Ælfgar of Elmham
Ælfgar | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Elmham | |
| Appointed | 1001 |
| Term ended | resigned between 1012 and 1016[1] |
| Predecessor | Æthelstan |
| Successor | Ælfwine |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 1001 |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 24 or 25 December 1021 |
| Denomination | Christian |
Ælfgar (died 24 or 25 December 1021)[1] was an Anglo-Saxon cleric and bureaucrat who served as Bishop of Elmham.
Ecclesiastical Career
Ælfgar was consecrated as a bishop in 1001.[1] Prior to his appointment to the role of bishop, he served as a priest.[2] In addition to his role as bishop, Ælfgar was active in politics; holding the title of ealdorman.[3]
Two days prior to the death of Dunstan; the then-Archbishop of Canterbury, Ælfgar reportedly had a vision of Dunstan being surrounded and praised by angels. This event was used by William of Malmesbury as evidence of Ælfgar's holiness.[4]
During his time as bishop, Ælfgar gained a reputation as a generous giver of alms.[5]
Ælfgar was an important patron to Ely Abbey, and devoted much of his religious life to its upkeep. He is painted as a mural alongside several other religious figures of the time.[6]
Ælfgar resigned as bishop at some point between 1012 and 1016.[1]
After retirement
Following his resignation as Bishop of Elmham, Ælfgar lived on the island of Ely in Cambridgeshire.[2] While living in Ely he would oversee the burial of Eadnoth the Younger; who had been recently martyred at the Battle of Assandun by Danish invaders lead by Cnut. While the group of Danish soldiers guarding Eadnoth's corpse were drunk following a visit to Ely Abbey, Ælfgar collaborated with the local monks in order to seize and hide Eadnoth's body.[2] Following his burial, Eadnoth was venerated as a saint.[2]
Ælfgar died on the morning of Christmas Day in 1021.[5][1] He was buried in a field near the Ely Abbey.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 216. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Liber Eliensis. c. 1200. ISBN 13 978-1843830153.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ↑ Weikert, Katherine (2020). The Land of the English Kin: Studies in Wessex and Anglo-Saxon England in Honour of Professor Barbara Yorke. p. 555. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Winterbottom, M. (2007). Gesta Pontificum Anglorum. Clarendon Press.
- 1 2 Swanton, Michael (1996). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. London.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ↑ Weikert, Katherine (2020). The Land of the English Kin: Studies in Wessex and Anglo-Saxon England in Honour of Professor Barbara Yorke. p. 558. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
External links