Individual Details

Henri "Henry" Blois

(Abt 1096 - Abt 8 Aug 1171)

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== Biography ==Henri de Blois, aka Henry of Winchester (c.1096–1171) was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126 and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death.Edmund King,[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/12968 ‘Blois, Henry de (c.1096–1171)’], Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 4 May 2017
His birth date is uncertain, along with his siblings but he was the 4th and youngest son of Étienne (Stephen), count of Blois and Adela, da. of William the Conqueror. He was most likely born at Blois c.1096, before his father left on the first crusade, possibly c.1100, soon after his father's return.The DNB selected c.1096 as preferred over c.1100.
He was a Monk at Cluny in Burgundy, and by 1126 he was appointed Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey. Shortly thereafter he was nominated bishop of Winchester and was concecrated 17 Nov 1129, and he remained abbot and bishop until his death.
His obligation to Glastonbury led him to use his wealth and family connections to create a West County archdiocese for himself, but he was unsuccessful. During the reign of his brother Stephen, he obtained a commission as papal legate[[Space:Sources-Douglas_Richardson%27s_Ancestry_Series|Royal Ancestry]] by Douglas Richardson Vol. I page 390, which meant he out ranked Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Cantebury.[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1066-1300/vol2/pp85-87 WINCHESTER: Bishops] Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 2, Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces). Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 1971 pp. 85-87 During the "Anarchy", he probably was the wealthiest and most powerful man in England. [[Wikipedia:Henry of Blois]]
On 6 August 1171, on his deathbed, he was visited by Henry II. He died 2 or 3 days later, and was buried in his cathedral church. As a Catholic priest he is presumed to not have been married or had issue.

== Sources ==

Events

BirthAbt 1096Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre, France
DeathAbt 8 Aug 1171Winchester, Hampshire, England
Alt nameof Winchester
Reference No986668
Reference No1007842
Reference No60

Families