Æthelhard
| Æthelhard | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| Appointed | 792 |
| Installed | 21 July 793 |
| Term ended | 12 May 805 |
| Predecessor | Jænberht |
| Successor | Wulfred |
| Other posts | Bishop of Winchester |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | between 759 and 778 |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 12 May 805 |
| Buried | Canterbury |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 12 May |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
Æthelhard (died 12 May 805) was a Bishop of Winchester then an Archbishop of Canterbury in medieval England. Appointed by King Offa of Mercia, Æthelhard had difficulties with both the Kentish monarchs and with a rival archiepiscopate in southern England, and was deposed around 796 by King Eadberht III Præn of Kent. By 803, Æthelhard, along with the Mercian King Coenwulf, had secured the demotion of the rival archbishopric, once more making Canterbury the only archbishopric south of the Humber in Britain. Æthelhard died in 805, and was considered a saint until his cult was suppressed after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
Nothing is known of Æthelhard's family background or early life, however it is assumed that he was a native of Mercia. He first appears in the historical record as abbot of a monastery at Louth, Lincolnshire before being named to the diocese of Winchester. He was consecrated Bishop of Winchester sometime after 759 and before 778.
Æthelhard was translated from the see of Winchester to the see of Canterbury in 792 and was enthroned as archbishop on 21 July 793. Æthelhard owed his appointment to King Offa of Mercia, and the enthronement was presided over by the then-senior bishop of the land: Hygberht, the Archbishop of Lichfield. King Offa consulted Alcuin of York over proper procedure, as the archbishopric of Lichfield was a new creation.
Around 796, Æthelhard was deposed by King Eadberht III Præn of Kent because Æthelhard had been appointed by Offa. Offa had died in 796, and Eadberht seized control of Kent, forcing Æthelhard to flee to the court of Offa's son Ecgfrith of Mercia. Ecgfrith himself died before 796, and a distant relative Coenwulf took the throne. Alcuin encouraged Æthelhard to return to Canterbury, and suggested a compromise over the status of Lichfield, which had been established by Offa in rivalry to Canterbury. Alcuin's plan would have allowed Hygberht to retain archiepiscopal status during his lifetime, but it would be a purely ceremonial rank. In this proposal, Canterbury would regain its status as the only archbishopric south of the Humber and Æthelhard would return to Canterbury. However, Æthelhard was unable to do this while Eadberht was still in power. Alcuin had previously stated that Lichfield had been elevated because of a "lust for power", presumably by Offa, and not through any consideration of the merits of the plan.
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