| Type: | bishop |
| Leofgar | |
| Religion: | Christian |
| Bishop of Hereford | |
| Appointed: | before March 1056 |
| Consecration: | March 1056 |
| Ended: | 16 June 1056 |
| Predecessor: | Æthelstan |
| Successor: | Ealdred |
| Death Date: | 16 June 1056 |
Leofgar (or Leovegard; died 1056) was a medieval Bishop of Hereford.
Leofgar was consecrated in March 1056. He had previously been the chaplain to Harold Godwineson,[1] and it was probably Harold who persuaded King Edward the Confessor to appoint him to the bishopric. The appointment was disapproved of by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, mainly for the warlike character of Leofgar. However, because of the Welsh raids, and the damage the diocese had taken in the previous year, it was felt that a more martial man was needed to help protect the area.[2] Significantly, while a bishop he retained his moustache, a symbol of a warrior.[3]
Leofgar was killed by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn[4] on 16 June 1056[5] at Glasbury-on-Wye during a battle with the Welsh.[2] Along with Leofgar, many English were killed, which set back the English efforts to pacify the Welsh frontier.[6] [7] After Leofgar's death, the diocese of Hereford was administered by Ealdred, who was Bishop of Worcester, until Walter of Lorraine was elected in 1060.[8]
. Barlow, Frank . Frank Barlow (historian). Edward the Confessor . University of California Press . Berkeley, CA . 1970 . 0-520-01671-8 .