Henry Murdac, abbot of Fountains (1144-47) and
archbishop of York (1147-53). When Henry was a master of the schools
of York he responded to St Bernard’s personal
invitation to join the Cistercians of Clairvaux. He was later
appointed
abbot of Vauclairs and in 1144 returned to Yorkshire to assume
the abbacy at Fountains. Henry
was a strict disciplinarian and a magnificent administrator. Henry
was also at the forefront of opposition to the rather controversial
appointment of William Fitzherbert to the see of York, by King
Stephen. William, who was the king’s nephew, was accused by some
of simony
and unchaste living; in a letter to Pope Innocent II, Bernard of
Clairvaux maintained that Fitzherbert was ‘rotten from the soles
of his feet to the crown of his head.’ (1)
Fitzherbert was at first suspended by the pope and in 1147 he was
deposed by Eugenius III, who had been a novice
under Henry; Murdac was installed as the new archbishop of York,
but the chapter of York refused to acknowledge his appointment.
Murdac spent five of his six years as archbishop in Ripon. Despite
this new appointment Henry retained his influence over Fountains
and the three succeeding abbots, Maurice (1148), Thorald (1148-50)
and Richard (1150-70), were suffragen abbots under him. Following
Henry’s death in 1153 William was reinstalled as archbishop
and made his peace with the community at Fountains.