John Stratford

Statues of archbishops on the west facade of Canterbury Cathedral, in the top right the statue of John Stratford

John Stratford (also de Stratford ) (* around 1275; † 23 August 1348 in Mayfield ) was an English clergyman. He was Bishop of Winchester from 1323 to 1333 , after which he was Archbishop of Canterbury . He served as royal chancellor from 1331 to 1334, from 1335 to 1337 and from 1339 to 1340 .

Origin and advancement as a clergyman

John Stratford probably came from Stratford-upon-Avon , where he was born to Robert and Isabel, whose further name is not known. His father was a wealthy citizen who was a co-founder and the first master of the Hospital of St Cross at Stratford. One of his brothers was Robert Stratford , who also became a clergyman and later Bishop of Chichester . The family was related to the Hatton family of Stratford. Ralph Hatton , a nephew of John Stratford, later became Bishop of London . Stratford studied at Oxford , but contrary to some statements not at Merton College . Before 1312 he had obtained the title of Doctor of Law . As a young man he entered the service of Worcester Priory . Before 1317 he became the rector of Holy Trinity Church at Stratford and served as official to John Dalderby , Bishop of Lincoln. After his death in 1320, he served as his executor and moved to the service of Archbishop Walter Reynolds of Canterbury. In the early 1320s, Stratford became Dean of Arches , and he received a number of charities , including canon positions at the cathedrals of Lichfield , Lincoln and York, and the office of Archdeacon of Lincoln .

In 1317 Stratford first took part in a royal council in Clarendon . Like other legally trained officers he was in 1318, in the 1319 and 1320 York meeting participants parliaments appointed. In 1320 he was part of the retinue of King Edward II and Queen Isabelle when they traveled to Amiens to pay homage to the French king for the Duchy of Aquitaine . At the end of 1321 Stratford traveled on behalf of the king to the papal curia in Avignon , where he tried in vain to obtain the election of the Lord Seal Keeper Robert Baldock as Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. Shortly after his return to York, he traveled again to the Curia, where he represented various concerns of the king for over a year, such as the establishment of the Dominican priory of Kings Langley and the royal share of the tithe raised by the Pope from the English clergy .

Bishop of Winchester and diplomat in the service of Edward II.

Appointment as bishop

Stratford was still in France when, in April 1323, Rigaud de Asserio , the bishop of the wealthy diocese of Winchester, died in Avignon. The king tried to make his favorite Baldock bishop of that diocese, and Stratford turned the king's letters over to the curia. Baldock was again rejected as bishop by the curia. Instead, Pope John XXII appointed on June 20, 1323 by papal bull Stratford as the new bishop of the Diocese of Winchester. On June 26th he was ordained bishop by Cardinal Bertrand du Pouget . Edward II was extremely angry about this development and had Stratford, who was to represent the king's interests as the king's ambassador, on his return interrogated by Chief Justice Geoffrey Scrope and by Robert Ayleston , the Keeper of the Privy Seal . Ultimately, Stratford had to declare that he had received the diocesan temporalities only thanks to the special grace of the king. As security for his loyalty he should deposit the large sum of £ 10,000.

Envoy in the service of Edward II.

In mid-July 1324, the king again needed the services of Stratford. This should secure the support of the Pope in the wars of the king against France and against Scotland . John XXII. was happy to serve as an impartial mediator between France and England, hoping to convince the kings to crusade together after a peace agreement. Subsequently, Stratford was one of the most important members of an English embassy that traveled to the French court for peace negotiations. He then played a leading role in three other embassies. In March 1325 the English Queen Isabelle was sent to France, where she was supposed to advance the peace negotiations with her brother, the French King Charles IV . Stratford had endorsed this attempt to end the war and visited the Queen in Poissy at the end of March . In late 1325, the heir to the throne, Edward, was placed in Stratford's care. He accompanied him to France, where instead of his father he paid homage to the French king for the Duchy of Aquitaine in the Bois de Vincennes . After Queen Isabelle did not return to England because of the despensers' favoritism , Stratford traveled again as an envoy to France in late October 1325 to persuade her to return. Stratford was unsuccessful and on November 18 he returned to Dover , from where he traveled on to Westminster to inform Parliament of the failure of his mission.

Role in the deposition of Edward II.

After his return from France Stratford could begin on February 3, 1326 in the cathedral priory of Winchester with the first visitation of his diocese. When Queen Isabelle landed in England with a small army in September 1326 to overthrow her husband and his favorites, Stratford was at Winchester Palace in Southwark . He and the other English bishops met at St Mary Overie and Lambeth Palace to discuss joint action. Stratford agreed to travel to the Queen as negotiator if Bishop Hamo Hythe of Rochester accompanied him. A little later, Stratford had joined the Queen. Together with other insurgents he was in Bristol , where on October 26 the young heir to the throne Edward was proclaimed regent. He was named Deputy Treasurer by the Queen on November 6th and allegedly celebrated Christmas with her at Wallingford . In early 1327 he was a member of the delegation that was sent to the captive Edward II in Kenilworth Castle to persuade him to abdicate. On January 28, 1327 he resigned from the office of deputy treasurer. On February 1, he attended the coronation of Edward III. part. After Edward II's abdication, he no longer had to provide £ 10,000 as collateral for his loyalty.

Clergyman, diplomat and chancellor under Edward III.

Cautious opposition to Isabelle and Mortimer's regime

Stratford also served the new administration as a diplomat again. On March 10, 1327 he set off from Dover to Wissant , from where he traveled on to Paris. There he sealed a new armistice with France on March 31. As a member of the council of the young king, however, he quickly alienated himself from the court party of Queen Isabelle and the new ruler Roger Mortimer . During Parliament in Salisbury in 1328 he acted as the mouthpiece of Henry of Lancaster , who had become the opponent of the new government. As a result, allegations were brought against Stratford that he had left Parliament prematurely and without permission, for which he was allegedly even threatened with the death penalty at times. Nevertheless, he remained connected to the supporters of Lancaster. However, he cautiously broke off contact with the supporters of the overthrown Edward II and was also able to avoid being associated with the suspected conspiracy of the Earl of Kent .

Chancellor of England and Archbishop of Canterbury

After Edward III. In October 1330 Mortimer had overthrown and assumed rule himself, he appointed Stratford as his chancellor on November 28th . With this office Stratford took on numerous duties for the king, both in England and abroad. His brother Robert served with other officials regularly as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal . In April 1331, Stratford belonged to the king's small entourage, with whom he traveled to France to renew the homage to the French king for the Duchy of Aquitaine. At the end of May 1331 he was asked to mediate in the conflict between the monks of St Edmunds Abbey and the citizens of Bury St Edmunds . When he then traveled to the east English city, he also endeavored to respond to the complaints of the citizens of Great Yarmouth . In September 1331 and March 1332 Stratford opened the parliaments at Westminster. In December 1331 and April and May 1332 he was again involved in negotiations with the French king. Before December 1332 he fell ill, so that he had to be represented by York during Parliament. The conflict with Scotland now moved into the focus of English politics, so that Stratford was active in northern England until September 23, 1333. After the death of Archbishop Simon Mepeham , he was put up as a new candidate for the office of Archbishop of Canterbury on November 3rd. The king also wanted Stratford as the new archbishop, but he waited for the papal confirmation, which was issued on November 26th, to arrive. After receiving this, Stratford was enthroned in Canterbury on December 9, 1333 . Shortly after his enthronement, Stratford returned to Paris as envoy. When he returned in January 1334, he began the first visitation of his diocese, in which he visited the Cathedral Priory of Canterbury in early February . A little later, however, he traveled to northern England in the service of the king. In September 1334 he resigned from the office of Chancellor, but on June 6, 1335 he was reappointed Chancellor in the Franciscan Settlement in York. Stratford remained in the king's service until February 1336 in York or on the Scottish border. In mid-March he held a Provincial Synod in London's St Paul's Cathedral and attended Parliament in Westminster. After the unexplained death of John of Eltham , the king's younger brother, Stratford returned from Bothwell to London in September 1336 , where he held the funeral mass at Westminster Abbey . On March 24, 1337 he handed over the office of royal chancellor to his brother Robert, who was replaced a little later by Richard Bintworth , Bishop of London.

Diplomat in the run-up to the war with France

Even after Stratford resigned as Chancellor, Stratford served the King as a diplomat. In 1338 he traveled to France with Bishop Richard de Bury of Durham and the mediating cardinals to negotiate on a settlement of the conflict between England and France . Edward III. tried in the meantime to win allies and traveled to Koblenz to meet Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian there. In January and February 1339 Stratford was in the Netherlands and gathered information about the French preparations for war. In May 1339 he vouched in Antwerp for the king's debts which he had made there and for his agreements with the Italian merchants Bardi . In Marcoing he was referred to as the leading advisor to the heir to the throne Edward of Woodstock . After the death of Bishop Bintworth, Stratford was again given the great seal on December 8, 1339 in Lambeth Palace. The king now wanted to leave for the Netherlands with his army. Stratford was now trying to keep him from the campaign. Unlike Edward III. he believed the war could not be ended quickly. The king nevertheless began his campaign against France. On April 28, 1340, Stratford presented the great seal to his brother Robert. In the Netherlands, the English were able to achieve a clear victory in the naval battle of Sluis , but given his small army and limited resources, the king had to conclude an armistice with France on September 25, 1340 in Espléchin . Eduard III returned extremely annoyed. returned to England and ended up secretly in London on the night of November 29th to 30th. He felt betrayed by his ministers who had ruled England in his absence. According to the King, Stratford in particular had failed to provide him with the means necessary for the war. A long argument developed from these allegations.

The crisis from 1340 to 1341

Alternating written accusations between the King and the Archbishop

The King sent Nicholas Cantilupe, 3rd Baron Cantilupe, to Canterbury, where the latter claimed that Stratford was responsible for the king's debts with merchants in Leuven . Stratford should therefore travel to Leuven and settle the debts, but first he should answer to the king in London. Stratford was reluctant to go to London because he was concerned for his safety. On December 29, 1340, he publicly gave a harsh response to the allegations when he openly complained during the service in Canterbury Cathedral that he had been involved in secular affairs. He asked his audience to forgive him for this, but he charged that there were men at the king's side who hate him and denigrate him as traitors. These men would also be responsible for arresting clerks and judges in violation of Magna Carta regulations. Under the terms of the Oxford 1222, Reading 1279, and Lambeth 1281 councils , he threatened excommunication from anyone who violated the Magna Carta . On December 31, he had the letter Sacrosancta ecclesia , a sharp defense of ecclesiastical rights, distributed to all the bishops of the ecclesiastical province through his nephew Ralph Stratford, the dean of Canterbury . He wrote a spiritual admonition to the king, referring to the Old Testament Rehoboam , who had not listened to the advice of the old and wise men. He reminded Edward III. of his coronation oath. Unimpressed by these admonitions, the King sent Ralph de Stafford , his Steward of the Household , to summon the Archbishop to London. Stratford, however, continued to refuse to answer for his alleged failure, especially since the king had not promised a safe conduct . On January 28, 1341 he complained to Robert Bourchier , his successor as Chancellor, that the English clergy had granted the king a tithe on their income last year . However, this tax was only approved on the condition that the clergy did not have to pay any further taxes in the same year, even if these were decided by parliament. In the same year, however, the king demanded that the ninth be levied on all sheep and fleeces of the clergy, which was therefore illegally levied. To this end, Stratford sent two more letters to the bishops of Canterbury. In the first letter he explained to them his complaint that he had brought against Chancellor Bourchier, in the second letter he complained about the high financial demands on the clergy, which were illegal for him. The king responded to this in February 1341 with the publication of the book Libellus famosus , in which the archbishop was fully and directly accused. The author of this publication is unknown, but the author is believed to be Bishop Adam Orleton of Winchester. The Archbishop then published the Excusaciones in reply in March , in which he justified his actions dispassionately. In addition, the text contained as a foreword a treatise on political philosophy in which Stafford presents himself as the elder statesman to the stubborn young king. He reproaches him for having surrounded himself with bad advisors who would bring false and unjustified accusations such as the Libellus famosus against him. He then goes on point by point to the allegations made against him, refutes them in his opinion and defends his conduct of office. In addition, he stressed that he would not have received any reward or favors from the king for his efforts and services. The Libellus famosus would only reflect the wickedness of its authors. If he should answer for his office as Chancellor, then Parliament and not before the King is the appropriate place for it. The king responded to this script with the short script Cicatrix cordium superbia .

Confrontation between Stratford and the Royal Councils at Westminster

After these allegations, the Archbishop wanted to appear before the Parliament, which was meeting in Westminster Hall , on April 23, 1341 . On entering the hall, however, the steward Ralph de Stafford and John Darcy , the King's Chamberlain blocked his way and took him to the Exchequer , where he had to answer for the refusal to pay the ninth on the wool income. This questioning remained without result, whereupon Stratford was allowed to meet with the other bishops in the Painted Chamber of the Palace of Westminster . However, when he tried to re-enter Westminster Hall with his nephew Ralph Stratford, who had now become Bishop of London, and his brother Robert, who had now become Bishop of Chichester, he was denied access again. However, the royal guards avoided using open force against him. The King's Chamberlain Darcy and Stratford's bitter opponent William Kilsby , the Lord Privy Seal , agitated sharply against the Archbishop and demanded a tough crackdown. Eventually, moderate counselors to the king were able to get a committee formed by eight secular barons and four bishops to investigate the allegations against Stratford. On May 2, Stratford again offered to answer before Parliament, whereupon a delegation of magnates and bishops before the King in favor of Stratford on May 3. He was then officially pardoned. On October 23, the King and the Archbishop are said to have officially reconciled in Westminster Hall, with the Archbishop defending himself against the sharpest of the allegations made against him. In 1343 the King officially ordered the repeal of Stratford's indictment.

Stratford funerary monument in Canterbury Cathedral

Last years and death

Although Stratford was again declared innocent of the charges by Letters patent in 1346 , he had largely lost his political influence as a result of the conflict with the king by 1342 at the latest. In June 1348 he fell ill at Maidstone and did not recover. After his death he was buried on September 9, 1348 in Canterbury Cathedral, where his funerary monument is preserved on the south side of the choir.

Although the records of Stratford's tenure as archbishop have not been preserved, many of his records have been preserved through other sources. He was a well-known writer of regulations, including issuing regulations for the Canterbury Ecclesiastical Court in 1342, as well as three editions of Canterbury Provincial Regulations, issued between 1341 and 1343. The first edition is obviously only a draft, while the second edition deals primarily with the administration of the church and with spiritual discipline. The third regulation should preserve the privileges of the church and give rules for dealing with conflicts between clergy and lay people. Stratford was a noted donor in aid of the Eastbridge Hospital pilgrim hostel in Canterbury. Above all, however, he favored his hometown Stratford, where he founded the collegiate monastery of St Thomas the Martyr in 1331 . He expanded this foundation in 1336, to ensure that the parish church of Stratford was subordinated to the monastery. In 1345 the foundation received papal confirmation. On his death, Stratford left a whopping fortune, over £ 6509.

rating

Even in the Middle Ages, the character and importance of Stratford was valued differently. Sometimes the chroniclers, like his predecessors John Pecham and Robert Winchelsey, saw him as an opponent of the crown. Stratford was certainly ambitious and proud, but he had firm convictions. In more recent historiography, Stratford is primarily attributed a significant part that the violent change of the throne from 1326 to 1327 went so smoothly. Parliament was certainly very important to himself, and not only under the rule of Queen Isabelle and Roger Mortimer he risked at least his career, if not his life, to preserve his legal opinion. He was serious about peace, but in 1337 he had to accept the inevitability of another war with France. Despite this war, however, he did not accept the suppression of church rights in England. In view of his experiences during the reign of Edward II, he was apparently not ready to take a political opposition to Edward III. respectively. When the king had to make concessions to him in 1341, he felt himself to be the victor in the conflict with the king, even though the king ultimately prevailed politically. Ultimately, however, Stratford's understandable defense of his ecclesiastical rights and the conflict that lasted from 1340 to 1341 was an experience for the king that he never forgot.

literature

• Roy Martin Haines: Archbishop John Stratford. Political revolutionary and champion of the liberties of the English church . Pontifical Institute for Medieval Studies, Toronto 2000, ISBN 1-4593-2927-9
• Roy Martin Haines: An English archbishop and the Cerberus of War . In: The church and war. Papers read at the twenty-first summer meeting and the twenty-second winter meeting of the Ecclesiastical History Society (Studies in Church History, 20) Basil Blackwell, Oxford 1983, ISBN 0-631-19270-0 , pp. 153-170
• Roy Martin Haines: Some sermons at Hereford attributed to Archbishop John Stratford . In: Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 34 (1983), pp. 425-437
• Roy Martin Haines: Conflict in government: archbishops versus kings, 1279-1348 . In: JG Rowe: Aspects of late medieval government and Society. Essays presented to JR Lander . Univ. of Toronto Press, Toronto 1986. ISBN 0-8020-5695-4 , pp. 213-245
• GT Lapsley: Archbishop Stratford and the parliamentary crisis of 1341 . In: HM Cam; G. Barraclough: Crown, Community and Parliament in the Later Middle Ages. Studies in English Constitutional History , 1951, pp. 231-272
• Charles Lethbridge Kingsford: Stratford, John de , in: Dictionary of National Biography . Volume LV . Macmillan, Smith, Elder & Co., London and New York 1898, pp. 30-33

Web links

Commons : John de Stratford  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Roy Martin Haines: Stratford, John (c.1275-1348). In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew, Brian Harrison (Eds.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , from the earliest times to the year 2000 (ODNB). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861411-X , ( oxforddnb.com license required ), as of 2004

predecessor	Office	successor
Walter Langton	Bishop of Winchester 1323-1333	John sandal
Henry Burghersh	Lord Chancellor of England 1331–1334	Richard Aungerville
Simon Mepeham	Archbishop of Canterbury 1333-1348	John de Ufford
Richard Aungerville	Lord Chancellor of England 1335–1337	Robert Stratford
Richard Bintworth	Lord Chancellor of England 1339-1340	Robert Bourchier