St William of York

William of York
Archbishop of York
Elected	January 1141 20 December 1153
Installed	1141
Term ended	Deprived 1147 8 June 1154
Predecessor	Henry de Sully Henry Murdac
Successor	Henry Murdac Roger de Pont L'Évêque
Other posts	Treasurer of York
Orders
Consecration	26 September 1143
Personal details
Born	c. late 11th Century
Died	8 June 1154 York, England
Buried	York Minster
Parents	Herbert of Winchester Emma
Sainthood
Feast day	8 June
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	1227 Rome by Pope Honorius III
Shrines	York Minster

William of York (late 11th century – 8 June 1154) was an English priest and Archbishop of York. William has the unusual distinction of having been Archbishop of York twice, both before and after his rival Henry Murdac. He was a relative of King Stephen of England, and the king helped secure FitzHerbert's election to York after a number of candidates had failed to secure papal confirmation. William faced opposition from the Cistercians who, after the election of the Cistercian Pope Eugene III, managed to have the archbishop deposed in favour of the Cistercian Murdac. From 1147 until 1153, William worked to secure his restoration to York, which he finally achieved after the deaths of both Murdac and Eugene III. He did not retain the see long, as he died shortly after returning to York, allegedly having been poisoned. After William's death miracles were reported at his tomb from the year 1177 onwards, and in the year 1227 he was declared a saint.

Born William fitzHerbert in York, William was the son of Herbert of Winchester, or Herbert fitzAlberic, chancellor and treasurer of King Henry I. Most sources say his mother was Emma, half-sister of King Stephen and Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, and that she was an illegitimate daughter of Stephen II, Count of Blois, Stephen's father. New research, however, suggests that Emma might have been a daughter of Hunger fitzOdin, who held lands in Dorset in the Domesday survey. William was born sometime before the 1090s, but the exact date of birth is unknown.

William held the prebendary of Weighton in the diocese of Yorkshire between 27 June 1109 and 24 February 1114. Sometime between 1109 and 1114 he was appointed Treasurer of York. He was also appointed archdeacon of the East Riding of Yorkshire at an unknown date between 1125 and 1133. The influence of his rich and powerful father, who had many landholdings in Yorkshire may have been of benefit in gaining him these offices at a relatively early age. William apparently held both of these offices until his election as archbishop. Serving under Archbishop Thurstan of York, William became involved in Thurstan's dispute with King Henry I after Henry demanded that the Archbishops of York should accept subordination to the Archbishops of Canterbury. William accompanied Thurstan into exile in Europe and on embassies to the papal court. Reconciliation with Henry allowed a return to York in 1121. A papal ruling in favour of the independence of the Archbishops of York was finally delivered in 1127.

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