Hervey le Breton

Hervey
Bishop of Ely
Ely Cathedral from the air. The transepts, or the short wings crossing in the middle of the long axis of the building, date from before Hervey's time as bishop.
Appointed	1109
Installed	October 1109
Term ended	30 August 1131
Predecessor	new foundation
Successor	Nigel
Other posts	Bishop of Bangor royal chaplain
Orders
Consecration	1092 by Thomas of Bayeux
Personal details
Died	30 August 1131
Buried	31 August 1131 Ely Cathedral

Hervey le Breton (also known as Hervé le Breton; died 30 August 1131) was a Breton cleric who became Bishop of Bangor in Wales and later Bishop of Ely in England. Appointed to Bangor by King William II of England, when the Normans were advancing into Wales, Hervey was unable to remain in his diocese when the Welsh began to drive the Normans back from their recent conquests. Hervey's behaviour towards the Welsh seems to have contributed to his expulsion from his see. Although the new king, Henry I wished to translate Hervey to the see of Lisieux in Normandy, it was unsuccessful.

In 1109, a new diocese was created in England, at Ely, and Hervey was appointed to the bishopric created. While bishop, Hervey ordered the compilation of a house chronicle, which later became the Liber Eliensis. He supervised the construction of a causeway between Ely and Exning, which allowed easier access to Ely.

Hervey was a native of Brittany, and some sources state a chaplain of King William II of England, while others are less certain that he was a chaplain for the king. He was appointed Bishop of Bangor in 1092 by King William. Bangor at the time was in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, which had recently been overrun by the Normans, and following the killing of Robert of Rhuddlan had been taken over by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester. The appointment of Hervey was probably intended to further consolidate the Norman hold on the area. Bangor was under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury, but Hervey was consecrated by Thomas of Bayeux, who was the Archbishop of York, since the see of Canterbury was vacant at the time.