William Giffard was the Lord Chancellor of England of
William II and
Henry I, from 1093 to 1101.
[Powicke Handbook of British Chronology p. 81]He was the brother of
Walter Giffard earl of Buckingham.
[Newman "Family and Royal Favor" Albion p. 294] He also held the office of Dean of Rouen prior to his election as bishop.
[Spear "Norman Empire" Journal of British Studies p. 7] On 3 August 1100 he became
bishop of Winchester[Powicke Handbook of British Chronology p 258] by nomination of Henry I. Henry nominated him probably in an attempt to win the support of the clergy in Henry's bid to claim the throne directly after the death of William Rufus.
[Teunis "Coronation Charter of 1100" Journal of Medieval History p. 138] He was one of the bishops elect whom Archbishop
Anselm of Canterbury refused to consecrate in 1101 as having been nominated and invested by the lay power.
During the
investitures dispute Giffard was on friendly terms with Anselm, and drew upon himself a sentence of banishment through declining to accept consecration from
Gerard Archbishop of York in 1103. He was, however, one of the bishops who pressed Anselm, in 1106, to give way to the king. He was finally consecrated after the settlement of 1107 on 11 August
[ and became a close friend of Archbishop Anselm. As bishop, Giffard aided the first Cistercians to settle in England, when in 1128 he brought monks from the French abbey of L'Aumone to settle at Waverly Abbey.][Burton Monastic and Religious Orders p. 69] He also restored Winchester Cathedral with great magnificence.
Among his actions as bishop was the refounding of a religious house at Taunton and the staffing of it with Austin canons. The canons were drawn from Merton Priory.[Burton Monastic and Religious Orders p. 47] He was known for the close and good relations that he had with the monks of his cathedral chapter, sharing their meals and sleeping with them instead of in his own room.[Bethell "English Black Monks" English Historical Review p. 682]
He died shortly before 25 January 1129, the date he was buried.[ accessed on 2 November 2007]See also
