Nicholas Longespée

Nicholas Longespée († May 18, 1297 ) was a bishop in the English diocese of Salisbury .

Nicholas was the fourth and youngest son of William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury and his wife Ela of Salisbury . His father was the illegitimate son of King Henry II and was one of the most influential English magnates until his death in 1226 . Nicholas was a minor when his father died, and in 1236 his mother was still his guardian.

Like his brother Richard, the second son of his parents, Nicholas was slated for a spiritual career. He probably did not attend college, but was quickly given a number of clerical offices. In September 1248 he was rector of Iwerne Minster in Dorset , he was also rector of three other parish churches, namely from 1262 of South Tawton in Devon , from 1263 of Wyke Regis in Dorset and before 1267 of Lacock in Wiltshire . To this end, he became a canon in Salisbury before October 1262 . Before December 19, 1274 he had become treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral . As an old man, when he was already at least 65 years old, he was elected Bishop of Salisbury on December 12, 1291 . On December 16, King Edward I confirmed the election and handed the temporalities over to Longespée . Finally Archbishop Pecham of Canterbury confirmed the election on December 22nd. Longespée swore allegiance to the king in Greenwich on December 24th . Supported by Edward I, Longespée tried to have the episcopal ordination carried out in Salisbury, but this was rejected. He was consecrated bishop on March 16, 1292 by Pecham in Canterbury and finally enthroned on September 21, 1292 in Salisbury Cathedral, which he celebrated with an elaborate banquet.

Although Longespée was related to the king, there is no evidence that he promoted the election of his father's cousin as bishop. A wealthy bishop, Longespée had a large household, but despite his age, he was a dedicated clergyman. His favorite residence was the Bishops Palace in Ramsbury , but he also visited other parts of his diocese and stayed several times in London. In January 1294 he agreed with the archdeacon of his diocese how the wills of rectors and vicars should be legally examined. In February 1295 he announced additions to the statutes for the Episcopal College of St Edmund in Salisbury.

After his death he was buried around May 23, 1297 according to his will at the feet of his father in Salisbury Cathedral. His heart was buried in a separate heart burial at Lacock Abbey , the monastery where his mother was an abbess and was also buried. In his will he donated over £ 850 to monasteries and other institutions, particularly in the Diocese of Salisbury.

Web links

• BR Kemp: Longespée, Nicholas (d. 1297). 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
William de la Corner	Bishop of Salisbury 1291–1297	Simon Ghent