Æthelhard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Æthelhard
Archbishop of Canterbury
A silver penny of Æthelhard
Appointed	792
Enthroned	21 July 793
Reign ended	12 May 805
Predecessor	Jænberht
Successor	Wulfred
Other posts	Bishop of Winchester
Orders
Consecration	between 759 and 778
Personal details
Died	12 May 805 (0805-05-13)
Buried	Canterbury
Sainthood
Feast day	12 May
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	Pre-Congregation

Æthelhard (died 12 May 805) was an important church leader in medieval England. He first served as a Bishop of Winchester. Later, he became the Archbishop of Canterbury, a very powerful position. King Offa of Mercia chose him for this role.

Æthelhard faced challenges from the kings of Kent and a rival archbishop in Lichfield. He was even removed from his job for a time around 796. But by 803, with help from King Coenwulf, he managed to make Canterbury the most important church center in southern Britain again. Æthelhard died in 805. People honored him as a saint for a long time after his death.

Early Life of Æthelhard

We don't know much about Æthelhard's family or when he was born. Most historians believe he was from Mercia, a powerful kingdom in England.

His name first appears in records as an abbot (the head of a monastery) in Louth. After that, he became the Bishop of Winchester. He was made a bishop sometime between 759 and 778.

Becoming Archbishop of Canterbury

In 792, Æthelhard moved from being the Bishop of Winchester to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He officially started his new role on July 21, 793. King Offa of Mercia was very powerful and chose Æthelhard for this important job.

The enthronement ceremony was led by Hygberht, who was the Archbishop of Lichfield. Lichfield's archbishopric was a new creation by King Offa. Offa even asked Alcuin of York, a famous scholar, for advice on how to do things properly.

Trouble in Kent

Around 796, King Eadberht III Præn of Kent removed Æthelhard from his position. This happened because Æthelhard had been chosen by King Offa, who died in 796. Eadberht took control of Kent and forced Æthelhard to leave.

Æthelhard fled to the court of Offa's son, Ecgfrith. However, Ecgfrith also died soon after. A distant relative, Coenwulf, then became the new King of Mercia.

Alcuin, the scholar, encouraged Æthelhard to go back to Canterbury. He also suggested a way to solve the problem with Lichfield. Alcuin thought Hygberht could keep his archbishop title, but it would be mostly for show. This would make Canterbury the main archbishopric in the south again. But Æthelhard could not return while Eadberht was still in charge of Kent.

Papal Support

Even though Alcuin was a bit critical of Æthelhard for running away, the Pope saw it differently. Pope Leo III praised Æthelhard for leaving and refusing to obey King Eadberht. The Pope even compared Eadberht to a bad Roman emperor.

However, there were signs that people in Kent thought about choosing a new archbishop while Æthelhard was away.

Challenges with Lichfield

Lichfield had been made an archbishopric by the Pope. This meant only the Pope could change its status. King Coenwulf tried to get Pope Leo III to demote Lichfield in 797. But the Pope didn't agree at first. He seemed upset that Coenwulf was criticizing his earlier decision.

Coenwulf's letter to the Pope asked for advice on the problems between Lichfield and Canterbury. It reminded the Pope of an old plan by Pope Gregory I for two main church leaders in Britain. One would be in the north and one in the south, based in London. Coenwulf's letter hinted that he wanted Æthelhard's main church center to move to London. Æthelhard also sent a letter, but it has been lost.

The Pope did not agree to move the archbishopric to London. He said the southern archbishopric must stay in Canterbury. He also punished Eadberht, saying he should be removed from Kent if he kept Æthelhard out of Canterbury.

Æthelhard's Return

In 798, King Coenwulf attacked Kent and captured Eadberht. He blinded Eadberht and put him in prison. Æthelhard was then able to return to Canterbury. He worked to get back the church's lands and wealth.

He also got several southern bishops to promise their loyalty to Canterbury. These included Eadwulf of Lindsey and Tidferth of Dummoc. But Hygberht was still called archbishop in 799. Pope Leo was busy with problems in Rome around 799 and 800. So, he could not make any decisions about the English church dispute.

Æthelhard decided to travel to Rome himself to talk to the Pope. He wanted to discuss how Canterbury's power had decreased. The archbishop went with Bishop Cyneberht of Winchester. They carried two letters from King Coenwulf to the Pope. After their talks, Pope Leo sided with Canterbury. He officially changed Lichfield back to just a bishopric. It seems that the church leaders in Canterbury never really accepted Lichfield as an archbishopric anyway.

Back in England

Æthelhard came back to England in 803. He called a meeting called the Council of Clovesho. At this meeting, they decided that no other archbishopric should ever be created in southern Britain besides Canterbury.

Hygberht, the former Archbishop of Lichfield, attended this council. But he was there as an abbot, which means he had already given up his archbishop title. At the same council, Æthelhard also shared a papal decision. This decision said that churches should be free from control by kings or other non-church leaders.

During the council, Æthelhard again said that the Pope had been tricked into making Lichfield an archbishopric. He called it a "tyrannical power" that was behind the effort. Æthelhard led at least eleven church meetings, and possibly one more.

Æthelhard died on May 12, 805. He was buried in Canterbury. People later honored him as a saint, with a special day on May 12. However, his worship as a saint was stopped after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Eastern Orthodox Church in England still celebrates his feast day. Some churches even have Saint Æthelhard as their patron saint.

Images for kids

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  A silver penny of Æthelhard