ALDRED, or EALDRED (d. 1069), English ecclesiastic,
became abbot of Tavistock about 1027, in 1044 was made
bishop of Worcester, and in 1060 archbishop of York. He
had considerable influence over King Edward the Confessor,
and as his interests were secular rather than religious he
took a prominent part in affairs of state, and in 1046 led
an unsuccessful expedition against the Welsh. In 1050 he
was largely instrumental in restoring Sweyn, the son of Earl
Godwin, to his earldom, and about the same time went to
Rome
"on the king's errand." In 1054 he was sent to the emperor
Henry III. to obtain that monarch's influence in securing
the return to
England of Edward, son of Edmund Ironside,
who was in Hungary with King Andrew I. In this mission he
was successful and obtained some insight into the working of
the German church during a stay of a year with Hermann II.,
archbishop of Cologne. After his return to
England he took
charge of the sees of Hereford and Ramsbury, although not
appointed to these bishoprics
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