelwast continued to serve the next king, Henry I. Once the Investiture Controversy was settled, William Warelwast was made the Bishop of Exeter. He kept working for King Henry as a diplomat and a judge. He also started building a new cathedral in Exeter. Sadly, William Warelwast became blind after 1120. He died in 1137, and his nephew, Robert Warelwast, became the next bishop.

Who Was William Warelwast?

Early Life and Education

We don't know much about William Warelwast's family or childhood before 1087. Later in his life, he helped start religious communities for Augustinian canons. This might mean he was an Augustinian canon himself or spent time with them when he was younger.

Some writers from his time said he couldn't read or write. But his career shows this probably wasn't true. He worked with many written documents and was a skilled speaker. He might have studied in a place called Laon, in France. He even sent his nephew, Robert Warelwast, to school there later on. Another nephew, named William, became his personal assistant.

It's possible William Warelwast worked for King William I, the first Norman king of England. A document from a later king, King Stephen, suggests this. However, this document might not be real. It's also possible that William Warelwast was related to the king, which could explain why he received land.

Working for the King: Royal Service

Serving King William II

William Warelwast first appears in records as a royal clerk for King William II. This means he helped the king with official papers and letters. He also acted as a judge in legal cases.

In 1095, King William II sent Warelwast to Pope Urban II. The king wanted to remove the Archbishop of Canterbury, Anselm, from his position. Warelwast and another clerk traveled very quickly to Rome. They were supposed to tell the Pope that the king would recognize him as Pope. In return, the king hoped the Pope would agree to remove Anselm.

The Pope did accept the king's recognition. But he refused to remove Anselm. However, the king did get the Pope to agree that no papal messengers would come to England without his permission.

Warelwast was likely sent to the Pope again in 1096. This time, he might have tried to bribe the Pope to recall a papal messenger who was complaining about the king. Warelwast also continued to work as a royal judge.

In 1097, before Anselm went into exile, Warelwast searched his bags. He was probably looking for letters Anselm might have sent to the Pope. Later, when Anselm was in exile, Warelwast was the king's messenger in Rome. He managed to stop Anselm from getting the king excommunicated. Excommunication meant being kicked out of the church.

Working for King Henry I

King Henry's Dream from a 12th-century manuscript. This picture shows a dream King Henry I had.

William Warelwast might have been with King William II when he died in a hunting accident in 1100. He was one of the people who signed a letter from the new king, Henry I, to Anselm. This letter asked Anselm to return to England.

King Henry I continued to use Warelwast as a diplomat. In 1101, he sent Warelwast to Rome to get a reply from Pope Paschal II. King Henry wanted to make peace with the Pope. He promised to respect the Pope, just like his father had. But he also wanted to keep the right to choose bishops himself. The Pope did not agree to this.

In 1103, Warelwast told Anselm that the king would not let him return to England. This happened after Warelwast and Anselm had failed to solve the argument between the king and Anselm. This argument was about whether the king or the Pope should choose bishops. It was a big part of the Investiture Controversy.

In 1106, Warelwast helped negotiate the end of the Investiture Controversy in England. The king agreed to stop giving bishops their special symbols of power. But he still kept the right for bishops to promise loyalty to him. Warelwast then went to tell Anselm the good news and invite him back to England.

In 1107, Warelwast was the king's messenger at a church meeting in France. He likely told the Pope that King Henry would not help with a military campaign.

Becoming a Bishop

King Henry I had saved the position of Bishop of Exeter for William Warelwast since 1103. But because of the Investiture Controversy, Warelwast could not be officially chosen until the argument was settled. Instead, the king made him the Archdeacon of Exeter.

Some stories say Warelwast tried to remove the previous bishop, Osbern, from his job. But these stories are probably not true. While he was an archdeacon, Warelwast was present when a church in Devon was given to Bath Cathedral.

William Warelwast was finally chosen as Bishop of Exeter. He was officially made a bishop on August 11, 1107. This ceremony was led by Anselm himself. Several other bishops were also made bishops at the same time. Warelwast's new role was a reward for his hard work in solving the Investiture Controversy. This big ceremony showed that the argument over choosing bishops in England was finally over.

After becoming a bishop, Warelwast still helped the king. He often appeared in royal documents and at the king's court. He carried messages for the king and served as a royal judge. He also traveled with the king to Normandy many times.

In 1115, King Henry sent Warelwast to Rome again. The Pope was upset because the king was stopping papal messengers from coming to England. The Pope was also angry that the king was not letting church leaders appeal to the Pope's court. Warelwast could not change the Pope's mind, but he did stop the Pope from punishing the king.

Warelwast also helped the king during arguments between the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. These arguments were about who had more power in the English Church. He visited the Pope about this in 1119, 1120, and possibly 1116.

William Warelwast's Work as Bishop

One of the transept towers at Exeter Cathedral, which date from Warelwast's time. These towers are very old and were built when William Warelwast was bishop.

As a bishop, William Warelwast attended important church meetings. He went to the Council of Reims in 1119 and the Council of Rouen in 1118.

In his own area, the Diocese of Exeter, he started building a new cathedral around 1114. This new Exeter Cathedral was officially opened in 1133. The two old towers you can still see today were built during his time.

He also changed some churches so that regular canons, who followed strict rules, replaced the secular clergy. He did this at Plympton in 1121 and at Launceston in 1127. He also started a new community for regular canons at Bodmin. The king gave Warelwast several churches in Cornwall, Devon, and Exeter.

William Warelwast got along well with the church leaders at his cathedral. There were no major arguments during his time as bishop. It was during his time, around 1133, that the diocese was divided into smaller areas called archdeaconries.

He also created two new jobs for the cathedral: a treasurer and a precentor (who led the singing). He also appointed the first sub-archdeacons, who helped the archdeacons.

In his later years, William Warelwast became blind, starting around 1120. He died around September 26, 1137. He was buried at the priory in Plympton. Some people think he might have given up his bishop role before he died. One old writer thought he became a canon at Plympton and died in 1127, but the year of death is wrong. Records show that another bishop gave Warelwast his last religious rites on September 26, 1137. It also says he became a member of the church community at Plympton just before he died.

William Warelwast's nephew, Robert Warelwast, became the next Bishop of Exeter in 1138. Robert had been made an archdeacon by his uncle.

Historians describe William Warelwast as a very smart and loyal servant to the king.