Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Herewald
HEREWALD (d. 1104), bishop of Llandaff, was a Welshman by birth, who had spent much of his time in England and was conspicuous for his piety. He was unanimously elected in 1056 bishop of Llandaff by Gruffydd ab Llewelyn, ‘the unconquered king of the Britons,’ Meurig ab Hywel, the king of Morganwg, and the magnates, secular and clerical, of Wales. He seems to have been consecrated by Joseph, bishop of St. David's. In the next century the chapter of St. David's pointed to this as an example of the exercise of archiepiscopal functions by the bishops of St. David's (Giraldus, De Invectionibus, in Opera, iii. 57, Rolls Ser.), but the act could have had no such significance at the time. The consent of the English authorities, lay and ecclesiastical, was still necessary for Herewald's complete recognition as a bishop. This was not obtained until 1059, when at the Whitsuntide gemot, held at Westminster, Archbishop Kinsi of York (in the absence of Stigand, whose own legal position was equivocal) confirmed Herewald's appointment in the presence of Eadward the Confessor and of all the wise men of the land.
This account of Herewald's appointment comes from the curious and not very trustworthy twelfth-century register of the see of Llandaff called the ‘Liber Landavensis’ (pp. 254–5). Its accuracy, however, in some minute points, such as the absence of Stigand, and the holding of the Whitsuntide gemot of 1059 at London, are, as Professor Freeman (Norm. Conquest, ii. 447, 3rd ed.) points out, evidence of the general truth of the whole story. Ralph de Diceto (Abbrev. Chron. i. 203, Rolls Ser.) says, however, that Herewald was consecrated by Lanfranc at Canterbury in 1071. This date has the advantage of cutting short by twelve years an episcopate of a very remarkable length for the time and country. If, however, we accept the story of the ‘Liber Landavensis,’ we must regard this ‘consecration’ as simply a fresh recognition of his appointment by the Norman archbishop. The ‘Canterbury Rolls’ speak of William investing Herewald, and also of Lanfranc consecrating him (in Godwin, De Præsulibus, ed. Richardson), but as they immediately go on to say that he died in 1104, ‘forty-eight years after his consecration,’ they cannot be regarded as very valuable evidence. But the latter statement, corresponding exactly with the account in the ‘Liber Landavensis’ of Herewald's consecration in 1056, is another indirect confirmation of the Llandaff record. The probability that King William invested Herewald is much greater than that Lanfranc consecrated him.
The ‘Liber Landavensis’ preserves some few records of Herewald's acts as bishop. He obtained from King Gruffydd, whose authority could not, however, have been great in Morganwg, a grant of certain districts within the see of St. David's, over which he claimed jurisdiction (Lib. Land. pp. 257–9, 263–8). The grant seems, however, of very doubtful authenticity, certainly it was never acted upon. Herewald also summoned a diocesan synod for the purpose of excommunicating Cadwgan, son of Meurig, king of Glamorgan, for the murder of a nephew of the bishop's and other violence and outrage which he had committed when drunk on a Christmas visit to him at Llandaff. Cadwgan was forced to submit and buy his restoration to the bishop's favour by repentance and a fresh grant of land to the see (ib. pp. 255–257). Herewald is also said to have obtained grants of land from Iestin, son of Gwrgan, as a recompense for the violation of a maiden by his kinsman (ib. p. 259), from Caradog ab Rhydderch, who had stolen the bishop's dinner and remained all night drunk in his house (ib. p. 261), and from Caradog, son of Rhiwallon, in recompense for the murder of his brother (ib. p. 262). Herewald showed great activity in consecrating churches and ordaining priests. During his episcopate Glamorgan was conquered by Robert Fitzhamon [q. v.] and the Normans. Towards the end of his life he seems to have been suspended by Archbishop Anselm (Anselm, Epp. iii. 23). Herewald died on 6 March 1104 (ib. p. 268).
[The Liber Landavensis, pp. 254–68, published with an English translation by the Rev. W. J. Rees for the Welsh MSS. Society; parts of the passages bearing on Herewald had previously been printed by Wharton in his Anglia Sacra and Wilkins in his Concilia; all the more important passages dealing with Herewald are collected in Haddan and Stubbs's Councils and Ecclesiastical Documents, i. 292–6; see also Freeman's Norman Conquest, ii. 447 and 692–3 (note q q), 3rd ed.]