Turgot

TURGOT (d. 1115)

Turgot was of a good Saxon family. After the Norman conquest, he was imprisoned, but escaped and fled to Norway. He studied under Aldwin of Jarrow and became a monk, and later Prior at Durham in 1087. He assisted in the building of the cathedral in 1093, and in the transfer of St Cuthbert's remains there in 1104.Turgot became Bishop of St Andrews in 1109 until his death. He was the spiritual adviser of the Scottish queen and probably wrote The Life of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland.

After the Battle of Hastings, many of the Anglo-Saxon nobility fled to Scotland, including the heir to the English throne, Edgar the Aethling (c.1050-1125) and his sister Margaret (c.1046-93). Margaret, young, beautiful and pious, married the savage and formidable Malcolm III Canmore (c. 1031-1093) - Shakespeare's Malcolm, the slayer of Macbeth - at Dunfermline abbey in 1069. Malcolm had ravaged Northumbria in 1061, and dealt with Cumbria to such effect that according to Simeon of Durham (q.v.) there was scarcely a Scottish household without an English slave. William the Conqueror came north in 1072, however, and in a brilliant campaign, obtained Malcolm's submission, at least temporarily.

Much of Margaret's reputation comes from Turgot. She washed the feet of beggars and her astonished husband knelt to join her. The besotted Malcolm spoke English in preference to his own Gaelic and drank French wine instead of ale. He gave English, classical or biblical names to his sons. Margaret did her best to oppose the Celtic clergy and bring it into line with Roman doctrine and practice; she was canonised in 1251, the only Royal Scottish saint. Malcolm was killed at Alnwick in 1093, and Margaret, already ill, died soon after. Malcolm's brother, Donald Bane now appeared from the Hebrides and according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 'the Scots drove out all the English who were with Malcolm before.'

Myers Literary Guide:	The North-East
TURGOT (d. 1115) Turgot was of a good Saxon family. After the Norman conquest, he was imprisoned, but escaped and fled to Norway. He studied under Aldwin of Jarrow and became a monk, and later Prior at Durham in 1087. He assisted in the building of the cathedral in 1093, and in the transfer of St Cuthbert's remains there in 1104.Turgot became Bishop of St Andrews in 1109 until his death. He was the spiritual adviser of the Scottish queen and probably wrote The Life of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland. After the Battle of Hastings, many of the Anglo-Saxon nobility fled to Scotland, including the heir to the English throne, Edgar the Aethling (c.1050-1125) and his sister Margaret (c.1046-93). Margaret, young, beautiful and pious, married the savage and formidable Malcolm III Canmore (c. 1031-1093) - Shakespeare's Malcolm, the slayer of Macbeth - at Dunfermline abbey in 1069. Malcolm had ravaged Northumbria in 1061, and dealt with Cumbria to such effect that according to Simeon of Durham (q.v.) there was scarcely a Scottish household without an English slave. William the Conqueror came north in 1072, however, and in a brilliant campaign, obtained Malcolm's submission, at least temporarily. Much of Margaret's reputation comes from Turgot. She washed the feet of beggars and her astonished husband knelt to join her. The besotted Malcolm spoke English in preference to his own Gaelic and drank French wine instead of ale. He gave English, classical or biblical names to his sons. Margaret did her best to oppose the Celtic clergy and bring it into line with Roman doctrine and practice; she was canonised in 1251, the only Royal Scottish saint. Malcolm was killed at Alnwick in 1093, and Margaret, already ill, died soon after. Malcolm's brother, Donald Bane now appeared from the Hebrides and according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 'the Scots drove out all the English who were with Malcolm before.'
Return to Index	On to next Author