freeing all the churches in his diocese belonging to the convent of Durham from all dues payable to him and his successors, being moved thereto, he says, by gratitude to St. Cuthbert, to whose tomb he resorted after a sickness of two years, and there received healing; and also by his pleasure at the substitution of monks for canons in the church of Durham by Bishop William (Rog. Hov. i. 137–8). The epitaph, in elegiac verse, placed on the tomb of the Conqueror, was written by him, and has been preserved (Orderic, pp. 663–4).
[Raine's Fasti Ebor.; Hugh the Chantor and T. Stubbs, ap. Historians of York, vol. ii., Will. of Malmesbury's Gesta Regum and Gesta Pontiff., Gervase of Cant., Sym. Dunelm., Gir. Cambr., Rog. Hov. (all seven in Rolls Ser.); Lanfranc's Epp. ed. Giles; Ric. of Hexham, ed. Twysden; Liber Vitæ Dunelm. (Surtees Soc.); Eadmer, ed. Migne; Orderic, ed. Duchesne; Freeman's Norm. Conq. vol. iv., and Will. Rufus.]
THOMAS (d. 1114), archbishop of York, was the son of Samson (d. 1112) [q. v.], afterwards bishop of Worcester, and the brother of Richard, bishop of Bayeux from 1108 to 1133, and so the nephew of Thomas (d. 1100) [q. v.], archbishop of York, who brought him up at York, where he was generally popular (Eadmer, Historia Novorum, col. 481; Richard of Hexham, col. 303; Gallia Christiana, xi. 360; Hugh the Chantor apud Historians of York, ii. 112). His uncle Thomas appointed him as the first provost of Beverley in 1092, and he was one of the king's chaplains. At Whitsuntide 1108 Henry I was about to appoint him to the bishopric of London, vacant by the death of Maurice (d. 1107) [q. v.] The archbishopric of York was also vacant by the death of Gerard in May, and the dean and some of the canons of York had come to London to elect; they persuaded the king to nominate Thomas to York instead of London; he was elected, and as archbishop-elect was present at the council that Anselm held at that season at London (Eadmer, col. 470; Flor. Wig. sub an.)
He then went to York, where he was heartily welcomed. He knew that Anselm would summon him to come to Canterbury to make his profession of obedience and receive consecration; and as his chapter urged him not to make the profession [see under Thomas, d. 1100], he set out to speak to the king on the matter (Hugh, pp. 112–14). At Winchester he was favourably received by the king, who appears to have told him not to make the profession at that time, but not to have spoken decidedly, intending probably to inquire further into the case. The assertion that Anselm sent Herbert de Losinga [q. v.], bishop of Norwich, to Thomas, offering to give up the profession if Thomas would recognise him as primate, and that Thomas refused (ib.), may be rejected so far as Anselm is concerned, though the bishop may have made the proposal on his own responsibility. Meanwhile Turgot [q. v.], bishop-elect of St. Andrews, was awaiting consecration, and Ranulf Flambard [q. v.], anxious to uphold the rights of the church of York, proposed to perform the rite at York with the assistance of suffragan bishops of the province, in the presence of the archbishop-elect. This would have been an infringement of the rights of Canterbury, and was forbidden by Anselm, who further wrote to Thomas requiring him to come to his ‘mother church’ at Canterbury on 6 Sept., and declaring that if he failed to do so he would himself perform episcopal functions in the province of York. Thomas wrote that he would have come but had spent all his money at Winchester; indeed, he said that he would have gone at once from Winchester to him, but the king had given him permission to send to Rome for his pall, and he was trying to raise money for the purpose. He also disclaimed any intention of consecrating Turgot. Anselm granted him an extension of time till Sunday, 27 Sept., and told him that it was no use sending for the pall before he was consecrated, and forbade him to do so. He also wrote to Paschal II, requesting him not to grant Thomas the pall until he had made profession and had been consecrated. Thomas then wrote that his chapter had forbidden him to make the profession, that he could not disobey them, and asked Anselm's advice. His letter was followed by one from the York chapter declaring that if Thomas made the profession they would disown him. Anselm replied to Thomas, repeating his command, and fixing 8 Nov. as the day for the profession and consecration. Thomas again wrote, saying that he could not act against the will of his chapter. After consulting with his suffragans, Anselm sent the bishops of London and Rochester to him to advise him on behalf of the bishops generally, either to desist from his rebellious conduct, or at least to go to Canterbury and state his case, promising that if he proved it he should receive consecration. They found him at Southwell. He told them that he had sent a messenger to the king, who was then in Normandy, and that he must wait for Henry's answer, and for further consultation with his clergy. The king's reply was that the question of the profession was to be put off until the following
