Wulfstan was a 12th-century Bishop of Worcester who stands out as one of the few Anglo-Saxon bishops to retain his office after the Norman Conquest of 1066. His long tenure (1062–1095) spanned the period of greatest ecclesiastical disruption in English history, yet he maintained his see through a combination of genuine piety, administrative skill, and political acumen. He is remembered as a pastor devoted to his flock, a reformer of monastic discipline, and a defender of the Church's independence from secular pressure. He was also famous for his opposition to the slave trade, particularly at Bristol, which made him an opponent of a major source of wealth for the port city.

Wulfstan is remembered in medieval tradition as a model of episcopal virtue—a bishop who maintained his integrity and his see through political upheaval, who was devoted to his pastoral duties, and who used his authority to defend the vulnerable. According to William of Malmesbury, Wulfstan was known for his daily celebration of Mass, his frequent tears during prayer (a sign of deep contrition and prayer in medieval piety), his charity to the poor, and his ascetic practices (fasting and prayer).

Wulfstan's opposition to slavery is his most distinctive and memorable tradition. Medieval sources report that he excommunicated slave merchants, preached against the trade, and through his efforts achieved some reduction in the practice at Bristol. Whether his efforts led to a complete cessation of slavery in his diocese is debated by modern scholars, but his opposition to slavery and his attempts to suppress it are consistently attested in sources and are distinctive for an 11th-century bishop. His fame as an opponent of slavery was so pronounced that later tradition may have exaggerated his success, but the core tradition—that he actively opposed the slave trade—appears genuine.

According to William of Malmesbury, Wulfstan performed miracles of healing. These are reported in the conventional hagiographic manner, but given the sober and careful character of Malmesbury's account, they may reflect genuine local memory of Wulfstan's reputation for holiness rather than pure hagiographic fiction.

Wulfstan was born around 1009 and entered monastic life at an early age, eventually becoming a monk at the cathedral monastery of Worcester. He progressed through monastic ranks and was elected Bishop of Worcester in 1062, at an age when his death seemed imminent (he reportedly was in poor health at the time of his election). His election proved controversial because he was the clear choice of the cathedral chapter (the monks), but he lacked the royal patronage that typically accompanied episcopal promotion. However, once in office, he proved an exceptionally able administrator and reformer.

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