Appointed to the see by King Edward the Confessor of England, Leofwin was a monk before becoming a bishop.
[4] Around 1068, he was the recipient of a writ from King William I of England, which shows that he had accommodated himself to the Conquest.
[7] He was a married bishop,[8] and it appears that he was aware that he was unlikely to be allowed to retain his bishopric because of his marital status.
He refused to appear at the council held in London on 7 April 1070, despite being summoned to answer charges for his marriage.
He was condemned as contumacious in his absence, and a year later he officially resigned his see and retired to Coventry Abbey.