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Æthelgar

950 – 990

Bishop of Selsey; Archbishop of Canterbury

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About Æthelgar

Lived 950 – 990 (aged 39–40). Æthelgar was a British catholic priest and catholic bishop.

Æthelgar (died 990) was Archbishop of Canterbury, and previously Bishop of Selsey.

Biography

Æthelgar was a monk at Glastonbury Abbey before he was the discipulus of Aethelwold the Bishop of Winchester. He then continued as a monk at Abingdon Abbey, until 964 when he was appointed Abbot of the newly reformed monastery of New Minster, Winchester, by Bishop Aethelwold. He succeeded Dunstan as Archbishop of Canterbury, but "lived for a short time after that – no more than a year and three months". He was transferred to Canterbury in 988.

While archbishop, Æthelgar received two letters from monasteries in Flanders, seeking support and prayers from Æthelgar. One was from the Falrad, the abbot of Saint Vaast Abbey, which requested that relations between the abbey and Canterbury remain good, as they had in Dunstan's time, and implies that Falrad had given verbal instructions to the messenger carrying the letter to seek further support on other issues. The second letter was from Odbert, the abbot of Saint Bertin Abbey, and congratulates Æthelgar on becoming archbishop and solicits financial aid for his monastery.

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Important facts

Born
950
Birth century
Nationality
Positions held
Abbot, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop of Selsey

People in Æthelgar's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Æthelgar's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Æthelgar?

Bishop of Selsey; Archbishop of Canterbury

When was Æthelgar born?

Æthelgar was born in 950.

When did Æthelgar die?

Æthelgar died on 13 February 990.

What was Æthelgar's occupation?

Æthelgar was a catholic priest and catholic bishop.

What nationality was Æthelgar?

Æthelgar was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Æthelgar

· Wikidata: Q1419850

· DBpedia: Æthelgar

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Æthelgar. https://biography.guide/aethelgar/

MLA: "Æthelgar." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/aethelgar/.

Chicago: "Æthelgar." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/aethelgar/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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