Henri of Blois

Henri of Blois (towards 1100 - 1171), abbot of Glastonbury, then bishop of Winchester, was an important character of the English policy of its time, and particularly of the reign of his/her brother Etienne of England.

He is one of youngest wire of Etienne II of Blois († 1102), Count de Blois, and of Adèle of England, girl of William the Conqueror.

A career of ecclesiastic

As of its more young age, it leaves to the monastery the Cluny, most important of its time, when he becomes monk. It leaves then for Montacute in the Somerset where the king Henri I {{er}} Beauclerc, his uncle, projects to create a royal abbey. The project is abandoned in 1126 but Henri is then named with a greater responsibility as an abbot of Glastonbury. Three years after, by special exemption of the pope, he becomes bishop of Winchester, one of the highest stations of medieval England.

Henry quickly proved to be an excellent administrator. He releases from great benefit of management in the abbeys which he directs. He leads great construction schedules to Glastonbury and Winchester, takes a rigorous reading of the land and buildings, agricultural incomes. He directs the construction of many castles: Farnham, Downton, Taunton, Merdon, Wolvesey and Waltham.

It is also a patron, who appreciates the rich person architectural ornaments, visible in the cathedral of Winchester, influenced by the traditional statues which it gathered with Rome. He is the patron of authors such as Guillaume de Malmesbury and of Gerald of Wales; he is also the silent partner of some Manuscrit S of the school of Winchester. Its curiosity pushes it to create a collection of animals and birds rare.

It also bases for good works the hospital of Holy Cross on the peripheries of Winchester. It is also a rigorous ecclesiastic, trained in the rules of the Gregorian Réforme in Cluny. It wishes a Church independent with monks bishops under protection of a pious king, and makes very to arrive at this objective in conformity with the sights of the papacy of time.

In the storm of the capacity

As an ambitious man for his family, it intrigues in order to obtain the English throne for his brother, Etienne of Blois, after the death of Henri Ier in 1135. In this work, he manages to obtain guarantees for the autonomy of the Church, in the charter of Oxford of freedoms in 1136. He hopes by this skew to weigh on the English policy, but his/her Etienne brother, become king, is influenced by the powerful family of the Beaumont. They persuade it to raise the abbot Theobald de Bec with the Archiépiscopat of Canterbury in 1138, coveted by Henri. He uses then of his influences in Rome to continue his rise in the hierarchy. He is then named Légat.

During the civil war which bursts between king Etienne of Blois and the legitimate heiress with the throne, his/her cousin, Mathilde Emperesse, Henri tries to continue an independent policy, between the two adversaries and the Pape. It in vain negotiates between the two rivals in 1140.

The following year, after the defeat and the capture of Etienne to the battle of Lincoln, Henri is constrained to make peace with Mathilde and must prepare to crown it in Winchester like queen. But it is too unpopular and is driven out by the population of London. Henri changes camp then and organizes the defense of Winchester. An army carried out by the wife of Etienne, another Mathilde, but of Boulogne that one, demolishes the partisans of Emperesse. However, it loses its mission of legate after the death of Innocent II in 1143.

Henri uses then of his capacity to name his nephew, Guillaume FitzHerbert, as archbishop of York. He then tries to compete with Cantérbury, without these operations being popular. He becomes more and more disputed, and in 1150, the Theobald archbishop deposits a complaint with papacy. Henri personally defends his case in front of the Curie in Rome successfully, and even manages to play a big role in the peace negotiations with the future Henri II Plantagenêt. This one is the son of Mathilde Emperesse, the enemy one of the brother of Henri. Henri II made at the capacity, Henri of Blois finds himself in disgrace. Its castles and palates are confiscated to him in 1155 and Henri of Blois decides to withdraw himself in Cluny during a certain time.

Decline

The famous abbey is then in difficulty. The Order of Cluny, after having to profit from exceptional gifts of the princes of all Europe, sees its cases being emptied. For Henri, it is an good occasion to place its goods in loan, not to see them threatened by Henri II. He helps also Pierre the Worthy one, abbot of Cluny, in his company of inventory (the Constitutio expense cluniaci ). He returns three years to England later. In 1162, it governs the election and the Ordination of Thomas Becket as a Archevêque of Canterbury. However, he does not play any more any part dominating in the History of England.

Henri continues to be independent during the Becket business. He is associated with the archbishop as of 1155, with Northampton in 1164 supports it, and gains the resentment of king Henri in return. It seems that he disapproved the extremism of Becket when he supports the papal arbitration of 1166 - 1167, but he keeps contact with him at the time of his exile, informing it political matters country. The day before its death, in the palate of Wolvesey, Henri of Blois is remained causing with regard to Henri II. He is buried in the cathedral of Winchester.

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