William of York (late 11th century – 8 June 1154)^[a] was an English priest and twiceArchbishop of York, before and after a rival,Henry Murdac. He was thought to be related to KingStephen of England, who helped to secure his election to theprovince after several candidates had failed to gain papal confirmation. William faced opposition from theCistercians, who after the election of the Cistercian PopeEugene III, had William deposed in favour of a Cistercian, Murdac. From 1147 until 1153, William worked to be restored to York, which he achieved after the deaths of Murdac and Eugene III. He did not hold the province long, dying shortly after his return, allegedly from poison in the chalice he used to celebrate Mass.^[1] Miracles were reported at his tomb from 1177. He wascanonised in 1226.

Born William fitzHerbert in York,^[2] William was the son ofHerbert of Winchester, or Herbert fitzAlberic,^[3] chancellor and treasurer of KingHenry I.^[4] Most sources say his mother was Emma, half-sister of King Stephen andHenry of Blois,Bishop of Winchester,^[5] and that she was an illegitimate daughter ofStephen II, Count of Blois, Stephen's father.^[6] New research, however, suggests that Emma may have been a daughter of Hunger fitzOdin, who held lands inDorset in theDomesday survey.^[2] William was born sometime before the 1090s, but the date is unknown.^[2]

William held theprebendary of Weighton in the diocese of Yorkshire between 27 June 1109 and 24 February 1114.^[7] Sometime between 1109 and 1114 he was appointedTreasurer of York.^[5] He was also appointedarchdeacon of the East Riding of Yorkshire at an unknown date between 1125 and 1133.^[8] The influence of his rich and powerful father, who had many landholdings in Yorkshire, may have been of benefit in gaining him these offices at a relatively early age.^[9] William apparently held both of these offices until his election as Archbishop.^[8] Serving under ArchbishopThurstan of York, William became involved in Thurstan's dispute with King Henry I after Henry demanded that the Archbishops of York accept subordination to the Archbishops of Canterbury. William accompanied Thurstan into exile in Europe and on embassies to the papal court.^[10] Reconciliation with Henry allowed a return to York in 1121. A papal ruling in favour of the independence of the Archbishops of York was finally delivered in 1127.^[11]

In January 1141 William was elected Archbishop of York.^[12] Originally, thecathedral chapter of York had electedWaltheof in 1140, but that election was set aside, as one of Waltheof's supporters had made anuncanonical gift (bribe) to secure Waltheof's election. Then Henry of Blois tried to secure the see forHenry de Sully, another nephew of Stephen and Henry's. Sully's election was opposed by PopeInnocent II,^[13] who refused to confirm him as Archbishop while he remained Abbot of Fécamp.^[14] Only at a third election in January 1141 was William chosen. Whether he had been a candidate in the previous two elections is unknown.^[13]

The election was opposed by the Cistercian monasteries of Yorkshire and by the archdeacons of York.^[15] The Cistercians opposed on the grounds that theSecond Lateran Council in 1139 had given the religious houses of a diocese the right to participate in electing the bishop.^[16]Theobald of Bec, theArchbishop of Canterbury, refused to recognise William's election due to allegations ofsimony (acquisition of church positions by bribery), and of interference by King Stephen.^[17] In 1143, Pope Innocent II ruled that William could be confirmed in office if he swore under oath that the allegations were false. After he swore the oath, Henry of Blois, who was alsopapal legate, found William innocent, and he was consecrated as archbishop on 26 September 1143.^[5]

As Archbishop, William undertook several ecclesiastical reforms and became popular with the people of York. However, he still needed apallium, the sign of an archbishop's authority from the Pope, which he had not yet received. The Cistercians, who were still adamantly opposed to his being Archbishop, were determined to prevent his receiving it. William travelled to Rome in an attempt to obtain the pallium. The election of Pope Eugene III, a Cistercian, in 1145, was a setback for his cause.^[18]Bernard of Clairvaux, the famous Cistercian abbot and religious leader, exerted all his influence to ensure William's suspension, sending a series of complaints to the new Pope that William had been intruded by secular powers into the see, that he was oppressing the Cistercian monasteries and that he had irregularly appointedWilliam of St. Barbara asDean of York. In the winter of 1145–1146 Eugene re-examined the case, declared that William had not been validly consecrated and suspended him from office.^[19] William was required to obtain an in-person refutation of the old charges by William of St Barbara, by then theBishop of Durham.^[5][15]

While awaiting the final decision in his case, William took up residence with one of his friends,Roger II,King of Sicily.^[19] Hearing of his suspension, some of William's supporters in York launched a damaging attack onFountains Abbey, which destroyed many of the buildings.^[20] William was formally deposed by Eugene in early 1147 and the deposition was confirmed at theCouncil of Reims on 21 March 1148. Another election to York was held, and the candidates includedHilary of Chichester, who was the king's candidate, and Henry Murdac, the Cistercianabbot of Fountains Abbey. Murdac's supporters included the Cistercians and most of the clergy of the diocese, including William's former ally, William of St Barbara. Both sides appealed to the Pope, and the Pope confirmed Murdac as the successful candidate.^[5][15] William then returned to Winchester, the city he had left 40 years earlier to begin his career in York.^[21]

King Stephen refused to accept William's deposition and the appointment of Murdac and prevented Murdac from taking up residence in York. Stephen probably wished to trade recognition of Murdac for support for his sonEustace, whose coronation as his successor he was trying to secure during his own lifetime, to defeat rival claims to the throne byHenry of Anjou.^[22][b] Within a few years both Murdac and the Pope had died and William travelled to Rome to plead with the newAnastasius IV for restoration to office. The Pope concurred and William's reappointment was confirmed on 20 December 1153.^[5][23] On his return to York, while crossing theOuse Bridge in York in triumphal procession, the bridge collapsed, but no one was killed.^[24]

After less than a month back in York, William died on 8 June 1154,^[12] allegedly due to poison administered in the chalice at Mass.^[23] One of William's clerks accusedOsbert de Bayeux, an archdeacon of York, of the murder, and Osbert was summoned before the king to be tried at the royal court. Stephen died before the trial could take place.^[25] William was buried inYork Minster^[26] and within a few months of his death, miracles were attributed to his intervention and a sweet smell came from his tomb when it was damaged during a fire. Nor was the body decayed or burnt.^[27] PopeHonorius III then ordered an investigation into the miracles and canonized him in Rome in 1226.^[27]

William'sfeast day is marked on 8 June, the day of his death.^[28] Traditionaliconography andwindows often depict William's crossing of the Ouse; some iconography shows him crossing in a boat. William'scoat of arms is blazoned:Or, sevenmasclesGules, 3, 3 and 1. This actual shield at one time hung on the west wall of St Wilfrid's Church,Bognor Regis.^[29]

A chapel to St William was built in York in the later 12th century. It was placed on the northern edge of theOuse Bridge to mark a miracle associated with the collapse of the bridge when William returned to York in 1154. It remained as a functional chapel until 1550. The chapel was removed during the renovation of the bridge between 1810 and 1818.^[30]

The earliest shine to William in York Minster dates to the 1220s in which William's sarcophagus was buried 10 inches (25 cm) into the floor and ashrine structure erected above it - this left the lid of the sarcophagus proud of the structure to be accessible to pilgrims. In 1284 Bishop Bek paid for thetranslation of William's body to a new shrine in the choir behind the high altar; no trace of the shrine has been recorded.^[31] A tomb shrine was built around 1330 on the site of William's original burial place in the eastern-most bay of thenave. The latest, principal shrine was located near the Minster'sHigh Altar was built in 1471-1472.^[32]

There is no evidence of large scale pilgrimage to William's shrines.^[32] However, numerous panels from the stained glass window in the Minster depict petitioners and worshippers at the shrines.^[33] The upper face of William's sarcophagus has been worn smooth, probably from the hands of pilgrims touching it.^[31]

In 1541 thePrivy Council ordered the demolishing of all of the shrines in York Diocese. William's shrines were taken apart and buried atPrecentor's Court. Fragments of the shrines were discovered during the 18th through 20th centuries. The sarcophagus containing William's remains was rediscovered in 1732 and again in 1968.^[32] His remains are now held in a shrine in the crypt at York Minster.^[34] Parts of the shrines are now in theYorkshire Museum.^[35]

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