Robert the Lotharingian | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Hereford | |
| Appointed | before 29 December 1079 |
| Term ended | 26 June 1095 |
| Predecessor | Walter |
| Successor | Gerard |
| Previous post | probably acanon ofLiège |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | before 29 December 1079 by Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester |
| Consecration | 29 December 1079 by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Personal details | |
| Died | (1095-06-26)26 June 1095 |
| Buried | Hereford Cathedral |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
Robert the Lotharingian[a] (died 26 June 1095) was a priest who becameBishop of Hereford following theNorman Conquest of England. His writings serve as one of the best sources for information on the process of compiling theDomesday Book, and he may have introduced theabacus to England.
Robert was a native ofLorraine[2] and probably acanon ofSt. Lambert's Cathedral, Liège before coming to England,[3] and may have been educated at the cathedral school there also.[4] The school at Liege specialized in mathematics, which later became a specialty of Robert's. His name is often given as Robert de Losinga, but the earliest evidence gives it as Robert the Lotharingian. His birthdate is unknown, but it was probably before 1049.[5]
Robert may have arrived in England by the 1050s,[4] or perhaps after the Norman Conquest. Arguments have been presented on both sides.[5] KingWilliam the Conqueror's appointment of Robert was somewhat unusual, not just because he was not a Norman, but because he was not a religious scholar, and was instead an astronomer and mathematician.[2][6] Robert was ordained as a priest byWulfstan, Bishop of Worcester sometime before 29 December 1079.[3] Robert was consecrated as the Bishop of Hereford byLanfranc on 29 December 1079[3][7] at Canterbury.[5]
Robert brought thechronicle ofMarianus Scotus to England,[2] but it had little effect on historical writing in England,[8] beyond the use thatFlorence of Worcester made of it.[9] Robert inserted into his own copy of Marianus, a notice about theDomesday Book survey, that is one of the best sources for information on the process of Domesday.[10] His only other work that survives is a small introduction to Marianus' chronicle that corrects a few errors and discusses computation.[5] He was also known as a mathematician and astrologer,[11] and brought continental learning into his diocese.[6] He was also familiar with theabacus,[12] and some historians feel he helped introduce it into England.[13] Others, though, disagree and feel that the use of the abacus was known before this time in England.[14] He was good friends with Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, and it was Robert who buried the future saint.[11] It may be that Robert gave Wulfstan a copy of Marianus' chronicle, which allowed the monks at Worcester to use it in their own works.[9] Robert was also friends withOsmund, who wasBishop of Salisbury.[15]
Robert was present at theCouncil of Rockingham in February 1095, which dealt with the conflict between KingWilliam II of England andAnselm, theArchbishop of Canterbury. Robert sided with the king against the archbishop.[16] Afterwards, however, Robert and Osmund, the Bishop of Salisbury, were reconciled with Anselm.[17]
Robert died on 26 June 1095.[7] He was buried inHereford Cathedral.[5] He built a chapel at Hereford Cathedral, basing it on the church atAachen.[5][18] This was a two-tier chapel of a type reserved for royalty or archbishops in Germany.[4] He also improved the financial condition of his diocese, although it remained poor.[19]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Bishop of Hereford 1079–1095 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| People | |
