William of St. Barbara | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Durham | |
| Elected | 14 March 1143 |
| Installed | c. 18 October 1144 |
| Term ended | 13 November 1152 |
| Predecessor | William Cumin |
| Successor | Hugh de Puiset |
| Other post | Dean of York |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 20 June 1143 |
| Personal details | |
| Died | (1152-11-13)13 November 1152 |
| Buried | Durham Cathedral in thechapter house |
| Denomination | Catholic |
William of St. Barbara orWilliam of Ste Barbe (died 1152) was a medievalBishop of Durham.
From William's name, it is presumed that he was a native ofSainte-Barbe-en-Auge inCalvados inNormandy (Neustria).[1] He was acanon ofYork Minster in 1128.[2] He wasDean of York by December 1138.[3]
William was elected to thesee of Durham on 14 March 1143 and consecrated on 20 June 1143.[4] He was elected in opposition toWilliam Cumin, who had been intruded into the see by KingDavid I of Scotland in 1141. Cumin was never consecrated and by 1143 had been excommunicated by PopeInnocent II, who also ordered a new election to be held at York Minster. It was this election which selected William of St. Barbara.[5] However, the new bishop was not able to enter Durham right away,[6] and he was enthroned either on 18 October 1144 or shortly thereafter.[7]
Troubles continued in Durham, and the bishop was unable to attend theCouncil of Rheims in 1148, which led to a suspension by the pope for nonattendance. William supportedHenry Murdac in the disputed election to thearchbishopric of York, and it was probably Murdac who arranged for the suspension to be lifted. William also supported theCistercians and theAugustinians, which perturbed hiscathedral chapter, which was made up ofBenedictine monks.[1] He died 13 November 1152.[4] A grave identified as his was excavated in the 19th century in thechapter house ofDurham Cathedral.[8]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Bishop of Durham 1143–1152 | Succeeded by |