Baldwin of Forde

Baldwin of Forde
Archbishop of Canterbury
Statue of Baldwin of Forde from the exterior of Canterbury Cathedral
Appointed	December 1184
Term ended	19 November 1190
Predecessor	Richard of Dover
Successor	Reginald fitzJocelin
Other post(s)	Archdeacon of Totnes Bishop of Worcester
Orders
Consecration	c. 1180
Personal details
Born	c. 1125 Exeter, Kingdom of England
Died	19 November 1190 near Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem
Parents	Hugh d'Eu

Baldwin of Forde or Ford^[1] (c. 1125 – 19 November 1190) was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1185 and 1190. The son of a clergyman, he studied canon law and theology at Bologna and was tutor to Pope Eugene III's nephew before returning to England to serve successive bishops of Exeter. After becoming a Cistercian monk he was named abbot of his monastery at Forde and subsequently elected to the episcopate at Worcester. Before becoming a bishop, he wrote theological works and sermons, some of which have survived.

As a bishop, Baldwin came to the attention of King Henry II of England, who was so impressed he insisted that Baldwin become archbishop. In that office, Baldwin quarrelled with his cathedral clergy over the founding of a church, which led to the imprisonment of the clergy in their cloister for more than a year. Baldwin spent some time in Wales with Gerald of Wales, preaching and raising money for the Third Crusade. After the coronation of Richard I of England, the new king sent Baldwin ahead to the Holy Land, where he became embroiled in the politics of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Baldwin died in the Holy Land while participating in the crusade.