John of Greenford

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John of Greenford († uncertain: April 26, 1180 ) was an English clergyman. From 1173 he was Bishop of Chichester .

Origin and advancement as a clergyman

John was probably the illegitimate son of a canon about whom nothing else is known. He got his nickname after Greenford in Middlesex , but he got the nickname only in modern times, so that it is uncertain whether he came from the place. Like his father, John became a clergyman and apparently received careful training before becoming a canon at St Paul's Cathedral in London . The income from his benefice he drew from Islington in Middlesex, this benefice had previously received Robert of Chichester , the future Bishop of Exeter, who was probably related to John. In addition, John had a brother named Philip , who was also a clergyman, and a nephew Roger , who became a knight. At the latest in 1156 John was Dean of Chichester Cathedral . Together with the bishops Bartholomew of Exeter and Roger of Worcester , he was entrusted several times by the popes as judge in ecclesiastical disputes. He performed this office conscientiously, but proceeded moderately and often with a view to balancing out.

The conflict with Battle Abbey

In the 12th century, the bishops of Chichester quarreled with the abbots of Battle Abbey , who claimed the exemption from the sovereignty of the bishops for their monastery . Bishop Hilary had the support of Pope Hadrian IV to put the monastery under his supervision. On his behalf, John ordered Abbot Walter de Luci to Chichester in March 1157 . The abbot did not appear and apologized for having lost his letter of invitation. John then had a copy of his letter sent to him and asked, politely but firmly, that Abbot Walter must declare his obedience to Bishop Hilary in writing. He emphasized, however, that the abbot had to obey less the bishop than the cathedral of Chichester and thus symbolically the church. However, the conflict was not resolved.

Bishop of Chichester

Election to bishop

In April 1173 Greenford was elected bishop in the presence of Justiciar Richard de Luci . This made him one of the first five new bishops to be appointed after the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in late 1170. The young Heinrich , the eldest son and co-king of King Heinrich II , protested to Pope Alexander III against his and other appointments . Four of the new bishops had supported the king in the conflict with Becket as royal officials, while John had played no role in the conflict. Nevertheless, he too got involved in the dispute between Henry II and his son. Because of his illegitimate origin and his limited eyesight, John needed a papal dispensation , so that he could not be ordained bishop until October 6, 1174. The Pope granted the dispensation for his eyesight after Bishops Bartholomew of Exeter and Roger of Worcester had assessed Greenford's eyesight as sufficient.

Act as a bishop

Greenford also continued to serve as a commissioned papal judge as a bishop. Together with Bishop Bartholomew he successfully mediated in 1177 in the presence of the king between the abbots of Gloucester , Reading and St Augustine's Abbey in Bristol in a dispute over the rights to a church in Gloucestershire . Apparently, as a bishop, Greenford had a good relationship with his cathedral chapter , which he incorporated into numerous decisions. Battle Abbey also remembered him benevolently after his death in 1180, although as bishop he continued the dispute over the exemption of the monastery. John was buried in Chichester Cathedral.

literature

  • Henry Mayr-Harting: The bishops of Chichester, 1075-1207: biographical notes and problems . Chichester City Council, Chichester 1963

Web links

predecessor Office successor
Hilary Bishop of Chichester
1173–1180 		Seffrid
personal data
SURNAME John of Greenford
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English clergyman, Bishop of Chichester
DATE OF BIRTH 12th Century
DATE OF DEATH uncertain: April 26, 1180