Hugh de Puiset

The Elvet Bridge in Durham, built under Puiset

Hugh de Puiset , also known as Hugh de Pudsay (French: Hugues du Puiset ; * before 1128; † March 3, 1195 in Howden ), was an English prelate and nobleman. He was Bishop of Durham for over 40 years .

Origin and youth

He was a son of the French lord of the castle Hugo III. von Le Puiset and Agnes von Blois, making him a nephew of King Stephen of Blois and great-grandson of William the Conqueror . His father was a leading figure in a rebellion against King Louis VI. from France and therefore had to take his exile in the holy land . Apparently Puiset grew up in the vicinity of his mother's family, who had close ties to England because of their descent.

Career as a clergyman

Hugh initially served his uncle, Bishop Heinrich von Winchester , as archdeacon , in the following years he was also archdeacon and treasurer of the Archdiocese of York under his cousin Wilhelm , the archbishop of York . Protected by his relatives, Puiset was elected Bishop of Durham in 1153 , but got into a conflict with the Archbishop of York, Henry Murdac , who did not want to recognize the election because of the youth of Puiset. Murdac died in October 1153, whereupon his cousin William of York, who had again become archbishop, achieved the recognition of Puiset by Pope Anastasius II in December 1153 . The diocese was in the county of Northumbria , which was then owned by the Scottish King Malcolm IV .

Opponent of King Heinrich II.

In 1154 Hugh's uncle, King Stephen, died and his rival Heinrich II Plantagenet ascended the throne. Puiset maintained a distant relationship with this, even after Northumbria had to be returned to the English crown in 1157. Together with three other bishops, he supported the coronation of Henry's son Henry the Younger in 1170, Roger de Pont l'Évêque , Archbishop of York , who performed the coronation instead of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was in exile. During the revolt of the young King Heinrich (1173-1174) , Puiset was largely neutral to the outside world, but granted the invasion of William I of Scotland in the north of England free passage through his church territory and took a contingent of Flemish knights under his nephew Hugo IV Le Puiset on. In return, King Henry II later withdrew some of his castles and had those of Northallerton razed.

The coronation of Henry the Younger. Illustration of a 13th century chronicle

Justiciar from Richard the Lionheart

The vacancy of the Archdiocese of York since 1181 made Puiset the most powerful church prince in northern England. When, after the death of King Henry II, his illegitimate son Geoffrey was to become archbishop, Puiset and Hubert Walter , who had been Dean of York , protested to Cardinal Johann von Anagni , the papal legate . The cardinal confirmed Geoffrey's appointment but left the final decision to the Pope.

When Henry II's son Richard was crowned king in Westminster Abbey in 1189 , Puiset accompanied the king to his throne with the Bishop of Bath . From Richard he acquired the office of sheriff and the title of Earl of Northumbria in the same year . Before his departure to the Third Crusade , the king appointed him together with William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex , to co-Justiciar of England. Mandeville died in 1189, after which King William of Longchamp appointed him as his successor. With this, Puiset got into disputes over competence, which is why he immediately got into a power struggle with him in the absence of the king on the crusade. After he was taken prisoner in Longchamp in April 1190, he had to give up his earldoom and surrender several castles. When Archbishop Geoffrey traveled to England from France to England in 1191 after his confirmation by the Pope against the ban on his half-brother, Longchamp had him arrested. This led to a revolt, as a result of which Longchamp was overthrown and replaced by Walter de Coutances , Archbishop of Rouen , as legal advisor. Archbishop Geoffrey was released and was enthroned on November 1, 1191 in York. He soon continued the conflict with his suffragan bishop Puiset and demanded a pledge of obedience from him. Puiset, who had been Bishop of Durham for almost 40 years, replied that he had already pledged obedience to former Archbishop Roger de Pont L'Evêque and refused a new pledge. Thereupon Geoffrey excommunicated Puiset and also his half-brother Johann , who had spent Christmas as a guest of Puiset at Hoveden Castle . Puiset turned to the Pope, who lifted the excommunications as unfounded.

When King Richard was captured on his return from the crusade, his brother John rebelled. Puiset then besieged Johann's Tickhill Castle in 1193 until an armistice was signed. When Johann continued his rebellion in 1194, Puiset again besieged his castles in northern England and on March 27, 1194 joined the returned King Richard at Tickhill . He died in 1195 after a brief illness at Hoveden Castle and was buried in the chapter house of Durham Cathedral.

Aftermath

Puiset was one of the leading church princes in England for over forty years. In his diocese he had several buildings carried out, including the construction of the Elvet Bridge , the second stone bridge over the Wear and the construction of the Galilee Chapel at the cathedral. He further expanded Durham Castle and replaced the wooden fortifications of Norham with a stone castle. In 1183 he had the possessions of his diocese in Boldon buke recorded .

family

Hugh de Puiset was known for his scandalous private life at the time. He had several mistresses, the best known of which was Adelisia de Percy, who in turn was an illegitimate daughter of Baron William de Percy . They had at least two sons:

• Henry de Puiset: took part in the fourth crusade and died in England around 1222
• Hugh de Puiset: from 1179 to 1185 Chancellor of the French King Philip II August

See also: Le Puiset house

useful information

In exchange for the Hertburn manor (near Stockton-on-Tees ), Hugh de Puiset gave the former owner William a piece of land near the village of Wessyngton . This barter was recorded in the Bolden Book , a land register of the bishop, which was summarized in 1183. William de Hertburn built a mansion (Old Hall) in Wassyngton and named himself and his descendants after the new family seat. This created the Washington family, the most famous member of which was the first US President, George Washington .

literature

• Geoffrey V. Scammell: Hugh du Puiset, Bishop of Durham . University Press, Cambridge 1956.
• David Austin (Ed.): Boldon Book [the Domesday Book of the North]. Northumberland and Durham . Phillimore, Chichester 1982, ISBN 0-85033-448-9 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ John T. Appleby: Johann "Ohneland". King of England . Riederer, Stuttgart 1965, p. 70
2. ^ John T. Appleby: Johann "Ohneland". King of England . Riederer, Stuttgart 1965, p. 44
3. ^ John T. Appleby: Johann "Ohneland". King of England . Riederer, Stuttgart 1965, p. 57
4. ^ John T. Appleby: Johann "Ohneland". King of England . Riederer, Stuttgart 1965, p. 67

predecessor	Office	successor
Laurentius	Bishop of Durham 1153–1195	Philip of Poitou
Crown domain	Earl of Northumbria 1189-1190	Crown domain
Ranulf de Glanville	Chief Justiciar of England 1189–1190 (1189 together with William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex )	Wilhelm of Longchamp