Henry of Poitou

Heinrich von Poitou was an illegitimate son of William IX. , Duke of Aquitaine , and his mistress, the wife of Vice Count Amaury I of Châtellerault .

The Peterborough Chronicle awards him the following titles and offices in sequence:

Bishop of Soissons
Monk and later prior in Cluny
Prior in Sévigny
Abbot of Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Archbishop of Besançon for three days
Bishop of Saintes

In 1127 King Henry I of England made him abbot of Peterborough Abbey . However, since Henry of Poitou did not want to give up the Abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély for Peterborough, he incurred the displeasure of all English bishops and archbishops.

In Peterborough Abbey, in turn, he came into conflict with the monks when he promised to subordinate his Abbey to Cluny in 1130 on the occasion of a visit by the abbot of Cluny, Petrus Venerabilis . In the spring of 1131 he traveled to Normandy to see King Henry I, to whom he announced his resignation as Abbot of Saint-Jean; in the summer again the monks of Peterborough elected a new abbot and chased Henry out of the monastery.

Heinrich then withdrew to Cluny, but came back to England in 1132, where he appeared as Abbot of Peterborough and tried to bring Peterborough to subordinate Cluny to the king, but failed because of renewed resistance from the English clergy and finally offered to to resign in favor of one of his nephews. A short time later, Henry I forced him to resign unconditionally and to leave the country and appointed a new abbot for Peterborough with the prior Martin of St. Neot .

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Peterborough Chronicle for the years 1127–1132
European Family Tables Volume II, Plate 76

Likelihood of confusion

Heinrich von Poitou must not be confused with Heinrich von Antiochia, who is also called Heinrich von Poitou, the son of Bohemond IV. , Prince of Antiochia († 1216), and father of Hugo III. , King of Cyprus († 1284)

Remarks

↑ In the list of bishops of Soissons , a bishop Heinrich is only listed for the years 1090–1101, which in view of the year 1071 as the presumed year of his father's birth is probably too early. Since there is no suitable entry in the lists of the other two high church offices either, only the offices of monk (prior or abbot) remain.

personal data
SURNAME	Henry of Poitou
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Bishop of Soissons and Archbishop of Besançon for three days
DATE OF BIRTH	before 1127
DATE OF DEATH	after 1132

[1] In the list of bishops of Soissons , a bishop Heinrich is only listed for the years 1090–1101, which in view of the year 1071 as the presumed year of his father's birth is probably too early. Since there is no suitable entry in the lists of the other two high church offices either, only the offices of monk (prior or abbot) remain.