Herman (bishop)
Encyclopedia
Herman was a medieval Bishop of Ramsbury
and Bishop of Sherborne.
. As chaplain
of Edward the Confessor
he was named to the see of Ramsbury shortly after 22 April 1045. He visited Rome in 1050, where he attended a papal council, along with his fellow English bishop Aldred
. He resigned Ramsbury in 1055 when King Edward the Confessor
of England did not allow the transfer of the see from Ramsbury to Malmesbury. Herman wished to take over the abbey and turn it into his cathedral, because Ramsbury was poor, and Malmesbury was a rich abbey. After his resignation, he returned to the continent and became a monk
at the abbey of St. Bertin at Saint-Omer
. He was named to the see of Sherborne about 1058 and was restored to Ramsbury, thus holding both bishoprics together. He later moved the see to Salisbury
, making the new diocese of Salisbury
. Approval of the transfer of the see was given at the Council of London
in 1074 and 1075. While bishop he was a patron of Goscelin
of Saint-Bertin, a noted medieval historian and musician.
He died on 20 February 1078.
Bishop of Ramsbury
This page refers to holders of the Saxon bishopric. See Bishop of Ramsbury for the modern suffragan bishop.In Saxon times the village of Ramsbury in Wiltshire was an extremely important location for the Church, and several of the early bishops went on to become Archbishops of Canterbury.The...
and Bishop of Sherborne.
Life
Herman was a native of FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. As chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
he was named to the see of Ramsbury shortly after 22 April 1045. He visited Rome in 1050, where he attended a papal council, along with his fellow English bishop Aldred
Aldred
Ealdred was Abbot of Tavistock, Bishop of Worcester, and Archbishop of York in Anglo-Saxon England. He was related to a number of other ecclesiastics of the period. After becoming a monk at the monastery at Winchester, he was appointed Abbot of Tavistock Abbey in around 1027. In 1046 he was named...
. He resigned Ramsbury in 1055 when King Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
of England did not allow the transfer of the see from Ramsbury to Malmesbury. Herman wished to take over the abbey and turn it into his cathedral, because Ramsbury was poor, and Malmesbury was a rich abbey. After his resignation, he returned to the continent and became a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
at the abbey of St. Bertin at Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
. He was named to the see of Sherborne about 1058 and was restored to Ramsbury, thus holding both bishoprics together. He later moved the see to Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, making the new diocese of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
. Approval of the transfer of the see was given at the Council of London
Council of London (1075)
The Council of London in 1075 AD was a council of the Roman Catholic church in England held by the new Norman archbishop of Canterbury Lanfranc five years after his installation. Other attendees included Gisa and William the Norman...
in 1074 and 1075. While bishop he was a patron of Goscelin
Goscelin
Goscelin of Saint-Bertin was a Benedictine hagiographical writer, born between 1020–1035 and who died shortly after 1107...
of Saint-Bertin, a noted medieval historian and musician.
He died on 20 February 1078.