Everything about William Walcher totally explained
William Walcher or just
Walcher (sometimes
Walchere or
Walker) (d.
14 May 1080) was the
bishop of Durham from
1071, a
Norman, the first to hold that see, and an appointment of
William the Conqueror.
He was a priest in
Lotharingia who was invited by
William I to fill the post, and he was consecrated
bishop in 1071 and probably enthroned on
April 3 1071. During the first part of his term as bishop, he was on friendly terms with
Waltheof earl of Northumbria, so much so that Waltheof sat with the clergy when Walcher held synods. After Waltheof rebelled and lost his earldom, Walcher was allowed to buy the earldom. Walcher planned to introduce monks into his cathedral chapter, and was remembered as encouraging monasticism in his diocese.
Walcher was a saintly man but an incompetent leader. According to
Symeon of Durham, Walcher's household knights were allowed to plunder and occasionally kill natives without punishment. One of Walcher's councellors was Ligulf of Lumley, who was connected by birth to the old Northumbrian line and was married to the daughter of
Ealdred, Earl of Bernicia. Ligulf's presence in the bishop's council provided a link with the local aristocracy. There was a Scottish invasion in 1079, which Walcher was unable or unwilling to deal with effectively. The Scots, under
Malcolm III, were able to plunder Northumberland for about three weeks unopposed before returning to Scotland with slaves and booty. Ligulf was very critical of Walcher's conduct. A feud ensued between Ligulf and two of Walcher's henchmen, his chaplain Leobwin and his kinsman Gilbert. Gilbert attacked Ligulf's hall in the middle of the night and Ligulf and most of his household were killed.
The Northumbrians were enraged at the murder of one of their leaders and there was a real threat of rebellion. In order to calm the situation Walcher agreed to travel from Durham and meet Ligulf's kinsmen at
Gateshead. He travelled with at least one hundred retainers for safety. At Gateshead, he met Eodulf Rus the leader of the kinsmen and was presented with a petition of wrongs committed. Walcher rejected these and the enraged Northumbrians attacked the Norman party. Walcher and his men sought refuge in a nearby church but the Northumbrians set fire to it. Leobwin died in the blaze and when Walcher, Gilbert and the rest of his party were forced out by the flames they were killed.
Following the murder of Walcher, the rebels attacked Walcher’s castle at Durham and besieged it for four days, before returning to their homes. The result of their rising and the murder of William’s appointed bishop, led William to send his half brother
Odo of Bayeux with an army to harry the Northumbrian countryside. Many of the native nobility were driven into exile and the power of the Anglo-Saxon nobility in Northumbria was broken.
Walcher was considered a well-educated bishop, and had a reputation as a pious man. Walcher's successor as Earl of Northumbria was
Aubrey de Coucy.
William of Saint Carilef was the next prince-bishop, though not earl.
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