John the Chanter

John the Chanter (also Johannes Cantor or Planeta ) († June 1, 1191 ) was an English clergyman. From 1184 he was Bishop of Exeter .

Unclear origin

The origin of John the Chanter is unclear. According to the chronicler Ralph de Diceto he was Cantor and Precentor of Exeter Cathedral before he was elected bishop. George Oliver, a nineteenth-century historian, believed he had served in this office for more than 30 years, while Roger von Hoveden states that John had been the deputy dean of Salisbury prior to his election as bishop . It is possible that he had held these two benefices at the same time. Perhaps John was a nephew or chaplain of Robert of Chichester , who was Bishop of Exeter from 1155 to 1160, as John the Chanter is mentioned in Exeter in 1155 along with other relatives of the bishop. At least one of the two nephews, whom John later gave offices as bishop in his diocese, was named Basset , so that he was possibly related to this noble family or by marriage. Also in the service of Archbishop Thomas Becket was a John, who became the deputy dean of Salisbury. This John had been a pupil of Abelard in Paris around 1136 and then studied in Montpellier . After 1164 this followed John Thomas Becket into exile and served as his representative at the papal court. After Becker was murdered in 1170, he entered the service of Richard of Dover , the new Archbishop of Canterbury, until he died in February 1184. Because of his frequent travels, he was nicknamed Planeta .

Election to bishop

After the death of Bishop Bartholomew in December 1184, the Diocese of Exeter remained vacant for almost two years . The reason for this was the lack of consent from King Henry II for the proposed successor. In addition, from April 1185 to April 1186 the king was not in England, but in Normandy . If John the Chanter had really been a loyal retainer of Becket, this would also explain the king's reluctance to confirm a retainer of his bitter opponent as bishop. The king had initially wanted Godfrey de Lucy , one of his officials, as the new bishop. He was also elected by the Cathedral Chapter on July 1, 1186 , but did not accept the election. Finally, on October 5, 1186, John the Chanter was ordained a new bishop.

Bishop of Exeter

As the new bishop, John quickly implemented some reforms. He was assisted by a number of followers, whom he was able to provide canons and offices in Exeter. It is believed that John was the first bishop in the diocese to appoint an official as his deputy. John was apparently of an advanced age when he became a bishop. He was probably also not a proven expert on canon law , because he was never appointed by the Pope as a judge for church disputes. He sponsored the new construction of Exeter Cathedral .

Politically, John hardly appeared as a bishop. Both the king and the bishops were still trying to improve the relationship between the church and the king, which was burdened by the assassination of Becket. John took part in the coronation of Richard I on September 3, 1189 and then in the council meetings at which the king prepared his crusade . After that, John returned to his diocese. After the king left England at the end of 1189, a political crisis soon arose. Richard's younger brother Johann Ohneland returned to England against his brother's prohibition at the latest in early 1191 and tried to usurp the government. Devon and Cornwall , the areas of the Diocese of Exeter , also belonged to his large estates in England . However, John the Chanter died before the power struggle in England reached its climax. He was buried in Exeter Cathedral. Only after the return of King Richard from captivity in Germany, in which he was caught on the return journey from the crusade, was a new bishop of Exeter installed in February 1194.

Web links

• Frank Barlow: John the Chanter (d. 1191). 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
Bartholomew	Bishop of Exeter 1186–1191	Henry Marshal