William of York

The title of this article is ambiguous. For canonized Bishop William of York, see William Fitzherbert .

William of York († January 31, 1256 ) was an English clergyman. He initially served as a senior judge before becoming Bishop of Salisbury in 1246 .

Rise from civil servant to high royal judge

Apparently William came from the East Riding of Yorkshire , but nothing else is known of his origins or his youth. He began his career as a clerk and was apparently promoted by the later Chancellor Ralph de Neville . In 1219, if not 1217, he served as an officer in the King's Bench , the royal civil court. His colleagues there included Roger of Thirkleby, who also came from the East Riding, and William Raleigh . Through his work William acquired extensive legal knowledge, which is why he was entrusted with other tasks from 1225, including the administration of vacant dioceses. In 1227 and 1228 he served three times as a judge in northern England before he rose from civil servant to judge of the King's Bench in 1231. In 1232 he served again as a judge in various counties, before he rose to presiding judge from 1234. In this capacity, he chaired a total of 34 court sessions in various counties. From 1234 he was the highest-ranking judge of the King's Bench after Robert of Lexinton , until he became the highest judge of the court at the end of 1241 after the death of Stephen of Seagrave . Probably already from 1230 to 1246 Roger of Whitchester was his scribe. When King Henry III. was in France from 1242 to 1243 during the Saintonge War , William remained as a senior member of the government in England, incorrectly being named one of the regents in the Dunstable Chronicle . There have been significant changes to the law under William as Chief Justice. The rules for court hearings in the counties were further specified. Instead of the Assize Courts , four primarily local judges were entrusted with the court proceedings, which led to the judge's office becoming increasingly professional.

Advancement as a clergyman

William received numerous spiritual benefices for his services as a judge . Before 1220 he received a benefice from the king in King's Ripton in Huntingdonshire , which he was later able to pass on to two confidants. In addition, he received other benefices in Yorkshire, including the office of Provost of Beverley Minster , as well as other offices in Lancashire , Northumberland and Cambridgeshire . He was canon in York , Wells, and St Paul's Cathedral in London. In 1241 his annual income was estimated at around £ 800. In addition, he took over the lucrative administration of pledges and guardians in Surrey , Essex , Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire as well as in York and London.

Bishop of Salisbury

On December 8, 1246, William was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Salisbury . He was ordained bishop on July 14, 1247 at Wilton . After he had received the temporalities , he resigned his offices as judge and his previous spiritual offices. Nevertheless, he continued to serve as a judge at major royal council meetings. When the king was in Winchester or in his diocese, William continued to witness royal records and in 1251 held a court meeting in London. As bishop he was assisted by Nicholas of York , who, as an official, was his chief officer and perhaps his nephew. William devoted himself to completing the construction of Salisbury Cathedral but died before the final consecration. He was buried in the choir of the cathedral. Before his death he had bequeathed his property, which he had acquired in Eske near Beverley and Norton near Malton , to his brother Sir Nicholas of York .

Since William had decided in a lawsuit against St Albans Abbey , the chronicler Matthew Paris , a monk of the abbey, judged him rather rude. Still, he called him the most able judge in the kingdom.

Web links

• David Crook: York, William of (d. 1256). 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

Individual evidence

1. ^ Diana E. Greenway: Bishops. In: Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 4, Salisbury, London 1991, pp. 1-7 (British History Online). Retrieved December 15, 2016 . 

predecessor	Office	successor
Robert of Bingham	Bishop of Salisbury 1246–1256	Giles of Bridport