Death and Legacy
Theobald died on 18 April 1161, after a long illness, at his palace in Canterbury. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral, in the Holy Trinity Chapel, near the tomb of Archbishop Lanfranc. His coffin was opened in 1190 during repairs to the cathedral and his body was found to be uncorrupted, but efforts to secure his canonisation as a saint on the basis of that evidence were unsuccessful. He was reburied in the nave near the altar to St Mary, with his old marble tomb replaced above his new resting place. In 1787 his lead coffin was found in Canterbury.
Although Theobald was troubled by the opposition of his suffragan Henry of Blois, he regained control of the English Church, secured the rights of his see, and helped maintain the unity of the realm. Contemporaries were somewhat divided on his effectiveness and personality. Gervase of Canterbury felt that he was too impetuous, probably because of Theobald's treatment of his priors at Christ Church. Henry of Huntingdon, who knew him, felt that he was a worthy archbishop. Theobald's legacy perhaps suffered because he was overshadowed by his successor, Becket. Modern historians have been kinder than his contemporaries; Frank Barlow says of Theobald that he was "an upright man, but quick tempered, and sometimes spoke far too rashly".
Read more about this topic: Theobald Of Bec
Famous quotes containing the words death and, death and/or legacy:
“Immortal mortals, mortal immortals, one living the others’ death and dying the others’ life.”
—Heraclitus (c. 535–475 B.C.)
“Taking a child to the toy store is the nearest thing to a death wish parents can have.”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)