Gascoyne Family Tree

Æthelric (or Ethelric; died 1072) was Bishop of Durham from 1041 to 1056 when he resigned.[1]

Æthelric was a monk at Peterborough Abbey before Bishop Eadmund of Durham brought him to Durham to instruct the Durham monks in monastic life.[2] Æthelric was consecrated as bishop on 11 January 1041[1] at York. Æthelric may have owed his advancement to Siward, Earl of Northumbria, who later restored Æthelric to Durham after Æthelric was forced to flee during a quarrel with the Durham monks.[2] Two reasons are given for why Æthelric resigned his see.[3] One story has it happening after a scandal in which he appropriated treasure hoard that was discovered at Chester-le-Street in the process of replacing the old church with a new one.[4] Æthelric allegedly sent the money to his former monastery of Peterborough to finance some building work there.[5] Another reason given was that Æthelric was unable to protect the diocese against locals encroaching on its rights. Æthelric also resigned within a year of the death of Earl Siward, who had been one of the bishop's main supporters.[3] His brother, Æthelwine, who had helped Æthelric to appropriate the treasure, succeeded Æthelric as bishop.[4]

Æthelric retired to Peterborough Abbey, where he remained until the Norman Conquest.[6] He died on 15 October 1072.[1] He was arrested by the King William I of England after May 1070, and died in captivity at Westminster.[6][7][8]

 Notes

  1. ^ a b c Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 216
  2. ^ a b Fletcher Bloodfeud p. 137
  3. ^ a b Kapelle Norman Conquest of the North pp. 89–90
  4. ^ a b Fletcher Bloodfeud p. 156
  5. ^ Mason House of Godwine pp. 124–125
  6. ^ a b Williams English and the Norman Conquest p. 45
  7. ^ Fletcher Bloodfeud p. 185
  8. ^ Stafford Unification and Conquest p. 104