ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



wealth of the Church in these things over and above its considerable landed 

 estates. ^Ethelric's brother succeeded him and robbed the Church in the same 

 way. Tosti, the next earl, carried on the now traditional patronage of the 

 earls of Northumberland to the Church and see of St. Cuthbert.** Copsi, 

 the lieutenant of Tosti in Northumberland (for Tosti was the earl of York), 

 was an even more hberal benefactor, and increased the Church estates by the 

 addition of various manors in the North Riding of Yorkshire.*^ 



It is probable that during the troubles of Tosti, who was driven from 

 his earldom in 1065, the congregation of St. Cuthbert were perplexed as to 

 their allegiance. Next year, after the battle of Hastings, they openly sided 

 with Edgar Atheling, and doubtless helped to inspire general Northumbrian 

 resistance to the Conqueror, William appointed the Englishman Gospatric 

 to be earl of Northumbria in hope of reducing the widespread opposition of 

 the north. Then followed the northern rebellion of 1068, which was 

 stimulated by Gospatric himself, who found it politic to join the insurgents. 

 Accordingly William made a reconnaissance in force as far as Warwick, 

 whereon the northern army dispersed.*' A detachment, however, fled to 

 Durham determined to make a stand on this impregnable spot. What 

 follows is intricate, but a probable order of events is as follows: — According 

 to a Norman authority Durham was now still further fortified." William, 

 determined to crush Northumbria, appointed Robert Cumin to be earl, 

 and dispatched him to his work. Now the bishop had, some little time 

 before, made his submission *' to William at York, and when the earl arrived 

 before the gates of Durham he and his troops were admitted. But so imperious 

 was their conduct that the Northumbrians rose next day and massacred the 

 Normans.*' News of this event encouraged the Northumbrians without. 

 Gospatric and Edgar, who had fled on the approach of William the year 

 before, returned to rally the rebels. The Conqueror now seized York, and 

 pushed on an army to seize Durham, but it got no farther than Northallerton.^" 

 A little later in the same year a Danish invasion took place in Northumbria, 

 and completed the downfall of William's cause by taking York. The disaster 

 was only for a moment. William retook York and wreaked a terrible vengeance 

 by depopulating the whole country round the city. Whilst these miseries 

 were being enacted, the bishop of Durham, uncertain of his own fortune, was 

 persuaded by Gospatric to flee with the body of St. Cuthbert to Lindisfarne. 

 Accordingly the whole congregation left Durham. The motives of Gospatric 

 are not clear. ^^ Perhaps he intended to seize the property of the see. At all 

 events he with Waltheof, earl of Northampton and son of Siward, made 

 submission to William in January, 1070. But this did not save the bishopric, 

 for William at once carried burning and slaughter north of the Tees. 



" For the facts of this paragraph Simeon is our chief authority, op. cit. i, 87-98. 



" That Durham was becoming a place of pilgrimage is seen from the story of Bishop Alfwold of Sher- 

 borne in William of Malmesbury, De Gestis Pontif. (Rolls Ser. 52), 180 ; and of Gospatric in Hoveden, Chron. 

 (Rolls Ser. 51), i, 59. 



** Freeman, Norman Conquest, iv, 188. 



" William of Jumiiges, quoted by Freeman, op. cit. iv, 194, but it may be doubted whether this author is 

 correctly informed as to the fortification. Presumably that existed already. It would be interesting if the 

 work referred to is the erection of the mound of the existing keep at Durham. 



" For this submission, of which the exact date is doubtful, see Freeman, op. cit. iv, 205. 



*' The story is told most fully by Simeon, op. cit. i, 98. 



'" A legendary story is given in Simeon, ibid. 



" Simeon, op. cit. 102-41, speaks of the efforts of Gospatric. 



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