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Hygeberht
PredecessorBerhthun
SuccessorAldwulf
Personal details
Diedafter 803
DenominationCatholic

Hygeberht (also spelled Hygebeorht,[1] Higbert,[2] or Hygebald[3]) (died after 803 AD) was the Bishop of Lichfield (779–787) and Archbishop of Lichfield (787–799) during the reign of the powerful Offa, King of Mercia, in the late eighth century. Little is known of Hygeberht's background, but he was probably a native of Mercia. It was Offa who pushed through the elevation of Lichfield to an archbishopric, but the change in Lichfield's status was never popular with the other southern English archbishopric, Canterbury. After Offa's death, his distant relative Coenwulf became king and petitioned the pope to have Lichfield returned to a simple bishopric, which happened in 803. By this date, Hygeberht was no longer considered even a bishop, as he is mentioned as only an abbot at the council that oversaw the demotion of Lichfield in 803. He died sometime after that, but the date is unknown.

Background

Nothing is known of Hygeberht's ancestry or his upbringing, but given his close ties to the kingdom of Mercia, he was probably a Mercian by birth. He became Bishop of Lichfield in 779,[2] attending a Mercian council held that year at Hartleford, where he was styled "electus praesul",[4] or "bishop elect".[5] Two years later in 781 he witnessed a charter of Offa's concerning an ecclesiastical claim on a church in Worcester.[4]

Perhaps as early as 786 the creation of a Mercian archbishopric was being discussed at Offa's court. Offa disliked both the men of Kent and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Jænberht. At the Council of Chelsea held in 787, he secured the creation of an archbishopric for his kingdom centred on the diocese of Lichfield (in modern Staffordshire).[6] One justification that Offa used was that Jænberht was plotting with the Frankish king, Charlemagne, to allow Charlemagne a landing site in Kent if Charlemagne ever invaded,[7] although this is only known from a 13th century writer, Matthew Paris.[8][Notes 1] Another concern was probably that of prestige, as having the main Mercian diocese held by an archbishop rather than a bishop would raise the kingdom's status.[1] Pope Hadrian I sent two papal legates to the council, George, Bishop of Ostia, and Theophylact, Bishop of Todi.[9]

An archbishopric in Mercia would also reinforce the independence of Mercia, and free it from ecclesiastical dependence on Canterbury, which was located within the recently subjected Kentish kingdom.[10] Also having a bearing on the issue was the fact that Jænberht was a supporter of the Kentish king Egbert II, who was not known as a firm supporter of Offa's. Having an archbishop at Canterbury who was either indifferent or actively opposed to Offa's activities would be a stumbling block to Offa's efforts to establish his overlordship over Kent and other areas of England.[11] By elevating another archbishop, Offa would cut down the political power of the archbishops of Canterbury.[12] Elevation of a bishopric to an archbishopric was not unprecedented, as previously in 735 the papacy had elevated another Anglo-Saxon bishopric to an archbishopric, when Ecgbert became the first Archbishop of York.[11] After Offa's death, his successor Coenwulf told the papacy that the move was motivated by Offa's hatred of Jænberht and the Kentish people.[13]

Council of Chelsea

Two different versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle record the doings of the council. The Peterborough Manuscript (Version E) records the council under the year 785, although the events took place in 787, and states that "...here there was a contentious synod at Chelsea and Archbishop Jænberht relinquished some part of his bishopric, and Hygeberht was chosen by King Offa, and Ecgfrith consecrated as king."[14] The Canterbury Manuscript (Version F) has the council under 785 also, and gives the events as "...a full synod sat at Chelsey, and Archbishop Jænberht relinquished some part of his bishoprick and Hygeberht was chosen by King Offa, and Ecgfrith consecrated as king."[15] The historian Nicholas Brooks sees the coupling of the elevation of Lichfield with the consecration of Ecgfrith, who was Offa's son, as significant. He argues that Offa desired to have Ecgfrith consecrated as his successor during Offa's lifetime, but was unable to get Jænberht to agree, and this was another factor in the creation of Lichfield as an archbishopric.[16] It is known that Hygeberht consecrated Ecgfrith after Hygeberht's elevation to archiepiscopal status.[3]

Also connected with the council was the vow that Offa made to donate 365 mancuses each year to the papacy, in order to provide for poor people in Rome and to provide lights for St Peter's Basilica in Rome. The stated reason for this donation was as a thanks-offering for Offa's victories, but C. J. Godfrey argued that this was really a gift in return for the papacy approving of Offa's scheme to elevate the diocese of Lichfield to an archdiocese. Whether or not the vow was in return for the elevation of Lichfield, historians have generally seen this donation as the beginning of Peter's Pence, an annual "tax" paid to Rome by the English Church.[17]

Although it appears that the Council of Chelsea approved of Lichfield's elevation to an archdiocese, Hygeberht, who was present at the Council, remained a bishop when the Council ended. He signed the Council's report still as a bishop, not as an archbishop. There is no sign that he played any large part in the Council nor in the actions that led to his becoming an archbishop.[17]

Archbishop

Map showing the dioceses of southern England during Offa's reign. The bold line shows the presumed boundary between the province of Canterbury and the province of Lichfield.

In 788 Hygeberht received a pallium, the symbol of an archbishop's authority, from Pope Hadrian I at Rome.[18] In one charter of 788 that still survives, Hygeberht is given the title of bishop, but another surviving charter from late in 788 gives him the title of archbishop. More charters from 789 and 792 also give him the title of archbishop, and he continues to receive that title on charters through 799.[4]

Throughout the early part of Hygeberht's episcopate, Jænberht of Canterbury was the senior archbishop and enjoyed precedence, though upon Jænberht's death, Hygeberht became the foremost prelate in England.[19] It is unknown if Jænberht ever acknowledged Hygeberht's elevation as an archbishop.[16] But, when Jænberht died, Hygeberht consecrated Jænberht's successor Æthelhard; though only after Offa consulted Alcuin of York about proper procedure.[19] Hygeberht then was considered the senior prelate in the south of England, which is proven by his being listed before Æthelhard in any charters they both appear on.[20]

Canterbury retained as suffragans, or subordinates, the bishops of Winchester, Sherborne, Selsey, Rochester, and London. The dioceses of Worcester, Hereford, Leicester, Lindsey, Dommoc and Elmham were transferred to Lichfield.[21] This listing, however, comes from the Gesta Pontificum Anglorum of the later medieval chronicler William of Malmesbury, written about 1120. Although the division is logical, the fact that William confuses Hygeberht with Hygeberht's successor Aldwulf, as well as the fact that William doesn't give his source for the list, makes it possibly untrustworthy.[16] The creation of a third archbishopric was controversial, and the community at Canterbury Cathedral seems never to have accepted Hygeberht as an archbishop.[7][Notes 2] The historian D. P. Kirby speculates that there were always some in the Mercian kingdom that disapproved of the elevation of Lichfield to an archdiocese.[23]

During Hygeberht's archbishopric, joint synod's for both the province of Lichfield and the province of Canterbury were held, presided over by both archbishops. These gatherings were canonically irregular, as the usual procedure was for each province to hold its own synod. It is unclear why these joint councils were held, but it may have been because of a desire by Offa to supervise the entire southern church or it may have stemmed from an attempt by the archbishops of Canterbury to retain some authority over the province of Lichfield.[24]

Offa died in July 796, and his son Ecgfrith died 141 days later. Coenwulf, a distant relative of Offa and Ecgfrith, succeeded to the throne of Mercia after Ecgfrith's death.[25] Soon after his accession, Coenwulf sought the replacement of the two archdioceses with one at London,[26] arguing that Pope Gregory I's original plan had been that there be an archbishopric at London instead of Canterbury. The first attempt to implement this plan was in 797 and 798, when Coenwulf sent envoys to Rome to Pope Leo III suggesting that a new archdiocese be created at London for Æthelhard. The king's envoys blamed the problems encountered with the Lichfield archdiocese on Pope Adrian I's incompetence. Displeased by criticism of the papacy, Leo ruled against the king's plan.[23] In 801 Coenwulf put down a Kentish rebellion, allowing him to once more assert his authority in Canterbury and control the archbishopric. Finally, in 802, Pope Leo III granted that the decision of Adrian was invalid because the English clergy told him it had been achieved by Offa's misrepresentation. Leo returned all jurisdiction to Canterbury, Æthelhard announcing the decision at the Fifth Council of Clovesho in 803.[27]

Resignation and death

Previous to this, however, Hygeberht had resigned his see.[21] He was still named as archbishop in 799, but evidence suggests that he no longer controlled all of the suffragan bishops that he once had. Possibly, he was replaced at Lichfield, for his successor Aldwulf attends the council in 801, and is named bishop also. By the time that Æthelhard held the Fifth Council of Clovesho, Hygeberht was no longer even named as a bishop, as he appears at that council as an abbot.[28] He remained an abbot until his death.[27] Which abbey he was abbot of as well as his exact date of death are unknown.[2]

Hygeberht's contemporary at Canterbury, Æthelhard, was the first archbishop of Canterbury to require an affirmation of faith from his subordinate bishops when they were elected. The historian Eric John argues that this custom began because of the creation of the archbishopric of Lichfield.[29]

Notes

  1. ^ Historian Nicholas Brooks notes that while Paris' story might be a fabrication to explain why Offa and Jænberht quarreled, it is also possible that St Alban's Abbey, where Paris was a monk, preserved a genuine tradition about its founder, Offa, and that Paris incorporated this information into his writings.[8]
  2. ^ Nicholas Brooks points out that the only charter of Offa's that post-dates the Council of Chelsea and where Hygeberht is given the title of bishop, rather than an archbishop, deals with lands in East Kent. The writing style of the charter further suggests that the document was originally drawn up in the scriptorium of Canterbury.[22]

Citations

  1. ^ a b Ortenberg "Anglo-Saxon Church" English Church and the Papacy pp. 50–53
  2. ^ a b c Williams "Hygeberht (d. in or after 803)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
  3. ^ a b Williams Kingship and Government p. 28
  4. ^ a b c Godfrey "Archbishopric" Studies in Church History pp. 147–148
  5. ^ Latham Revised Medieval Latin Word List pp. 162 and 370
  6. ^ Stenton Anglo-Saxon England p. 218
  7. ^ a b Kirby Earliest English Kings p. 142
  8. ^ a b Brooks Early History of the Church of Canterbury pp. 115–116
  9. ^ Godfrey "Archbishopric" Studies in Church History p. 146
  10. ^ Kirby Making of Early England p. 64
  11. ^ a b Godfrey "Arcbishopric" Studies in Church History p. 145
  12. ^ Cubitt Anglo-Saxon Church Councils p. 232
  13. ^ Witney "Period of Mercian Rule" Archæologia Cantiana p. 89
  14. ^ Swanton (trans. and ed.) Anglo-Saxon Chronicle pp. 53, 55
  15. ^ Swanton (trans. and ed.) Anglo-Saxon Chronicle p. 52
  16. ^ a b c Brooks Early History of the Church of Canterbury pp. 118–119
  17. ^ a b Godfrey "Archbishopric" Studies in Church History p. 147
  18. ^ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 218
  19. ^ a b Stenton Anglo-Saxon England p. 225 footnote 1
  20. ^ Brooks Early History of the Church of Canterbury p. 120
  21. ^ a b Kirby Earliest English Kings p. 144 Cite error: The named reference "Kirby144" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  22. ^ Brooks Early History of the Church of Canterbury p. 119
  23. ^ a b Kirby Earliest English Kings p. 143
  24. ^ Cubitt Anglo-Saxon Church Councils p. 218
  25. ^ Kirby Earliest English Kings p. 148
  26. ^ Stenton Anglo-Saxon England p. 226
  27. ^ a b Stenton Anglo-Saxon England p. 227–228
  28. ^ Brooks Early History of the Church of Canterbury pp. 125–126
  29. ^ John Reassessing Anglo-Saxon England p. 61

References

  • Brooks, Nicholas (1984). The Early History of the Church of Canterbury: Christ Church from 597 to 1066. London: Leicester University Press. ISBN 0-7185-0041-5.
  • Cubitt, Catherine (1995). Anglo-Saxon Church Councils c.650-c.850. London: Leicester University Press. ISBN 0-7185-1436-X.
  • Fryde, E. B. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Godfrey, C. J. (1964). "The Archbishopric of Lichfield". In Dugmore, C. W & Duggan, Charles (ed.). Studies in Church History 1: Papers read at the first winter and summer meetings of the Ecclesiastical History Society. London: Nelson. pp. 145–153. OCLC 62456887.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  • John, Eric (1996). Reassessing Anglo-Saxon England. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-5053-7.
  • Kirby, D. P. (2000). The Earliest English Kings. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-24211-8.
  • Kirby, D. P. (1967). The Making of Early England (Reprint ed.). New York: Schocken Books. OCLC 399516.
  • Latham, R. E. (1965). Revised Medieval Latin Word-List: From British and Irish Sources. London: British Academy. ISBN 0197258913. OCLC 405426.
  • Ortenberg, Veronica (1965). "The Anglo-Saxon Church and the Papacy". In Lawrence, C. H. (ed.). The English Church and the Papacy in the Middle Ages (1999 reprint ed.). Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 29–62. ISBN 0-7509-1947-7.
  • Stenton, F. M. (1971). Anglo-Saxon England (Third ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280139-5.
  • Swanton, Michael James (trans.) (1998). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-92129-5.
  • Williams, Ann (2004). "Hygeberht (d. in or after 803)" (fee required). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Accessed on 12 March 2009
  • Williams, Ann (1999). Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England c. 500–1066. London: MacMillan Press. ISBN 0-333-56797-8.
  • Witney, K. P. (1987). "The Period of Mercian Rule in Kent, and a Charter of A. D. 811". Archæologia Cantiana. CIV: 87–113. ISSN 0066-5894.

Further reading

  • Lamb, John W. (1964). The Archbishopric of Lichfield (787–803). London: The Faith Press. OCLC 5148024.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Lichfield
779–787 		Vacant
Title next held by
Aldwulf
Preceded by
New Creation
 Archbishop of Lichfield
787–799 		Succeeded by
none

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