Roger de Meuland

Roger de Meuland (also Meuleng , Meulent or Molend ; also Master Longespée ) (* around 1215, † December 16, 1295 ) was an English clergyman. From 1257 was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield .

Origin and election as bishop

The exact origin of Roger de Meuland is unclear, but he was a relative of King Henry III. The chronicler Matthew Paris called him Master Longespée, which suggests that he was a son of William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury , an uncle of the king. However, there is no evidence to support this assumption. The origin of his nickname Meuland or Meuleng, Meulent or Molend is also unclear. Presumably the name refers to the northern French town of Meulan , where Roger may have been born or where he grew up. As late as 1282, Archbishop John Pecham accused him of appointing a representative who could speak the language of his diocese. This is perhaps an indication that Meuland may not have mastered the English language because of his youth in France. Otherwise almost nothing is known about Meuland until 1257. He was a canon at the cathedral of Lichfield and Pontifical Kaplan when he in January 1257 thanks to the influence of Richard of Cornwall , a brother of the king, bishop of the diocese of Lichfield and Coventry was chosen. Meuland then accompanied Richard when he moved to Germany, where he had been elected Roman-German king . Then Meuland returned to England, where he was ordained bishop on March 10, 1258. Then in the same year he returned to Richard von Cornwall in Germany. At the end of the year he traveled back to England with Richard.

Political activity

Like several of his predecessors as Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, Meuland was often one of the negotiators who negotiated with the rebellious Welsh princes on behalf of the king from 1258. In contrast to many other bishops, Meuland supported the king in the conflict between the king and a nobility opposition , which ultimately led to an open war between the barons and the king. Despite his relationship with Heinrich III. however, he did not have much influence on its politics. From 1259 there was even a violent dispute between the king and Meuland when he tried to place the royal free chapels , the royal own churches in the area of ​​his diocese, under his episcopal supervision. This dispute was finally settled only in 1281, when Meuland had to renounce his claims. In July 1263 the King authorized him, along with Bishop Richard of Gravesend of Lincoln and Bishop Henry of Sandwich of London, to reach an agreement with Simon de Montfort , the leader of the aristocratic opposition. More likely because of the power of Montfort than out of political conviction, Meuland had to accept the recognition of the Provisions of Oxford . In March 1264, Meuland represented the king at the last attempt at negotiations before there were open armed conflicts with the aristocratic opposition under Montfort. After the victory of the aristocratic opposition over the king in the Battle of Lewes, Meuland cooperated with the government of the barons led by Montfort. In December 1264 he brokered an agreement with the rebellious Welsh Marcher Lords . Despite this collaboration, unlike several other bishops, he was not suspended from his post after the victory of the royal party at the Battle of Evesham in August 1265 . After the death of Heinrich III. In 1272, under his son and successor Edward I, Meuland no longer had any political significance despite their relatives and no longer served as a negotiator with the Welsh princes.

One of the windows of Lichfield Cathedral made during Meuland's tenure

Activity as bishop

To what extent Meuland fulfilled his duties as bishop is controversial. He was the first bishop of his diocese, during whose tenure a register of documents was created, but that has not been preserved. Probably also in order to take care of his favorites, he created three new beneficiaries , one of which he had bought the property himself. He or his officials also had at least five rectories built or enlarged. Above all, however, the nave and the lower part of the west facade of Lichfield Cathedral were rebuilt during his tenure , for which he apparently procured or made available the funds. He probably also influenced the design of the cathedral, because the windows of the upper aisle were modeled on the triforium of Westminster Abbey , which was shortly before Henry III. had been erected. One of Meuland's final acts was to issue new statutes for the Lichfield Cathedral Chapter . On the other hand, after a visit to the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield , Archbishop John Pecham criticized numerous grievances in a letter to Meuland in 1282, which Meuland would not take care of as a bishop. He is said to have allowed the misappropriation of church property and even tolerated incest . Since he would not live in the area of ​​his diocese, he should appoint a suffragan bishop as a representative. However, at the time of the visitation, Meuland was already an old, ailing man who died thirteen years later at an advanced age.

Web links

• Meuland [Meuleng, Meulent, Molend], Roger de [Master Longespée] (c. 1215-1295). 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
Roger of Wesham	Bishop of Lichfield-Coventry 1257–1295	Walter Langton