Odo, Bishop of Bayeux

Odo of Bayeux, who died in 1097, served as the Bishop of Bayeux in Normandy and was granted the title of Earl of Kent in England after the Norman Conquest. As the maternal half-brother of Duke William, later known as William the Conqueror, Odo became a key figure in the administration of the Kingdom of England. He was born to Herleva, mother of William the Conqueror, and Herluin de Conteville. His younger brother was Count Robert of Mortain. While his exact birth date is unclear, he was made bishop of Bayeux in 1049 by Duke William.

Odo’s role extended beyond his clerical duties; he was a warrior and statesman who took part in the Council of Lillebonne and supported the Norman invasion of England by funding ships. At the Battle of Hastings in 1066, he is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry as rallying the troops rather than engaging in combat, likely due to his clerical status. After becoming Earl of Kent in 1067, Odo managed large estates in England and occasionally acted as regent during the king’s absences. His later years were marked by his trial at Penenden Heath for defrauding the Crown and the Diocese of Canterbury, his imprisonment for planning a military expedition to Italy, and his involvement in the First Crusade, which ended with his death en route to Palestine.