William Middleton

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William Middleton († August 31 or September 1, 1288 in Terling , Essex ) was an English clergyman. From 1278 he was Bishop of Norwich .

Origin and advancement as a clergyman

The origin of William Middleton is unclear. According to later information, he came from one of the Middleton villages in County Durham . It is said that Middleton had a PhD in Roman Law from Oxford University . In Oxford he was also towards the end of King Henry III's reign . Archdeacon. He made his further career in the service of Robert Kilwardby , who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1272. Before October 1273, Middleton became an official , representing the archbishop. In addition he received a benefice at the London St Paul's Cathedral . From March 1274 to 1278 he was also vicar general of the Archdiocese of Canterbury , and from December 1274 he was responsible for the vacant diocese of Bath and Wells . In October 1275 he was promoted to Archdeacon of Canterbury. In addition, he was also in the service of the king several times, including in August 1277 as an envoy to the French king. After Robert Kilwardby resigned as archbishop in June 1278, Middleton was appointed by King Edward I to be one of the administrators of the archbishopric's temporalities .

Bishop of Norwich

Election to bishop

Middleton had already been elected bishop of the Diocese of Norwich on February 24, 1278 . On March 6th, King Edward I confirmed the election and handed over the temporalities to him on March 16th. On May 29, Middleton was ordained bishop in Lambeth before he was enthroned in Norwich on November 28, 1278 . On December 4th, in the presence of Edward I and Queen Eleanor , he rededicated Norwich Cathedral , which was badly damaged during a revolt in 1272 .

Relationship with Archbishop Pecham

Middleton had a difficult relationship with the new Archbishop John Pecham . However, he was also reluctant to hand over £ 400 to Pecham, which he had earned while administering the Canterbury Temporary Agency and which was due to the new Archbishop. In 1281, as metropolitan , Pecham made a visit to the Diocese of Norwich. He accused Middleton of not passing on to the deans of his diocese all the income he raised for them. On the other hand, Middleton appeared to be dutifully performing his duties as bishop. He was the first Bishop of Norwich to visit all the monasteries and parishes in the diocese in 1279. He also made sure that the Flixton convent received a version of its statutes in Anglo-Norman . When the prior of Flitcham Priory fell ill, he appointed a coadjutor . He also granted indulgences to numerous donors .

At Easter 1282 there was a joint protest by the suffragan bishops of Canterbury . The bishops turned against Pecham, who is said to have exceeded his authority during visitations, and against interference by the ecclesiastical court of Canterbury in the jurisdiction of the individual dioceses. The archbishop then set up a commission to investigate these allegations. Middleton chaired this commission and arguably had a decisive influence on a compromise being reached, with the archbishop being very accommodating to the bishops. Middleton wrote to the excommunicated Bishop Thomas of Hereford , who was staying at the papal court, urging him in vain to return to England to reconcile himself with Pecham. However, the agreement with Pecham was short-lived. Soon further allegations were made against the archbishop. In August 1282, Middleton turned to Pecham on various charges, who replied that he had his full confidence. At the same time, however, he also slightly reprimanded him by urging Middleton not to act against the Archdiocese of Canterbury. Although he had to give in to Pecham, Middleton retained his reputation as a mediator. As early as 1278 he had successfully mediated between the bishops Thomas of Hereford and Enion II of St Asaph. In 1279 he should be in a conflict between the Scottish King Alexander III. and Bishop Robert of Durham . In 1288 he mediated between Archbishop John le Romeyn of York and the Dean of York Minster .

Conflict with the royal judiciary from 1285 to 1286

During Parliament at Easter 1285, the bishops complained that royal judges were obstructing ecclesiastical judges. The king then issued an edict containing a long list of issues that, under common law, fell within the jurisdiction of royal judges. He forbade the ecclesiastical judges to deal with these cases. The conflict came to a head in the Diocese of Norwich, where the ecclesiastical judges had far-reaching powers. When the royal proclamation was mocked by clergy in Norwich, the royal judges cracked down on it. Numerous clergymen were tried at the King's Bench , and from January to September 1286 royal judges held court hearings in Norfolk. The protests of the clergy against it were unsuccessful. As a result, numerous prelates complained to the king in the autumn of 1286 that the Church was being suppressed, especially in Norfolk. But then, surprisingly, Middleton offered to pay a fine of 1,000 marks if clergy were not prosecuted for interfering with royal jurisdiction.

Seneschal of Gascony

At the beginning of 1287 Middleton traveled to Gascony, apparently to give the king who was staying there the money that he wanted to pay as a penalty. In south-west France, the king appointed him as Seneschal of Guyenne . He held this office for 18 months with a short break. In July 1287 he sat before a court that convicted the former Seneschal Jean de Grailly for abuse of office. Middleton cemented his reputation as an intermediary when he succeeded in reaching a settlement between the Cinque Ports and the Bordeaux city ​​council over the duties that English traders in Bordeaux were supposed to pay. In addition, he was known for his hospitality during his tenure in Gascony. Middleton left Gascony after June 15, 1288 and was back in England before August 10. Only a few weeks later he died on an episcopal estate in Essex. He was buried in the Lady Chapel of Norwich Cathedral.

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predecessor Office successor
Roger Skerning Bishop of Norwich
1278–1288
Ralph Walpole