A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



Meanwhile Earl Henry with the bishop crossed the Tyne with his army 

 and approached Durham. After burning those parts of the city which had 

 been spared by Cumin's troops Henry proceeded to the castle of Thornley 

 which, when it surrendered to him, he refused to hand over to the bishop, 

 his troops meanwhile ravaging the bishopric." Cumin's position was now 

 becoming serious, and after an interview with the king of Scotland at Gates- 

 head ^^ he entered into negotiations with Roger Conyers, and on i8 October, 

 1 144, surrendered the castle, receiving in exchange Conyers's fortress at 

 Bishopton." 



Thus ended Cumin's attempt to secure the bishopric of Durham for his 

 king, who does not appear to have had any real affection for the cause of the 

 empress or to have been actuated by any higher motive than selfish greed. ''^ 



The attempt was daringly made, and the rapidity with which Cumin 

 acted makes it look almost as though the plan was preconcerted. 



Obtaining possession of the temporalities as custos for the empress during 

 the vacancy, his position was not illegal till the election of William of 

 St. Barbara, and as this was not confirmed by the empress, whom alone Cumin 

 recognized as sovereign, he was fully justified in retaining the temporalities 

 until, with Stephen's growing power, the contest proved hopeless.^' 



After the stormy beginning of his episcopacy William of St. Barbara 

 passed the remaining years in peace, and on 22 January, 1 153, Hugh Pudsey, 

 a cousin of King Henry II,^° was elected. His long episcopacy, extending 

 over forty years, was marked by steady progress and development, for the 

 strife and turmoil of his life were but slightly reflected in the history of the 

 franchise which he governed. 



Shortly after his accession Henry H resumed possession of Northumber- 

 land, whereby Durham again became an integral part of the kingdom, and 

 not a mere outlying liberty." Pudsey's relationship to the king stood him in 

 good stead and enabled him to evade the centralizing tendencies of the crown 

 and to obtain charters confirming the privileges of his franchise. °" During 

 the first years of his episcopacy Pudsey seems to have spent his time in 

 developing the resources of his territory, though his absences at the king's 

 court appear to have been frequent.^' The castle of Norham, which had 

 lain waste since its surrender to King David, was repaired" and the defences 

 of Durham strengthened." In 1173 he sided with the young Prince Henry, 

 and though he did not join in the rebellion he informed William the Lion 

 that he wished to remain at peace," and gave him permission to pass through 

 his territories." Early in 1 174 Pudsey had a conference with King William 



" Simeon, op. cit. (Rolls Ser.), i, 159. '^ Ibid. 



" Ibid. 166. The authorities for the Cumin episode are the Continuators of Simeon, op. cit. (Rolls 

 Ser.), i, 143-66, and the Poem of Lawrence (Surtees Soc.) ; as they were bitter opponents of Cumin their 

 decidedly unfavourable criticism of his proceedings must be received with caution. 



^ Rait, Relations between England and Scotland, 23. 



" It should be noted that Cumin's attempt was merely an incident in the Scotch plan to push back the 

 English frontier. See Tait, Medieval Manchester, 168, as to Scottish activity on the Lancashire side at this 

 period. 



™ Scriptores Tres (Surtees Soc), App. p. 1. 



" Stubbs, Constit. Hist, i, 455. " Script. Tres (Surtees Soc), App. p. 49 et seq. 



"^ Diet. Nat. Biog. under 'Pudsey.' *' Reginald of Durham, Libclks (Surtees Soc), iii. 



^' Script. Tres (Surtees Soc), iz. '* Jordan Fantosme, Chron. (Surtees Soc), 27. 



*' To reach Alnwicic, the Scots' first objective, it would be necessary to pass through those outlying 

 portions of the bishopric which lay close to the Scottish border and were guarded by the castle at Norham. 



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