Herfast

Infobox bishopbiog
name =Herfast


religion =Catholic
See =Diocese of Elmham
moved see to Diocese of Thetford
Title = Bishop of Elmham
moved see to Bishop of Thetford
Period = 1070–c1085
Predecessor = Æthelmaer
Successor =William de Beaufeu
ordination =
bishops =
post =
date of birth =
place of birth =
date of death =c1085
place of death =

Herfast (or Arfast) (d. 1085) was a medieval Lord Chancellor of England and Bishop of Elmham.

Life

Born in Normandy, France, he joined William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England, and was appointed head of the royal writing office after the Battle of Hastings. He was Lord Chancellor of England from 1068 to 1070.Powicke "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 81] After serving as Lord Chancellor, he was consecrated Bishop of Elmham in 1070, but about May 27 1072 he moved the see to Thetford, thus becoming Bishop of Thetford.Powicke "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 223] He had a conflict with the Bury St. Edmunds Abbey, and when the case was brought forward, the Archbishop of Canterbury Lanfranc ruled against Herfast. He signed the Accord of Winchester in 1072 and died in 1084. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33866 British History Online Bishops of Norwich] accessed on October 29, 2007] He was a married bishop, and his sons held land in Norfolkat the time of Domesday Book in 1086.Williams "English and the Norman Conquest" p. 46]

ee also

* List of the Bishops of the Diocese of Norwich, England and its precursor offices
* List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers

Notes

References

* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33866 British History Online Bishops of Norwich] accessed on October 29, 2007
* Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
*

Persondata
NAME=Herfast
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Arfast
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Bishop of Elmham; Bishop of Thetford; Lord Chancellor of England
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=circa 1085
PLACE OF DEATH=