William Warelwast (died 1137) was a medieval Norman cleric and Bishop of Exeter in England. Warelwast was a native of Normandy, but little is known about his background before 1087, when he appears as a royal clerk for King William II of England. Most of his royal service to William was as a diplomatic envoy, as he was heavily involved in the king's dispute with Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, which was the beginning of the Investiture Controversy in England. He went several times to Rome as an emissary to the papacy on business related to Anselm, one of whose supporters, the medieval chronicler Eadmer, alleged that Warelwast bribed the pope and the papal officials to secure favourable outcomes for King William. Possibly present at King William's death in a hunting accident, Warelwast served as a diplomat to the king's successor, Henry I. After the resolution of the Investiture Controversy Warelwast was rewarded with the bishopric of Exeter in Devon, but he continued to serve Henry as a diplomat and royal judge. He began the construction of a new cathedral at Exeter, and he probably divided the diocese into archdeaconries. Warelwast went blind after 1120, and following his death in 1137 was succeeded by his nephew, Robert Warelwast.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Warelwast

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1330:

The Battle of Posada between Basarab I of Wallachia and Charles I Robert of Hungary began near the present-day border of Oltenia and Severin, Romania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Posada

1888:

Mary Jane Kelly was murdered in London, widely believed to be the fifth and final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jane_Kelly

1914:

First World War: In the Cocos Islands, the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney sank SMS Emden, the last active Central Powers warship in the Indian or Pacific Ocean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cocos

1967:

French comic book heroes Valérian and Laureline first appeared in the pages of Pilote magazine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val%C3%A9rian_and_Laureline

2005:

The European Space Agency launched the Venus Express mission (artist's impression pictured), the first long-term observation of the Venusian atmosphere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Express

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

whence:

From where; from which place or source.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/whence

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The size and age of the Cosmos are beyond ordinary human understanding. Lost somewhere between immensity and eternity is our tiny planetary home. In a cosmic perspective, most human concerns seem insignificant, even petty. And yet our species is young and curious and brave and shows much promise. In the last few millennia we have made the most astonishing and unexpected discoveries about the Cosmos and our place within it, explorations that are exhilarating to consider. They remind us that humans have evolved to wonder, that understanding is a joy, that knowledge is prerequisite to survival. I believe our future depends powerfully on how well we understand this Cosmos in which we float like a mote of dust in the morning sky. --Carl Sagan https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan