Geoffrey Rufus
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| Denomination | Catholic |
|---|---|
| Senior posting | |
| See | Diocese of Durham |
| Title | Bishop of Durham |
| Period in office | 1133–1141 |
| Predecessor | Ranulf Flambard |
| Successor | William Cumin |
| Personal | |
| Date of death | May 6, 1141 |
Geoffrey Rufus was a medieval Bishop of Durham and Lord Chancellor of England.
[edit] Life
Geoffrey's parentage and upbringing is unknown. The circumstances around his acquisition of the nickname "Rufus" have not been discovered either.[1] He was a royal clerk[2] before being named the tenth Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1123 to 1133.[3] Geoffrey had also worked for the previous chancellor Ranulf.[4] He may have started his career as a clerk for Roger of Salisbury, King Henry I of England's chief minister,[5] for he first appears as a witness to a charter of Roger's in 1114.[6] From charter evidence, it appears that Geoffrey was often in England, even when King Henry was in Normandy.[7] In the Pipe Roll of 1130, he had custody of more royal land than any other official.[1] After Geoffrey became a bishop, the king chose to keep the office of chancellor vacant until the king's death.[7] The functions of the office were performed by the head of the scriptorium, Robert de Sigello.[8]
He was nominated to the see of Durham about May 14, 1133, and consecrated on August 6, 1133.[9] He was enthroned on August 10, 1133.[2] The see had been vacant since 1128. Geoffrey at first quarrelled with his cathedral chapter, but peace was restored when the bishop allowed the monks their privileges.[4] Geoffrey also was a benefactor to Newminster Abbey.[1] During Geoffrey's episcopate the chapterhouse at Durham was completed. Geoffrey also employed as a clerk William Cumin, who after Geoffrey's death conspired with King David I of Scotland to seize the see of Durham.[4]
When King Stephen took the thone at the death of King Henry, Geoffrey acknowledged Stephen as king, but did not attend the royal court often. In 1136, a peace treaty between King David and King Stephen was signed at Durham, but in 1138 Geoffrey's castle of Norham surrendered to King David, an act that brought condemnation to the bishop for failing to defend the castle adequately. Geoffrey, however, refused David's offer to return Norham to Geoffrey in return for repudiating Stephen. In retaliation, Norham was destroyed. Geoffrey does not seem to have supported either side at the Battle of the Standard in August of 1138.[1] At the end of Geoffrey's life, because of King David's invasion of northern England in support of the Empress Matilda, most of the diocese was under the control of the Scottish king.[10]
He died on May 6, 1141.[9] Geoffry was married, and had at least one daughter,[4] who married Robert of Amundeville.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e Dalton "Geoffrey Rufus (d. 1141)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- ^ a b British History Online Bishops of Durham accessed on October 25, 2007
- ^ Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 83
- ^ a b c d Barlow The English Church 1066-1154 p. 88-89
- ^ Green Government of England Under Henry I p. 167
- ^ Green Government of England Under Henry I p. 255-256
- ^ a b Hollister Henry I p. 361-363
- ^ Green Government of England Under Henry I p. 27
- ^ a b Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 241
- ^ Huscroft Ruling England p. 134
[edit] References
- Barlow, Frank The English Church 1066-1154 London:Longman 1979 ISBN 0-582-50236-5
- British History Online Bishops of Durham accessed on October 25, 2007
- Dalton, Paul "Geoffrey Rufus (d. 1141)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press, 2004 Online Edition accessed January 22, 2008
- Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology, Third Edition, revised, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
- Green, Judith A. The Government of England Under Henry I Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1986 ISBN 0-521-37586-X
- Huscroft, Richard Ruling England 1042-1217 London: Pearson Longman 2005 ISBN 0-582-84882-2
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ranulf, Lord Chancellor |
Lord Chancellor 1123–1133 |
Succeeded by Robert de Sigello (Keeper of the Great Seal) |
| Roman Catholic Church titles | ||
| Preceded by Ranulf Flambard |
Bishop of Durham 1133–1140 |
Succeeded by William Cumin |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rufus, Geoffrey |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Bishop of Durham; Lord Chancellor of England |
| DATE OF BIRTH | |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 6, 1141 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
