Nicholas Breakspear

November 1154

Ye Olden Times CORONATION OF ENGLISH POPE - ADRIAN IV

F

ollowing the death of ninety year old Pope Anastasius IV this month, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Empire unanimously voted the highly successful Bishop and Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear to the position of Supreme Pontif, leader of the Catholic Church, born 1100 in Bedmond, Hertfordshire, England.

King Henry II of England has sent his sincere best wishes to the new Pope and his family in Abbots Langley.

The proud father is local man Richard de Camera, monk at our Benedictine Abbey of St. Albans. Nicholas studied at St Albans school. The Archdeacon of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett, who some say will be the future head of the Catholic church in England, has expressed his profound delight that such an honest and accomplished diplomat has achieved such heights.

Nicholas left England in 1120 for France. He took Holy orders becoming first Canon, then Prior, and then Abbot of the Augustinian Abbey of Saint-Ruf inAvignon . It was at Saint Ruf where he adopted the Latin name Hastifragus or Breakspeare. In 1149, Pope Eugenius III invited Nicholas to Rome where he became Bishop of Albano. This made him the second English Cardinal ever.

From 1152 – 1154, with the Pope’s authority, he went to Scandinavia where for the first time the Norwegian church was allowed to organise themselves independently of Germany.

Messages of congratulations are forthcoming from Frederick I of Germany, William of Sicily, and Henry II of England and from all over the world.

1

Modern Times - Local History and Heritage Nicholas Breakspear was born in Bedmond in 1100 near Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire.

In Bedmond a plaque (below) marks the spot where he was born – this was to become Breakspear Farm which still contained parts of the original building were Nicholas lived. It became a place for pilgrim visitors and had a Holy Well which was said to cure eye problems.

Right is a picture of Breakspear Farm; demolished in the 1960s it had hidden rooms for priests, used when Catholicicsm was outlawed by Henry VIII. The farm was 96 acres in size.

Behind the Farm was a well – it came to be known as the Holy Well - and in the gardens of the present houses there are remnant water springs.

Holy Well at Breakspear Farm, painted by N.Trent RA, 1906

2

Born into the parish of Abbots Langley the church of St. Lawrence the Martyr is where Nicholas Breakspear was baptised and received Holy Communion.

There is a commemorative plaque inside the church.

“At Bedmond in this parish about the date of the building of this present church was born Nicholas Breakspear Pope Adrian IV (1154-1159) the only English Pope This tablet is erected by the Hertfordshire Historical Association 1924”

This imposing bust below is across the road in the Catholic Church of St. Saviours.

“Nicholas Breakspear Born in the parish of Abbots Langley Elected to the Papacy as Pope Adrian IV reigning from 1154 to 1159”

3

A number of roads are named after the Pope in the centre of Abbots Langley.

Bedmond is 3 miles from Hemel Hempstead, and the gateway to Hemel is marked by the landmark offices of Breakspear Park. The building of St Mary’s church began in 1150.

4

But Saint Albans has special links with Nicholas Breakspear.

The Abbey as it stands today was being developed and completed around the time of his youth. His father had become a monk there.

Nicholas Breakspear was to grant it enormous privileges which enabled it and the parishes around to prosper.

There is a statue of Nicholas Breakspear on the High Alter in St Albans Abbey.

On the floor nearby is a slab which marks where his father, Robert of the Chamber, is buried alongside other important Abbots and notable persons at the time.

There are informative displays about Nicholas Breakspear in the Abbey which reflect the important role Nicholas played in securing it’s position in England as one of the foremost Abbeys of its time.

5

Further afield, 13 Miles from Bedmond we have Breakspear Crematorium in Hillingdon.

And we have family descendents no less at the Brakspear Brewery in Oxford.

Of course Nicholas Breaskspear has his place in Rome.

He is buried beneath St Peters Basilica in the Vatican City.

As pope Nicholas was known as Adrian IV or Hadrian. His tomb beneath St Peters Basilica is a sarcophagus of Egyptian granite marked as: HADRIANVS PAPA IIII .

6

Adjacent to his tomb, Nicholas’s service to Norway is remembered with gratitude by a plaque placed by the Royal Norwegian Society of Science.

His Story Nicholas was Pope for 4 years 8 months and 28 days .

Cardinal Boso in 1170 who worked with Adrian wrote his biography, and described him as follows. “he was very kind, mild, and patient; accomplished in English and Latin, fluent in speech, polished in eloquence, an outstanding singer, and an excellent preacher; slow to anger and swift to forgive; a cheerful giver, lavish in alms, distinguished in every aspect of his character.”

William of Newburgh writes in 1196-98: “handsome of body, smiling of face, prudent in words, and swift to carry out instructions, he pleased everyone.”

Born in Bedmond he attended the school at St Albans and it’s likely he later studied at least briefly at Merton Priory in Surrey founded by Gilbert the Norman, senior Sheriff to King Henry. Merton Priory was certainly the most prestigious place of learning at the time – and con7

temporaries at the Priory included Saint Thomas à Becket and John of Salisbury.

He did try to join the monastics of St Albans, but was famously turned down. The monk Matthew Paris wrote (mid 13th Century) that when the Abbot went to Rome bearing gifts, silver, gold, 3 mitres and sandals, Nicholas said: “I refuse to receive your gifts because you refused to receive me when I once sought refuge under the wings of your church and asked in charity for the monastic habit.”

The Abbot replied “My Lord, we were never able to receive you; for the will of God, whose providence directed your life to higher things, opposed it.”

This was Norman (French) dominated England, and Nicholas thought it necessary to move to France to pursue his ambition. He eventually joined the Augustine order of Saint Ruf in France which were unusual in that they studied Roman law.

He worked his way up to the position of Abbot at Avignon where he was to visit territories in Spain being reclaimed from the Muslim Moors.

The Saint Ruf order was very active in turbulent Catalonia. He was to be of further service to Spain later on when he discouraged a planned invasion by French and English combined forces. However, as successful as he was diplomatically, he wasn’t entirely popular as Abbot, a situation which was resolved as Pope Eugene III promoted him to the position of Cardinal Bishop of Albano south of Rome.

He was sent by Pope Eugene to Scandinavia where he helped create independent Catholic regions, independent from Hamburg-Bremen, Germany. This was particularly popular and successful in Norway. Nicholas’s visit to Norway is regarded as a major event in that country’s medieval history. On arrival in Norway there was a potentially 8

dangerous dispute in the ruling hierarchy which he managed to mediate successfully. Of this mission it is said that he organized the Norwegian hierarchy which created a new nobility grounded in commerce and, with the help of the popular party, the Birkebeiner, consolidated royal power.

With regard to this work he has been appreciatively referred to as the ‘Apostle of the North’.

On his return to Rome, the then Pope, Anastasius IV died (1154) after a short reign, and Nicholas was unanimously voted in as his successor.

It was a combination of his personal skills, his success in Norway and him being kept out of politics for two years which led to Nicholas being crowned leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

We cannot underestimate the power the Church yielded, so much more than today. The Papal authority could raise armies, it was hugely wealthy, exacting tribute from scores of kingdoms, and could make or break Kings. The Coronation of Nicholas Breakspear would have been a spectacular occasion, with great Pomp and with ambassadors at least present from far and wide.

Adrian never forgot his roots. He helped St Albans Abbey to become one of the foremost monasteries in the country. The Abbey became independent of the usual church hierarchy and was put on a sound financial footing. He specifically included the supporting parishes in and around: Watford, Rickmansworth, Barnet, Langley, Redbourn, Codicote and more.

The first delegation from the Abbey, as mentioned, was a little tense, but Nicholas accepted the ornate gifts of slippers and mitres sent from Lady Christina of Markyate. She was a highly regarded Nun, from an aristocratic family, she was betrothed but wanted a life of chastity devoted to God. She had apparitions of the Virgin Mary and Jesus at Markyate.

Helped by Geoffery of Dunstable, another famous local man of the time, she set up a thriving convent in Markyate which survived until the reformation of Henry VIII.

9

Not surprisingly, Nicholas received particular attention from King Henry II. Newly crowned Henry was a Norman King of England with ambitions. The legitimacy of Papal authority would help him politically to achieve his aims. Through the ambassador John of Salisbury, a monk who was to become a highly valued friend of Nicholas, he petitioned Adrian for permission to take Ireland. It’s likely that this permission was granted, perhaps as the Catholic church in Ireland at the time was out of line with Papal authority. The historic legality of this claim was that Emperor Contantine had given over all islands to the papacy. The legal document made between Adrian and Henry II is referred to as The Bull Laudabiliter.

John of Salisbury crossed the alps ten times in total acting as go-between. John was one of the most learned and cultured men of his day.

Another important figure at this time with local connections is Thomas Becket. Thomas in 1154 became Archdeacon of Canterbury. In 1155 he took the post of Lord Chancellor to Henry II, a very important position inside the Kings inner circle. The Castle of Berkhamstead was given over to Thomas Becket at this time and he considerably rebuilt it and extended it. You can read about this at the Castle in Berkhamsted.

The twelfth century was an extremely turbulent time. It was a time of ambitious expansion of the Normans for example in England and in Sicily. The German king Frederick Barbarossa (Redbeard) was ambitious to reclaim the title of Holy Roman Emperor in Europe. The Eastern Catholic Church, led by Greek Kings, were keen to reclaim coastal territory in Italy. It was a time of crusades also.

Even the city of Rome was ready to oust papal authority from civil affairs with an independence movement. This was one of the first trials of Nicholas’s reign. Arnold of Bresica was a former canon who, with the support of 56 senators, established a Roman Republic. Arnold was a very accomplished man, a student of the famous Peter Abelard (as was John of Salisbury), he was essentially a reformist along the lines of protestants – though this was of course way before the reformation. Nicholas had to use what powers he could to recover authority, without resorting to 10

violence, and at a suitable moment he proclaimed Rome unholy. This resulted in economic sanctions as Rome was a place of pilgrimage which led to Arnold being ousted from Rome and Adrian being asserted the leader of Rome. Arnold was soon to be hanged as Frederick Barbarossa’s forces reached Rome. This immediate tussle with Republicanism likely interfered with the timing of Adrian’s Coronation.

The Pope reigning shortly before Adrian was Eugene III. He had agreed the Treaty of Constance (1153) which was essentially a pact with Frederick I Barbarossa of Germany. In return for being crowned Emperor by the Pope, he was to defend the interests of the Catholic Church, in particular against the Normans of Sicily, against Republicanism in Rome, and against Byzantine powers (Greek Kings wanting to reclaim coastal territory in Italy).

Frederick marched down from Germany across the Alps, taking kingdoms and territories along the way. He didn’t make many friends along the way though, and Rome’s Republican elements were not happy when Adrian crowned him Emperor. However, Adrian had very little choice in the matter and certainly did what was necessary.

As Frederick was marching towards Rome, William of Sicily was also expecting to be endorsed by Adrian, but Adrian didn’t feel this was something he could do. William took up arms and invaded the papal territory of Benevento. Adrian excommunicated him. It was expected that Frederick would assist the Papal authorities to control William’s advances but this was not to be. Frederick’s forces were tired and spent in the heat of summer and had to retreat shortly afterwards.

Adrian raised an army from Papal states and worked with Byzantine forces against William but quite soon they lost and Adrian had to make a truce that recognised Williams authority as King of Sicily and grant him rights over territory in Italy. It may seem strange that the pope worked with Byzantine forces, but Adrian hoped for a reunification of the east and western Christian churches (they had split in 1053), something that was not possible without giving away too much Papal au11

thority. Anyway, Adrian preferred to have the Greek Kings in the South than the Normans. The Byzantine forces were only interested in coastal towns. But with William I of Sicily soundly defeating the combined forces, Adrian had to acquiesce and endorse William’s position. This was done with the Concordat of Benevento.

At this time Adrian was under enormous pressure. Caught between the powers of Frederick I and William I and Republicans. Frederick was becoming more resentful and awkward in his dealings with Rome.

There was also a fall-out were Frederick was accused by Adrian of not providing safe passage to Norwegian Bishops as they were trying to pass through Germany towards home. Frederick was also resentful of the new relationship with William of Sicily. There was talk of ex-communicating Frederick and it was at this point that Adrian unexpectedly died.

Some say from a fly in wine, but more likely swollen tonsils (quinsey).

Of course there is speculation. Mathew Paris writes: “A few days later, because the same Pope Adrian refused to create and consecrate as bishop the unworthy on of a certain powerful Roman citizen, he was ambushed, held, poisoned, and killed.”

We can learn from his brief term as Pope that Adrian must have been a highly skilled diplomat and politician. We know he was fluent in English and Latin. He was brave, leading armies into battle at times. He was very courageous and not afraid of making difficult decisions.

An anecdote often recounted which sheds light on the character of Nicholas was when he met with Emperor Frederick the first time 9th June 1155. Frederick refused to submit to a protocol whereby he was to hold Adrian stirrups as he dismounted. Adrian refused to crown Frederick until he submitted. The cardinals fled in fear leaving Adrian unattended.

After two days, 11th June, Frederick submitted and held the Pope’s stirrup. This gives us the measure of the determined and courageous nature of Nicholas Breakspear to carry out the authority bestowed on him.

Although preoccupied by regional politics and the interests of the 12

Church during his short reign, Nicholas did manage to support Christian communities for peace wherever he could. He left a legacy which allowed for serfs (workers tied to the land by debt) to marry without the permission of their lord. This was passed into Church law. Hertfordshire and England is duly proud of the achievements of their son Nicholas Breakspear.

Chronology of Significant Events 1053 - East-West schism in the Catholic Church.

1066 – The Norman Conquest of England.

1070 – Papal Legates of Pope Alexander confirm the legitimacy of William I of England. Norman Bishops replace English clergy.

1086 - Domesday book.

1100 Nicholas Breakspear born in Bedmond, near Abbots Langley.

1130 - Joins order of Saint Rufus (Saint Ruf) near Arles.

1145 - Promoted to Abbot of Saint Ruf monastery at Avignon.

Visits to Catalonia to support church during conflicts with Moors.

1145 - Treaty of Constance between Pope Eugene and Frederick Barbarossa.

1150 - Pope Eugene III makes Nicholas Bishop of Albano in Rome.

1152 - Sent as Legal ambassador (legate) to the Pope in Scandinavia.

1154 - William I (the Bad) becomes King of Sicily 1154 - December 3rd - Elected Pope on his return from Scandinavia.

1154 - Thomas Becket became Archdeacon of Canterbury 1155 - January - Thomas Becket becomes Lord Chancellor 1155 - Palm Sunday, just before Easter - Rome under interdict against Republican forces 1155 - June - Arnold Bressica hanged and his remains burned at the stake 1155 - 18th June - Adrian crowns Frederick I Barbarossa Emperor of Holy Roman Empire in St Peters Basilica 1155 - Frederick’s army are spent and cannot pursue William of Sicily.

1155 - Papal Bull Laudabiliter granting control of Ireland to Henry II of England.

1156 - June - peace made with William of Sicily after defeat of combined Byzantine and Papal forces. Concordat of Benevento.

13

1157-59 - General deterioration in relations between Pope Adrian IV and Emperor Frederick.

1157 - September – mild rebuke to Frederick for inaction over the detention of Archibishop Eskil of Lund by a robber baron. Frederick did not like the ecclesiastical changes detaching Scandinavia from Hamburg-Bremen.

1159 – Wrote to strongly discourage Louis VII and Henry II from a joint crusade in Spain. He asked them to seek the advice of the princes and people of the area first – in other words to act on invitation, which they clearly were not.

1159 - September 1st - Nicholas Breakspear, Pope Adrian IV dies at Anagni. The Emperor Frederick sends an emissary to the funeral 1215 - Magna Carta

References Adrian IV, the English Pope, 1154-1159: Studies and Texts edited by Brenda Bolton, Ann Dugan.(2003) Nicholas Breakspear: The Pope from England by Simon Webb (2009) - Available £3.99 at St Albans Abbey shop.

Adrian IV by Richard Raby (1849) - Available from Project Gutenberg.

Thank-you to Abbots Langley Local History Society for pictures of the Well and Farm. Compiled by M. and F. Brady summer 2013

14