William Cumin
William Cumin (or Comyn) († around 1160 ) was Lord Chancellor of Scotland. He was promoted by Geoffrey Rufus and thereby in 1125 Archdeacon of Worcester. In 1136 he became Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
As chancellor he tried to win the northern English counties for Scotland. He supported Empress Mathilda against King Stephen in the English Civil War.
At the time of the death of Geoffrey Rufus, the Bishop of Durham , most of the Diocese of Durham was under the control of David I (Scotland) . He therefore tried to win the bishopric entirely for Scotland by appointing his own candidate. He filled the post but was not ordained. From 1142 King David began to distance himself from his former Lord Chancellor. It was during this time that he was excommunicated. It was not until 1143 that William de Ste Barbe was canonically elected Bishop of Durham in York . It will take another year before he could take office.
Cumin gave up his claims in 1144 and became abbot of Gloucester Abbey . In 1146, Theobald von Bec , Archbishop of Canterbury, received his absolution from the Pope and in 1157 he was again Archdeacon of Worcester. He probably died a short time later. In 1161 he was no longer mentioned as an archdeacon.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Frederick M. Powicke, Edmund B. Fryde (Ed.): Handbook of British Chronology (= Royal Historical Society. Guides and Handbooks. Vol. 2). 2nd edition. Royal Historical Society, London 1961, p. 173.
Web links
- Alan Young: Cumin, William (dc 1160). In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, Oxford et al. 2004, viewed November 27, 2011.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Herbert |
Lord Chancellor of Scotland 1136–1141 |
Jordan |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | William Cumin |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | William Comyn |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Lord Chancellor of Scotland, Archdeacon of Worcester |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 11th century or 12th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | around 1160 |