William is said to keep around been a nephew of King Stephen. William became the priest, & rose apace through the ecclesiastic hierarchy until he was elected by the majority of the Chapter Archbishop of York in 1142. His independent contender for the position was Henry Murdac, a Cistercian monk. Theobald of Bec, the Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to recognise William's election due to allegations of simony (the acquisition of church positions by graft) & of interference by King Stephen. Within 1143, Pope Anastasius IV said that William would be confirmed inside professional whenever he was suspire to refute a allegations by oath from either himself & a Dean of York. The pontifical official emissary after noticed William inexperienced person, & consecrated him when archbishop.

When Archbishop, William undertook a total of important reforms, & became quite popular sustaining the humans of York. His position became unstable, nevertheless, sustaining a rise to power of Pope Eugenius III, a Cistercian. English Cistercians renewed their attacks in him, & once William travelled to Rome to obtain his pallium (which he had non received earliest from either either Cardinal Hincmar), he was suspended from professional for an alleged irregularity in the appointment of the Bishop of Durham, his subordinate. It was even a influence of Saint Bernard that had led to William's suspension, & William was compulsory to obtainside an in-in a flesh refutation of the old charges per Dean of York, world health organization got okay, be the Bishop of Durham. William took higher home by having one of his friends, a King of Sicily. His suspension prompted his supporters inside Engl& to attack and kill an abbey led by Henry Murdac, an work which allowed William's enemies to with success require his suspension to get the lasting removal from either professional. Murdac became Archbishop around his place.

William returned to England, devoting himself to prayers within Winchester. When a dying of two Pope Eugenius & Henry Murdac, notwithstanding, he with success appealed to the recently Pope, Anastasius IV, for the restoration of his position. Exclusively the short period fallowing giving to power, even so, William died. His demise was unexpected plenty that a select few stand claimed he was poisoned, although no proof of this has been presented. He is buried inside York Minster & was take to be a martyr. Miracles were reported at his grave. He was canonized inside 1227 by Pope Honorius III.

His feast day is June 8, although his cult is local to York.