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His denomination as Wulfstan II is to denote that he is the second Bishop Wulfstan of Worcester. That does not help, however, since the first Bishop Wulfstan is also called Wulfstan II to denote that he was the second Archbishop of York called Wulfstan. To make matters worse, Wulfstan II, Archbishop of York is the mother's brother of Wulfstan II, Bishop of Worcester.
Wulfstan was born in 1008 at Long-Itchington , Warwickshire, England. He was probably named after his uncle, Wulfstan II, Archbishop of York. Through his uncle's influence, he studied at monasteries in Evesham and Peterborough, before becoming a clerk at Worcester. During this time, his superiors, noting his reputation for dedication and chastity, urged him to join the priesthood. Wulfstan was ordained shortly thereafter, in 1038, and soon joined a monastery of Benedictines at Worcester.
After serving as treasurer and then prior of his monastery, Wulfstan was named Bishop of Worcester on September 8, 1062Events Founding of Marrakech Births Nicephorus Bryennius, Byzantine statesman Deaths 1062..
Most remarkable is that, after the Norman conquestBayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest was the conquest of England by William the Conqueror ( Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. It is an impor, Wulfstan was the lone bishop to be kept in his post by William the Conqueror. Something of a social reformer, Wulfstan struggled to bridge the gap between the old and new regimes, and to alleviate the suffering of the poor.
In 1075, Wulfstan and the Worcestershire levy put down the rebellion of Ralph de Gauder, Earl of NorfolkEarl of Norfolk is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title was held in the 12th and 13th centuries by the Bigod family, and then was later held by the Mowbrays, who were also made Dukes of Norfolk. Due to the Bigo, Roger FitzOsbern, Earl of Hereford and the SaxonThis article is about the Saxons, a Germanic people. For other uses of the term, see Saxon (disambiguation). The Saxons were a large and powerful Germanic people located in what is now northwestern Germany and the eastern Netherlands (but not in the area Waltheof known as 'The Bridal of Norwich' against William the Conqueror.
He also undertook much large scale rebuilding work including Worcester CathedralWorcester Cathedral is the cathedral in Worcester, England; situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. The Cathedral was founded in 680 with Bishop Bosel as its head. The first cathedral was built in this period but nothing now remains of it. The ex, Hereford CathedralHereford Cathedral located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is the Mappa Mundi a medieval map of the world dating from the 13th century. Hereford is one of the venues for the Three Choirs Festival. British cathedrals Heref, Tewkesbury Abbey, Great Malvern Priory and many other churches in the Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester areas.
Wulfstan died in 1095, allegedly while engaged in his daily ritual of washing of the feet of a dozen poor men. After his death, he had an alter dedicated to him in Great Malvern Priory alongside Cantilupe of Hereford and King Edward the Confessor.
In Easter of 1158, Henry II and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine visited Worcester Cathedral and placed their crowns on the shrine of Wulfstan, vowing not to wear them again.
Wulfstan was canonized in 1203 by Pope Innocent III.