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{{bots|deny=InternetArchiveBot}}
⚫
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{short description|14th-century Archbishop of Canterbury-elect and Chancellor and Treasurer of England}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = bishop
| type = bishop
| honorific-prefix =
| name = William Edington
| name = William Edington
| honorific-suffix =
| title = [[Bishop of Winchester]]
| title = [[Bishop of Winchester]]
| image = Winchestercathedralheadonwilliamedingtontomb.jpg
| image = Winchestercathedralheadonwilliamedingtontomb.jpg
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| caption = Effigy of William Edington in Winchester Cathedral.
| caption = Effigy of William Edington in Winchester Cathedral.
| province = [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]]
| province = [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]]
| diocese = [[Diocese of Winchester|Winchester]]
| appointed = 9 December 1345
| appointed = 9 December 1345
| term_end = 6 or 7 October 1366
| term_end = 6 or 7 October 1366
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| successor = [[William of Wykeham]]
| successor = [[William of Wykeham]]
| other_post = {{unbulleted list|[[Lord High Treasurer]]|[[List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers|Lord Chancellor]]|[[List of Archbishops of Canterbury|Archbishop-elect of Canterbury]]}}
| other_post = {{unbulleted list|[[Lord High Treasurer]]|[[List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers|Lord Chancellor]]|[[List of Archbishops of Canterbury|Archbishop-elect of Canterbury]]}}
<!---------- Orders ---------->
<!---------- Orders ---------->| ordination =
| ordination =
| ordinated_by =
| ordinated_by =
| consecration = 14 May 1346
| consecration = 14 May 1346
| consecrated_by =
| consecrated_by = <!---------- Personal details ---------->
<!---------- Personal details ---------->
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_date =
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| death_place = [[Bishop's Waltham]]
| death_place = [[Bishop's Waltham]]
| buried = [[Winchester Cathedral]]
| buried = [[Winchester Cathedral]]
| nationality = [[English people|English]]
| nationality = English
⚫
| religion = [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]]
| residence =
| parents =
| parents =
| previous_post = [[Keeper of the wardrobe]]
| previous_post = [[Keeper of the wardrobe]]
⚫
| church = [[Catholic Church]]
| alma_mater =
| motto =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| coat_of_arms =
| coat_of_arms_alt =
<!---------- Other ---------->
| other =
}}
}}
'''William Edington''' (died 6 or 7 October 1366) was an English bishop and administrator. He served as [[bishop of Winchester]] from 1346 until his death, [[Keeper of the wardrobe]] from 1341 to 1344, [[Lord High Treasurer|treasurer]] from 1344 to 1356, and finally as [[Lord Chancellor|chancellor]] from 1356 until he retired from royal administration in 1363. Edington’s reforms of the administration&nbsp;— in particular of royal finances&nbsp;— had wide-ranging consequences, and contributed to the English military efficiency in the early stages of the [[Hundred Years' War]]. As bishop of Winchester he was responsible for starting an extensive rebuilding of [[Winchester Cathedral]], and for founding [[Edington Priory]], the church of which still stands today.
'''William Edington''' (died 6 or 7 October 1366) was an English bishop and administrator. He served as [[Bishop of Winchester]] from 1346 until his death, [[Keeper of the wardrobe]] from 1341 to 1344, [[Lord High Treasurer|treasurer]] from 1344 to 1356, and finally as [[Lord Chancellor|chancellor]] from 1356 until he retired from royal administration in 1363. Edington's reforms of the administration&nbsp;– in particular of royal finances&nbsp;– had wide-ranging consequences and contributed to the English military efficiency in the early stages of the [[Hundred Years' War]]. As Bishop of Winchester, he was responsible for starting an extensive rebuilding of [[Winchester Cathedral]], and for founding [[Edington Priory]], the church of which still stands today.


==Royal service==
==Royal service==
Edington's parents were Roger and Amice of [[Edington, Wiltshire|Edington]] near [[Westbury, Wiltshire|Westbury]], [[Wiltshire]]. Though it has been claimed that he was educated at [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], there seems to be no support for this.<ref name=Davies>{{harvnb|Davies|2006|}}</ref> His first patron, however, was the Oxford chancellor Gilbert Middleton, who was also a royal counsellor. When Middleton died in 1331, Edington entered the service of Middleton’s friend, [[Adam Orleton]], bishop of Winchester. Through Orleton, Edington’s abilities were brought to the attention of King [[Edward III of England|Edward III]], and in 1341 the king named him [[keeper of the wardrobe]]. The position was an important one; the wardrobe functioned as the treasury while the king was on campaign, and Edward strongly resisted any attempts to limit this royal prerogative.
Edington's parents were Roger and Amice of [[Edington, Wiltshire|Edington]] near [[Westbury, Wiltshire|Westbury]], Wiltshire. Though it has been claimed that he was educated at [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], there seems to be no support for this.<ref name=Davies>{{harvnb|Davies|2004}}</ref> His first patron, however, was the Oxford chancellor Gilbert Middleton, who was also a royal counsellor. When Middleton died in 1331, Edington entered the service of Middleton's friend, [[Adam Orleton]], Bishop of Winchester. Through Orleton, Edington's abilities were brought to the attention of King [[Edward III of England|Edward III]], and in 1341 the King named him [[keeper of the wardrobe]]. The position was an important one; the wardrobe functioned as the treasury while the King was on campaign, and Edward strongly resisted any attempts to limit this royal prerogative.


[[File:EdwardIII-Cassell.jpg|thumb|left|Edward III in ''Cassell's History of England'' (1902)]]
[[File:EdwardIII-Cassell.jpg|thumb|left|Edward III in ''Cassell's History of England'' (1902)]]
The king must have been impressed by Edington’s performance, because in 1344 he made him treasurer of the realm, a position he held for the exceptionally long period of twelve years.<ref name=Ormrod88>{{harvnb|Ormrod|1990|pp=88–9}}</ref> This was a job fraught with problems, as the nation was in serious financial difficulties by the mid-1340s. The treasury was in great debt from the heavy demands of the early stages of the [[Hundred Years' War]]. By then reneging on his debts, the king had lost public confidence, and struggled to obtain new loans. Edington saw the need to bring all royal expenditure under the oversight of the [[exchequer]]. This did not entail controlling the king’s use of his resources&nbsp;— a move Edward would have resented greatly&nbsp;— but simply attempting to budget all revenues and expenses. By the early 1360s this was largely achieved; a testimony to the capabilities and energy of Edington as an administrator.<ref name=Ormrod88/> In 1356 he was named chancellor, a post he held until his retirement from the national scene in 1363,<ref name=Handbook86>{{cite book |last1=Fryde |first1=EB |last2=Greenway |first2=DE |last3=Porter |first3=S |last4=Roy |first4=I |year=1996 |title=Handbook of British Chronology |edition=Third revised |place=Cambridge |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=0-521-56350-X |page=86}}</ref> possibly for health reasons.
The King must have been impressed by Edington's performance, because in 1344 he made him treasurer of the realm, a position he held for the exceptionally long period of twelve years.<ref name=Ormrod88>{{harvnb|Ormrod|1990|pp=88–9}}</ref> This was a job fraught with problems, as the nation was in serious financial difficulties by the mid-1340s. The treasury was in great debt from the heavy demands of the early stages of the [[Hundred Years' War]]. By then reneging on his debts, the king had lost public confidence, and struggled to obtain new loans. Edington saw the need to bring all royal expenditure under the oversight of the [[exchequer]]. This did not entail controlling the King's use of his resources&nbsp;– a move Edward would have resented greatly&nbsp;– but simply attempting to budget all revenues and expenses. By the early 1360s, this was largely achieved; a testimony to the capabilities and energy of Edington as an administrator.<ref name=Ormrod88/> In 1356, he was named chancellor, a post he held until his retirement from the national scene in 1363,<ref name=Handbook86>{{cite book |last1=Fryde |first1=EB |last2=Greenway |first2=DE |last3=Porter |first3=S |last4=Roy |first4=I |year=1996 |title=Handbook of British Chronology |edition=Third revised |place=Cambridge |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=0-521-56350-X |page=86}}</ref> possibly for health reasons.


==Ecclasiastical career==
==Ecclasiastical career==
Edington also held ecclesiastical [[Benefice#Middle Ages|benefices]]. After his education at Oxford he held a succession of [[Rector (ecclesiastical)#Roman Catholic hierarchies|rectorates]] in [[Northamptonshire]]: first at [[Cottingham, Northamptonshire|Cottingham]], then at [[Dallington, Northamptonshire|Dallington]], and finally from 1322 at [[Middleton Cheney#Church of England|Middleton Cheney]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Jackson |first=Canon JE |year=1882 |title=Edingdon Monastery |journal=The Wiltshire Magazine |volume=XX |place=Devizes |publisher=HF Bull |page=244 |url= http://archive.org/stream/wiltshirearchaeo20arch/wiltshirearchaeo20arch_djvu.txt |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref>
Edington also held ecclesiastical [[Benefice#Middle Ages|benefices]]. After his education at Oxford{{Contradict-inline|section=Royal duties|reason=First para of section above Royal Duties says there is no reason to believe he attended Oxford.|date=July 2020}} he held a succession of [[Rector (ecclesiastical)#Roman Catholic hierarchies|rectorates]] in Northamptonshire: first at [[Cottingham, Northamptonshire|Cottingham]], then at [[Dallington, Northamptonshire|Dallington]], and finally from 1322 at [[Middleton Cheney#Church of England|Middleton Cheney]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Jackson |first=Canon JE |year=1882 |title=Edingdon Monastery |journal=The Wiltshire Magazine |volume=XX |place=Devizes |publisher=HF Bull |page=244 |url= https://archive.org/stream/wiltshirearchaeo20arch/wiltshirearchaeo20arch_djvu.txt |access-date=10 February 2015}}</ref>


In 1335 Orleton collated Edington to the rectory of [[Cheriton, Hampshire]], and from 1335 to 1346 he was master of the [[Hospital of St Cross]] in [[Winchester]]. Also the king was eager to reward his capable servant; in 1341 he was given the [[Prebendary|prebend]] of Leighton Manor ([[Diocese of Lincoln|Lincoln]]), by 1344 he also held that of [[Netheravon]] ([[Diocese of Salisbury|Salisbury]]), and by 1345 that of Putston ([[Diocese of Hereford|Hereford]]).<ref name=Davies/> This level of pluralism was not unusual at the time. His greatest preferment, however, came with his papal appointment&nbsp;– on the king’s request&nbsp;– to the [[see of Winchester]] in 1345. This was the richest see in England, considered second only to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan|archbishopric of Milan]].<ref name=Davies/>
In 1335 Orleton collated Edington to the rectory of [[Cheriton, Hampshire]], and from 1335 to 1346 he was master of the [[Hospital of St Cross]] in [[Winchester]]. Also, the King was eager to reward his capable servant; in 1341 he was given the [[Prebendary|prebend]] of Leighton Manor ([[Diocese of Lincoln|Lincoln]]), by 1344 he also held that of [[Netheravon]] ([[Diocese of Salisbury|Salisbury]]), and by 1345 that of Putston ([[Diocese of Hereford|Hereford]]).<ref name=Davies/> This level of pluralism was not unusual at the time. His greatest preferment, however, came with his papal appointment&nbsp;– on the King's request&nbsp;– to the [[see of Winchester]] in 1345. This was the richest see in England, considered second only to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan|archbishopric of Milan]].<ref name=Davies/>


[[File:Edington.jpg|thumb|Edington Priory in 1826]]
[[File:Edington.jpg|thumb|Edington Priory in 1826]]
The monks of Winchester had already elected one of their own numbers, but this was over-ruled, and Edington was consecrated in 1346. As a bishop he was necessarily much absent, even with the relatively short distance between [[Palace of Westminster|Westminster]] and Winchester. He was not entirely detached from his episcopal duties, however. He used the see as a source for extensive [[nepotism]], yet he also initiated wide-ranging building works on the nave of the cathedral. Meanwhile, in 1351, he founded an [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] [[Edington Priory|priory]] at his birthplace of Edington. Although most of the priory has been demolished, the church still stands, as a good example of the transition between the [[decorated style|decorated]] and [[perpendicular style]] of church-building.
The monks of Winchester had already elected one of their own number, but this was over-ruled, and Edington was consecrated in 1346. As a bishop, he was necessarily much absent, even with the relatively short distance between [[Palace of Westminster|Westminster]] and Winchester. He was not entirely detached from his episcopal duties, however: he used the see as a source for extensive [[nepotism]], yet he also initiated wide-ranging building works on the nave of the cathedral. Meanwhile, in 1351, he founded an [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] [[Edington Priory|priory]] at his birthplace of Edington, to have prayers said for himself, his parents and his brother.<ref>{{cite web|website=British History Online|title=Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 3 pp320-324 – House of Bonhommes: Edington|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol3/pp320-324|publisher=University of London|access-date=21 November 2015}}</ref> Although most of the priory has been demolished, the church still stands, as a good example of the transition between the [[decorated style|decorated]] and [[perpendicular style]] of church-building.


Edington was the first Prelate of the [[Order of the Garter]] on its foundation in 1348, and that office has ever since been held by his successors as Bishops of Winchester.<ref> Begent, P.J.; Chesshyre, H. (1999) ''The Most Noble Order of the Garter: 650 Years''. London: Spink and Son. ISBN 1-902040-20-1.</ref>
In May 1366, as a final sign of royal gratitude, King Edward had Edington elected [[archbishop of Canterbury]]. Edington, however, declined on the grounds of failing health. Five months later, on 6 or 7 October 1366, he died at [[Bishop's Waltham]]. He is buried in [[Winchester Cathedral]], where his effigy can be seen in the chantry chapel he himself had built in the nave.

In May 1366, as a final sign of royal gratitude, King Edward had Edington elected [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. Edington, however, declined on the grounds of failing health; or rather, he declined because, as he said, "Canterbury is the higher Rack, but Winchester is the better Manger," i.e., the former was the higher honour, but the second provided the higher income.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Philip W. Sergeant |title=The Cathedral Church of WINCHESTER A Description of Its Fabric And A Brief History of The Episcopal See |date=1899 |publisher=RIVERSIDE PRESS, EDINBURGH |edition=2nd |url=https://ajhw.co.uk/books/book350/book350h/book350h.html |access-date=23 July 2020 |language=en |chapter=I. HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL |quote=Edingdon's attachment to Winchester is well illustrated by his quaint reason for refusing the offer of Canterbury: "if Canterbury is the higher rack, Winchester is the better manger."}}</ref> Five months later, on 6 or 7 October 1366, he died at [[Bishop's Waltham]]. He is buried in [[Winchester Cathedral]], where his effigy can be seen in the chantry chapel he himself had built in the nave.


==Citations==
==Citations==
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{{wikisource|Edington, William of (DNB00)}}
{{wikisource|Edington, William of (DNB00)}}
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Davies |first=RG |year=2004 |chapter=Edington, William (''d''. 1366) |title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |place=Oxford |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |url= http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/8481 |accessdate=9 August 2006 |ref=harv}} (paysite)
*{{cite ODNB |last=Davies |first=RG |year=2004 |chapter=Edington, William (''d''. 1366) |title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |place=Oxford |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/8481 |url= http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/8481 |access-date=9 August 2006 }} (paysite)
*{{cite book |last=Ormrod |first=WM |year=1990 |title=The Reign of Edward III |place=New Haven & London |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |isbn=0-300-04876-9 |pages=86–90 |ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |last=Ormrod |first=WM |year=1990 |title=The Reign of Edward III |place=New Haven & London |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |isbn=0-300-04876-9 |pages=86–90 }}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Hicks |first=Michael |authorlink=Michael Hicks |year=1991 |title=Who's Who in Late Medieval England |place=London |publisher=Shepheard-Walwyn |isbn=0-85683-125-5 |pages=102–4}}
*{{cite book |last=Hicks |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Hicks (historian)|year=1991 |title=Who's Who in Late Medieval England |place=London |publisher=Shepheard-Walwyn |isbn=0-85683-125-5 |pages=102–4}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Hockey |editor-first=SF |year=1986 |title=Register of William Edington, Bishop of Winchester, 1346–66 |series=Hampshire Record Series |volume=VII |place= |publisher= |isbn=0-906680-04-2}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Hockey |editor-first=SF |year=1986 |title=Register of William Edington, Bishop of Winchester, 1346–66 |series=Hampshire Record Series |volume=VII |isbn=0-906680-04-2}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Hockey |editor-first=SF |year=1987 |title=Register of William Edington, Bishop of Winchester, 1346–66 |series=Hampshire Record Series |volume=VIII |place= |publisher= |isbn=0-906680-04-2}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Hockey |editor-first=SF |year=1987 |title=Register of William Edington, Bishop of Winchester, 1346–66 |series=Hampshire Record Series |volume=VIII |isbn=0-906680-04-2}}
*{{cite book |last=McKisack |first=May |authorlink=May McKisack |year=1959 |title=The Fourteenth Century: 1307–1399 |pages=212–25 |place=Oxford |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=0-19-821712-9}}
*{{cite book |last=McKisack |first=May |author-link=May McKisack |year=1959 |title=The Fourteenth Century: 1307–1399 |pages=212–25 |place=Oxford |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=0-19-821712-9}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Stevenson |editor-first=JH |year=1987 |title=The Edington Cartulary |publisher=Wiltshire Record Society |volume=XLII |isbn=0-901333-19-0}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Stevenson |editor-first=JH |year=1987 |title=The Edington Cartulary |publisher=Wiltshire Record Society |volume=XLII |isbn=0-901333-19-0}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Lord High Treasurers|Lord High Treasurer]] |years=1344–1356}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Lord High Treasurers|Lord High Treasurer]] |years=1344–1356}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Sheppey]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Sheppey]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John Thoresby]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John of Thoresby|John Thoresby]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers|Lord Chancellor]] |years=1356–1363}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers|Lord Chancellor]] |years=1356–1363}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Simon Langham]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Simon Langham]]}}
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{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}


{{House of Plantagenet Lord High Treasurers}}
{{House of Plantagenet Lord Chancellors}}
{{Bishops of Winchester}}
{{Bishops of Winchester}}
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{{Authority control}}


{{good article}}
{{good article}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2017}}


⚫
{{Authority control}}

{{Persondata
|NAME= Edington, William
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Archbishop of Canterbury; Bishop of Winchester; Lord High Treasurer; Lord Chancellor
|DATE OF BIRTH=
|PLACE OF BIRTH=
|DATE OF DEATH=6 October 1366
|PLACE OF DEATH= [[Bishop's Waltham]]
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Edington, William}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edington, William}}

[[Category:1366 deaths]]
[[Category:1366 deaths]]
[[Category:14th-century Roman Catholic bishops]]
[[Category:14th-century English Roman Catholic bishops]]
[[Category:Archbishops of Canterbury]]
[[Category:Archbishops of Canterbury]]
[[Category:Bishops of Winchester]]
[[Category:Bishops of Winchester]]
[[Category:Burials at Winchester Cathedral]]
[[Category:Burials at Winchester Cathedral]]
[[Category:Lord Chancellors of England]]
[[Category:Lord chancellors of England]]
[[Category:Lord High Treasurers of England]]
[[Category:Lord High Treasurers of England]]
[[Category:People from Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Clergy from Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:14th-century English Roman Catholic archbishops]]

Latest revision as of 03:05, 12 February 2024

William Edington
Bishop of Winchester
Effigy of William Edington in Winchester Cathedral
Effigy of William Edington in Winchester Cathedral.
ChurchCatholic Church
ProvinceCanterbury
Appointed9 December 1345
Term ended6 or 7 October 1366
PredecessorAdam Orleton
SuccessorWilliam of Wykeham
Other post(s)
Orders
Consecration14 May 1346
Personal details
Died6 or 7 October 1366
Bishop's Waltham
BuriedWinchester Cathedral
NationalityEnglish
Previous post(s)Keeper of the wardrobe

William Edington (died 6 or 7 October 1366) was an English bishop and administrator. He served as Bishop of Winchester from 1346 until his death, Keeper of the wardrobe from 1341 to 1344, treasurer from 1344 to 1356, and finally as chancellor from 1356 until he retired from royal administration in 1363. Edington's reforms of the administration – in particular of royal finances – had wide-ranging consequences and contributed to the English military efficiency in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. As Bishop of Winchester, he was responsible for starting an extensive rebuilding of Winchester Cathedral, and for founding Edington Priory, the church of which still stands today.

Royal service[edit]

Edington's parents were Roger and Amice of Edington near Westbury, Wiltshire. Though it has been claimed that he was educated at Oxford, there seems to be no support for this.[1] His first patron, however, was the Oxford chancellor Gilbert Middleton, who was also a royal counsellor. When Middleton died in 1331, Edington entered the service of Middleton's friend, Adam Orleton, Bishop of Winchester. Through Orleton, Edington's abilities were brought to the attention of King Edward III, and in 1341 the King named him keeper of the wardrobe. The position was an important one; the wardrobe functioned as the treasury while the King was on campaign, and Edward strongly resisted any attempts to limit this royal prerogative.

Edward III in Cassell's History of England (1902)

The King must have been impressed by Edington's performance, because in 1344 he made him treasurer of the realm, a position he held for the exceptionally long period of twelve years.[2] This was a job fraught with problems, as the nation was in serious financial difficulties by the mid-1340s. The treasury was in great debt from the heavy demands of the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. By then reneging on his debts, the king had lost public confidence, and struggled to obtain new loans. Edington saw the need to bring all royal expenditure under the oversight of the exchequer. This did not entail controlling the King's use of his resources – a move Edward would have resented greatly – but simply attempting to budget all revenues and expenses. By the early 1360s, this was largely achieved; a testimony to the capabilities and energy of Edington as an administrator.[2] In 1356, he was named chancellor, a post he held until his retirement from the national scene in 1363,[3] possibly for health reasons.

Ecclasiastical career[edit]

Edington also held ecclesiastical benefices. After his education at Oxford[contradictory] he held a succession of rectorates in Northamptonshire: first at Cottingham, then at Dallington, and finally from 1322 at Middleton Cheney.[4]

In 1335 Orleton collated Edington to the rectory of Cheriton, Hampshire, and from 1335 to 1346 he was master of the Hospital of St Cross in Winchester. Also, the King was eager to reward his capable servant; in 1341 he was given the prebend of Leighton Manor (Lincoln), by 1344 he also held that of Netheravon (Salisbury), and by 1345 that of Putston (Hereford).[1] This level of pluralism was not unusual at the time. His greatest preferment, however, came with his papal appointment – on the King's request – to the see of Winchester in 1345. This was the richest see in England, considered second only to the archbishopric of Milan.[1]

Edington Priory in 1826

The monks of Winchester had already elected one of their own number, but this was over-ruled, and Edington was consecrated in 1346. As a bishop, he was necessarily much absent, even with the relatively short distance between Westminster and Winchester. He was not entirely detached from his episcopal duties, however: he used the see as a source for extensive nepotism, yet he also initiated wide-ranging building works on the nave of the cathedral. Meanwhile, in 1351, he founded an Augustinian priory at his birthplace of Edington, to have prayers said for himself, his parents and his brother.[5] Although most of the priory has been demolished, the church still stands, as a good example of the transition between the decorated and perpendicular style of church-building.

Edington was the first Prelate of the Order of the Garter on its foundation in 1348, and that office has ever since been held by his successors as Bishops of Winchester.[6]

In May 1366, as a final sign of royal gratitude, King Edward had Edington elected Archbishop of Canterbury. Edington, however, declined on the grounds of failing health; or rather, he declined because, as he said, "Canterbury is the higher Rack, but Winchester is the better Manger," i.e., the former was the higher honour, but the second provided the higher income.[7] Five months later, on 6 or 7 October 1366, he died at Bishop's Waltham. He is buried in Winchester Cathedral, where his effigy can be seen in the chantry chapel he himself had built in the nave.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Davies 2004
  2. ^ a b Ormrod 1990, pp. 88–9
  3. ^ Fryde, EB; Greenway, DE; Porter, S; Roy, I (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 86. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
  4. ^ Jackson, Canon JE (1882). "Edingdon Monastery". The Wiltshire Magazine. XX. Devizes: HF Bull: 244. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Victoria County History – Wiltshire – Vol 3 pp320-324 – House of Bonhommes: Edington". British History Online. University of London. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  6. ^ Begent, P.J.; Chesshyre, H. (1999) The Most Noble Order of the Garter: 650 Years. London: Spink and Son. ISBN 1-902040-20-1.
  7. ^ Philip W. Sergeant (1899). "I. HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL". The Cathedral Church of WINCHESTER A Description of Its Fabric And A Brief History of The Episcopal See (2nd ed.). RIVERSIDE PRESS, EDINBURGH. Retrieved 23 July 2020. Edingdon's attachment to Winchester is well illustrated by his quaint reason for refusing the offer of Canterbury: "if Canterbury is the higher rack, Winchester is the better manger."

References[edit]

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Further reading[edit]

  • Hicks, Michael (1991). Who's Who in Late Medieval England. London: Shepheard-Walwyn. pp. 102–4. ISBN 0-85683-125-5.
  • Hockey, SF, ed. (1986). Register of William Edington, Bishop of Winchester, 1346–66. Hampshire Record Series. Vol. VII. ISBN 0-906680-04-2.
  • Hockey, SF, ed. (1987). Register of William Edington, Bishop of Winchester, 1346–66. Hampshire Record Series. Vol. VIII. ISBN 0-906680-04-2.
  • McKisack, May (1959). The Fourteenth Century: 1307–1399. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 212–25. ISBN 0-19-821712-9.
  • Stevenson, JH, ed. (1987). The Edington Cartulary. Vol. XLII. Wiltshire Record Society. ISBN 0-901333-19-0.
Political offices
Preceded by Lord High Treasurer
1344–1356 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Chancellor
1356–1363 		Succeeded by
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Winchester
1345–1366 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Simon Islip
(archbishop)
 Archbishop-elect of Canterbury
1366 		Succeeded by
Simon Langham
(archbishop)

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