Morgan (bishop)

Morgan was a medieval Bishop of Durham

Bishop of Durham

The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the diocese of Durham in the province of York. The Diocese is one of the oldest in the country and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords...

 elect.

He was an illegitimate son of King Henry II of England

Henry II of England

Henry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...

 and Nesta, daughter of Iorwerth ab Owain, Lord of Caerleon. Nesta was married to Sir Ralph Bloet, who raised Morgan as his son. The date of his birth is unknown but presumed to be toward the end of King Henry's life.

Morgan was the provost of Beverley before being nominated to the see of Durham between 7 March and 7 May 1215.

Morgan was a medieval Bishop of Durham

Bishop of Durham

The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the diocese of Durham in the province of York. The Diocese is one of the oldest in the country and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords...

 elect.

He was an illegitimate son of King Henry II of England

Henry II of England

Henry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...

 and Nesta, daughter of Iorwerth ab Owain, Lord of Caerleon. Nesta was married to Sir Ralph Bloet, who raised Morgan as his son. The date of his birth is unknown but presumed to be toward the end of King Henry's life.

Morgan was the provost of Beverley before being nominated to the see of Durham between 7 March and 7 May 1215. He was never consecrated because Pope Innocent III

Pope Innocent III

Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. He was born with the name Lotario de Conti.-Early life and election to the Papacy:Lotario de' Conti was born Gavignano, near Anagni...

 refused consecration on the grounds of his illegitimacy. Innocent offered to confirm the election and allow the episcopal consecration if Morgan would swear that he was the son of Nesta and her husband Ralph and not King Henry. Morgan, after deliberation, replied that it was unthinkable for him to deny his father the king.

After his accession to the throne, King John of England

John of England

John , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...

, Morgan's half-brother, was known to be generous to the entire Bloet family.

There is a fictional representation of Morgan in the novel Prince of Darkness by Sharon Kay Penman

Sharon Kay Penman

Sharon Kay Penman is an American historical novelist. Penman has written two trilogies, the Welsh Prince Trilogy and the Plantagnet Trilogy. In addition, Penman is the author of six medieval mysteries, the first of which, The Queen's Man, was a finalist for the Best First Mystery Edgar Award in 1996...

.