Roger of Wesham

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Roger of Wesham (also Roger Weseham or de Wesham ) († May 21, 1257 in Brewood ) was an English clergyman. From 1245 to 1256 he was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield .

Origin and advancement as a lecturer

Roger Wesham probably named himself after Weasenham St Peter in Norfolk . He was promoted early on by the clergyman Robert Grosseteste . In 1229 he received a benefice at St Paul's Cathedral in London. He studied at Oxford University , where he graduated with a master's degree in 1233 . That year he received another benefice at Elstow in Bedfordshire. On March 21, 1234 he was appointed rector of Walgrave , Northamptonshire , although he had previously only been ordained a deacon . From 1235 he was a lecturer at Oxford and taught theology at the Franciscan branch . For teaching he had to give up his benefices in Elstow and Walgrave, since with these he was responsible for the salvation of his communities. Instead he became archdeacon of Oxford in May 1237 . Allegedly, he is said to have been Archdeacon of Rochester from 1238 , which is unlikely and is probably due to a mistake with a Chancellor of Oxford University. In 1240 he ended his teaching activities in Oxford, where he also resigned from the office of archdeacon on July 13, 1240.

Ascent to bishop

Before August 21, 1240, Wesham von Grosseteste, who had been Bishop of Lincoln since 1235 , was appointed Dean of Lincoln after the Cathedral Chapter could not agree on a successor to the resigned William of Thornac . In Lincoln he became involved in the conflict between Grosseteste and the cathedral chapter, in which the chapter denied the bishop the right to visit . This conflict was eventually referred to the Curia for resolution . Their decision gave the bishop the right on almost every point, which is why the members of the cathedral chapter accused Wesham of having betrayed their interests. Shortly afterwards, however, on the recommendation of Grosseteste, Wesham was appointed bishop of the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield , where after the death of Bishop Hugh of Pattishall in late 1241 the elections for a new bishop had failed. Between May 17 and July 4, 1245, Wesham was ordained bishop at the papal court in Lyon . King Henry III was passed over in the appointment of Wesham and was apparently so annoyed that he did not give Wesham the management of the diocese's temporalities until March 25, 1246 .

Activity as bishop

At Lichfield, Wesham surrounded himself with a household made up of educated clergymen such as the Franciscan brother Vincent , the scholar John of Basingstoke, and Ralph of Sempringham , a former Oxford University Chancellor. However, since no register of documents was created during Wesham's tenure as bishop , the evidence of Wesham's activity is sparse. Although his sponsor Grosseteste already kept a register of documents in the Diocese of Lincoln, Wesham did not have a register set up in Lichfield either. There is evidence that in 1247 he was able to settle a dispute between Haughmond Abbey and Ranton Abbey over the limits of their jurisdictions and that he was concerned about the endowment of Hillmorton in Warwickshire with possessions. In 1252 he issued an order comprising 35 articles on how visitations should be carried out in the diocese. He also promoted the dissemination of the Instituta , a guide for the clergy on Church teachings, which included suggested topics for sermons. In Lichfield he endowed the Archdeaconate of Chester with a further benefice, in addition he created two new benefices for the cathedral and increased the income of the bishops.

Resignation and death

Before 1253, Wesham was so seriously ill that Pope Innocent IV allowed him on August 7, 1253 to appoint a coadjutor . From 1256 he was paralyzed, so he asked Pope Alexander IV to be allowed to resign. This instructed Bishop Henry of Lexinton of Lincoln to receive the resignation of Wesham. On December 4, 1256 Wesham resigned from the episcopal estate of Brewood in Staffordshire , where he remained until his death. A few days after his death he was buried in Lichfield Cathedral. The funeral was chaired by Fulk of Sandford , Archbishop of Dublin.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ John Moorman: Church life in England in the thirteenth century. Cambridge, 1945, p. 163
  2. ^ John Moorman: Church life in England in the thirteenth century. Cambridge, 1945, p. 183
predecessor Office successor
Hugh of Pattishall Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield
1245–1256 		Roger de Meuland
personal data
SURNAME Roger of Wesham
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Roger Weseham; Roger de Wesham
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield
DATE OF BIRTH 13th Century
DATE OF DEATH May 21, 1257
Place of death Brewood