Wulfstan (died 956)

For other uses, see Wulfstan (disambiguation).

Wulfstan
Archbishop of York
Appointed	931
Term ended	26 December 956
Predecessor	Hrotheweard
Successor	Oscytel
Orders
Consecration	931
Personal details
Died	December 956 Oundle, Northamptonshire
Buried	Oundle, Northamptonshire

Wulfstan (died December 956) was Archbishop of York between 931 and 952. He is often known as Wulfstan I, to separate him from Wulfstan II, Archbishop of York.

Life

Wulfstan was consecrated in 931.^[1] He was presumably appointed with the consent of King Æthelstan, and attested all of the king's charters between 931 and 935. Between 936-41, however, he was absent from the king's court, for unknown reasons.^[2]

In 939, King Olaf Guthfrithson of Dublin invaded Northumbria and occupied York. King Edmund of England marched north to remove Olaf from York, but in 940 Wulfstan and Archbishop Wulfhelm of Canterbury arranged a treaty that ceded the area between Watling Street and the border of Northumbria to Olaf. But Olaf died in late 940, and his rule in York was inherited by his cousin, Olaf Sitricson who became King of Jórvík.^[3] In 944, Olaf Sitricson and his co-ruler Ragnald Guthfrithson were driven out from York; the chronicler Æthelweard wrote that it was "Bishop Wulfstan and the eoldormen of the Mercians" who were responsible for their expulsion.^[2]

Wulfstan's career is characterised by frequent swapping of allegiances, both among Viking leaders from Dublin and the Wessex kings. Perhaps Wulfstan played the part of 'king-maker' in Northumbrian politics in the mid-10th century, or perhaps he was guided by self-preservation and the interests of the Church in Northumbria.^[4]

Later in 947 Wulfstan invited Erik Bloodaxe, the King of Orkney to become King of Jórvík. Eadred of Wessex brutally ravaged Northumbria in 948, forcing Eric to leave Northumbria. Olaf Cuaran then resumed his second reign at York. By 951, Wulfstan appears to have supported Erik's claim to the kingdom of York over Olaf as he ceased to witness charters at the English court.^[4] In 952, Olaf was driven out by the Northumbrians in favor of Eric. Eadred then re-invaded and imprisoned Wulfstan.^[2] The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle version D says that "because accusations had often been made to the king against him", Eadred arrested Wulfstan and took him to Iudanbyrig (the location of which is not known).^[2] He attested some charters in 953, so he was not imprisoned then.^[2] Although he was restored to episcopal office, he had to exercise his authority from distant Dorchester, 230 mi (370 km) from York. He appears not to have attended court for most of 956 and was possibly in failing health by then.^[2] According to Lesley Abrams: "After the sidelining to the treacherous Wulfstan I, Oscytel, a kinsman of Oda, became Archbishop of York in 956.^[5]

Wulfstan died at Oundle, Northamptonshire on 26 December 956^[1] or 16 December 956.^[2] He was buried at Oundle, where St Wilfrid had died nearly 250 years previously.^[2]

Citations

1 2 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 224
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Keynes "Wulfstan I" Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England
↑ Stenton Anglo Saxon England p. 357
1 2 Downham "Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland"
↑ Abrams, "Edgar and the Men of the Danelaw", p. 189

References

Abrams, Lesley (2008). "Edgar and the Men of the Danelaw". In Scragg, Donald. Edgar King of the English, 959-975. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press. ISBN 978 1 84383 928 6.
Downham, Clare (2007). Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ivarr to A.D. 1014. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-903765-89-0.
Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
Keynes, Simon (2001). "Wulfstan I". In Lapidge, Michael; Blair, John; Keynes, Simon; Scragg, Donald. The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 492–493. ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1.
Osbourne, Michael (2009). Wilfrid of York and St Peter's Oundle. Coleman's. p. 9.
Stenton, F. M. (1971). Anglo-Saxon England (Third ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280139-5.

External links

Wulfstan 14 at Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England

Christian titles
Preceded by Hrotheweard	Archbishop of York 931–952	Succeeded by Oscytel

Bishops and Archbishops of York

Pre-Reformation Bishops	Paulinus Chad Wilfrid Bosa John of Beverley Wilfrid II

Pre-Reformation Archbishops	Egbert Æthelbert Eanbald I Eanbald II Wulfsige Wigmund Wulfhere Æthelbald Hrotheweard Wulfstan I Oscytel Edwald Oswald Ealdwulf Wulfstan II Ælfric Puttoc Cynesige Ealdred Thomas of Bayeux Gerard Thomas II Thurstan William FitzHerbert Henry Murdac William FitzHerbert Roger de Pont L'Évêque Geoffrey Plantagenet Simon Langton Walter de Gray Sewal de Bovil Godfrey Ludham William Langton Bonaventure Walter Giffard William de Wickwane John le Romeyn Henry of Newark Thomas of Corbridge William Greenfield William Melton William Zouche John of Thoresby Alexander Neville Thomas Arundel Robert Waldby Richard le Scrope Thomas Langley Robert Hallam Henry Bowet Philip Morgan Richard Fleming John Kemp William Booth George Neville Lawrence Booth Thomas Rotherham Thomas Savage Christopher Bainbridge Thomas Wolsey

Post-Reformation Archbishops	Edward Lee Robert Holgate Nicholas Heath Thomas Young Edmund Grindal Edwin Sandys John Piers Matthew Hutton Tobias Matthew George Montaigne Samuel Harsnett Richard Neile John Williams Accepted Frewen Richard Sterne John Dolben Thomas Lamplugh John Sharp Sir William Dawes Bt Lancelot Blackburne Thomas Herring Matthew Hutton John Gilbert Robert Hay Drummond William Markham Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt Thomas Musgrave Charles Longley William Thomson William Magee William Maclagan Cosmo Lang William Temple Cyril Garbett Michael Ramsey Donald Coggan Stuart Blanch John Habgood David Hope John Sentamu

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