William Warelwast
Most of his royal service to William was as a diplomatic envoy, as he was heavily involved in the king's dispute with Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, which constituted the English theatre of the Investiture Controversy.He went several times to Rome as an emissary to the papacy on business related to Anselm, one of whose supporters, the medieval chronicler Eadmer, alleged that Warelwast bribed the pope and the papal officials to secure favourable outcomes for King William.After the resolution of the Investiture Controversy, Warelwast was rewarded with the bishopric of Exeter in Devon, but he continued to serve Henry as a diplomat and royal judge.[2] Several medieval chroniclers hostile to Warelwast, including Eadmer, claim that he was illiterate,[3] but his career suggests otherwise, as it involved the extensive use of written documents.The charter itself is insufficient evidence to confidently assert that Warelwast served William I, even though most such grants were made as a reward for royal service.[10] The two clerks returned with a papal legate, Walter of Albano, who accepted the king's recognition of Urban but refused to allow Anselm's deposition.[10] Warelwast was probably sent as an envoy to Urban in 1096 to bribe the pope into recalling the papal legate Jarento, who had been sent to England to protest the king's conduct towards the church.[11] In addition to his ambassadorial duties Warelwast acted as a royal justice under King William; the records of one case have survived.The king had sent Warelwast to Urban at Christmas 1098, with his reply to a letter the pope had written ordering the restoration of Anselm's estates.[20] Early in 1106 Warelwast was sent to Bec Abbey, where Anselm was residing in exile, to inform him of the settlement and deliver to the archbishop the king's invitation to return to England.[22] Henry had reserved the episcopal see of Exeter for Warelwast since the death of Osbern FitzOsbern in 1103, but the controversy over investiture meant that his election and consecration were not possible before a settlement was reached.[1] The medieval chronicler William of Malmesbury records that Warelwast had earlier tried to remove Osbern from office, but this story probably originates with Eadmer and is of dubious veracity.
Bishop of ExeterOsbern FitzOsbernRobert WarelwastArchdeacon of ExeterAnselmKing William IIArchbishop of CanterburyInvestiture ControversypapacyEadmerHenry IbishopricExetercathedral at ExeterarchdeaconriesAugustiniancanonsWilliam I of EnglandStephenWilliam WorcesterSt Florent AbbeySaumurFécamp AbbeyFoucarmontUrban IIGerardpalliumpapal legateWalter of AlbanoHenry'sChronicon ex chronicisJohn of WorcesterPaschal IIinvestiturehomageBec AbbeyTroyesBohemond of AntiochByzantiumepiscopal seeWilliam of MalmesburyBath CathedralWilliam GiffardWinchesterRoger of SalisburySalisburyReynelmHerefordLlandaffCanterbury–York disputesprimacytranseptExeter CathedralCouncil of Reimstranseptssecular clergyPlymptonAldgateLauncestonCornwallBodmincathedral chapterprecentorBartholomew IscanusJohn LelandRobert of BathBishop of Bathlast ritesC. Warren HollisterAutretotYvetotNormandySt Petrock'sSt Stephen'sPerranzabuloeProbusColytonBarlow, FrankBartlett, Robert C.Burton, JanetCantor, Norman F.Davis, R. H. C.The English Historical ReviewHollister, C. WarrenPoole, Austin LaneJournal of British StudiesCatholic Church titlesBishops of ExeterEadwulfÆthelgarÆlfwold ISidemanÆlfricÆlfwold IIÆlfwold IIIEadnothLyfing of WinchesterLeofricRobert of ChichesterJohn the ChanterHenry MarshalSimon of ApuliaWilliam BriwereRichard BlundWalter BranscombePeter QuinelThomas BittonWalter de StapledonJames BerkeleyJohn GodeleyJohn GrandissonThomas de BrantinghamEdmund StaffordJohn CatterickEdmund LaceyJohn HalesGeorge NevilleJohn BoothPeter CourtenayRichard FoxeOliver KingRichard RedmanJohn ArundelHugh OldhamJohn VeseyMyles Coverdale