Baldwin (abbot of Bury St Edmunds)
| Baldwin | |
|---|---|
| Abbot of Bury St Edmunds | |
| Elected | 1065 |
| Term ended | 1097 or 1098 |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 1097 or 1098 |
| Denomination | Catholic |
Baldwin (died c. 1097) was a French monk and royal physician. He became a monk in France before coming to England to serve as King Edward the Confessor's doctor. He served as a prior before becoming abbot of Bury St Edmunds in 1065. As abbot he promoted the cult of Edmund the Martyr and secured the abbey's independence from the bishops of Thetford. He continued to serve as royal physician to two more kings of England and also rebuilt parts of the abbey.
Baldwin was born at Chartres, and was educated as a physician in Alsace. He became a monk at St Denis Abbey in France. It is unknown when Baldwin became King Edward the Confessor's doctor. The historian Frank Barlow argues that he must have served the king for some time before being rewarded with the office of abbot. He became prior of Deerhurst Priory before becoming abbot, but the exact date is unknown. He was also prior of a monastery at Leberaw (now in Alsace, France).
Baldwin was appointed as abbot of Bury St Edmunds in 1065, on 19 August. Baldwin appears to have been the only non-English abbot appointed by Edward during his reign. Baldwin appears as a witness on two forged charters dated to Christmas 1065. The witness lists for these two charters may be genuine, having been copied from a legitimate document to lend authenticity to the forgeries. If genuine, they would show that Baldwin was at Edward's last court during his last illness.
After the death of Edward and the succession of King Harold Godwinson in early 1066, Baldwin provided soldiers to support Harold in his defence against other claimants to the English throne.
After the Norman Conquest in 1066, Baldwin received a confirmation of the abbey's title to all their lands; however the new king, William the Conqueror, ordered Baldwin to surrender to him any lands held by men who had fought against him and who had died in that resistance. Baldwin continued to serve as a royal doctor to William. He also defended East Anglia against Danish incursions after the Conquest, as well as against general disorder there from after-effects of the Conquest.
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