Alexander de Stavenby

Alexander de Stavenby
Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield
Appointed	c. 13 April 1224
Term ended	26 December 1238
Predecessor	William de Cornhill
Successor	William de Raley
Orders
Consecration	14 April 1224
Personal details
Died	26 December 1238 Andover, Hampshire
Buried	Lichfield Cathedral
Denomination	Catholic

Alexander de Stavenby (or Alexander of Stainsby; died 26 December 1238) was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.

Alexander was probably a native of Stainsby, Lincolnshire and had two brothers, William and Gilbert, who held land there. He may have studied under Stephen Langton, later Archbishop of Canterbury, as Langton was from a village less than 10 miles away.^[1] Alexander taught theology at Toulouse before his elevation to the episcopate.^[2] He may have been a teacher of Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order, at Toulouse.^[3] He also taught at Bologna and was named a chamber clerk for Pope Honorius III.^[1] Alexander was nominated as bishop about 13 April 1224, and consecrated on 14 April 1224.^[4]

While bishop, Alexander urged the people in his diocese to receive communion three times a year.^[5] He also issued rules to prohibit his clergy from entering a tavern.^[6] He wrote a set of statutes for his diocese, which survive, along with other works. Only two of the other works survive, one on confession and another on the seven deadly sins.^[1] While he was bishop, both Coventry and Lichfield were named as the seats of the see,^[4] with the election of a new bishop taking place by the chapters of Coventry or Lichfield in rotation.^[1]

Alexander served King Henry III of England as a diplomat, undertaking many missions to Rome and France on behalf of the king. He also negotiated with envoys for the Emperor Frederick II at Antwerp and spent time in Wales trying to renew truces. In 1234 the bishop was accused of supporting Richard Marshall's rebellion, but he cleared his name before the court. Alexander was opposed to the administration Peter des Roches and at one point excommunicated those whom he called the "king's true enemies", which many took to include Roches.^[1]

Alexander died on 26 December 1238^[4] at Andover, Hampshire, and was buried in Lichfield Cathedral. A chantry was established in his memory near the altar to Saint Chad.^[1]

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 6 Vincent "Stainsby , Alexander of" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
↑ Moorman Church Life in England p. 163
↑ Moorman Church Life in England p. 368
1 2 3 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 253
↑ Moorman Church Life in England p. 71
↑ Moorman Church Life in England p. 233

References

Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
Moorman, John R. H. (1955). Church Life in England in the Thirteenth Century (Revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. OCLC 213820968.
Vincent, Nicholas (2004). "Stainsby, Alexander of (d. 1238)" ((subscription or UK public library membership required)). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/37103. Retrieved 15 January 2008.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by William de Cornhill	Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield 1224–1238	Succeeded by William de Raley

Bishops of Lichfield (including precursor offices)

Mercia	Diuma Ceollach Trumhere Jaruman

Mercians & Lindisfaras	Chad

Lichfield	Winfrith Seaxwulf Headda Aldwine Witta Hemele Cuthfrith Berhthun Hygeberht (Archbishop of Lichfield) Ealdwulf Herewine Æthelwold Hunberght Cynefrith Tunberht Wulfsige Burgheard Eadberht Wulfred Wilferth Ælfwine Wulfgar Cynesige Wynsige Elphege Godwin Leofgar Brihtmær Wulfsige Leofwin Peter

Chester	Peter Robert de Limesey

Coventry	Robert de Limesey Robert Peche Roger de Clinton Walter Durdent Richard Peche Gerard la Pucelle Hugh Nonant Geoffrey de Muschamp William de Cornhill Alexander de Stavenby

Coventry & Lichfield	Alexander de Stavenby Hugh de Pateshull Roger Weseham Roger de Meyland Walter Langton Roger Northburgh Robert de Stretton Walter Skirlaw Richard le Scrope John Burghill John Catterick James Cary William Heyworth William Booth Nicholas Close Reginald Boulers John Hales William Smyth John Arundel Geoffrey Blythe Rowland Lee

Lichfield & Coventry	Rowland Lee Richard Sampson Ralph Baines Thomas Bentham William Overton George Abbot Richard Neile John Overall Thomas Morton Robert Wright Accepted Frewen John Hacket Thomas Wood William Lloyd John Hough Edward Chandler Richard Smalbroke The Hon Frederick Cornwallis John Egerton Brownlow North Richard Hurd The Hon James Cornwallis The Hon Henry Ryder Samuel Butler

Lichfield	Samuel Butler James Bowstead John Lonsdale George Selwyn William Maclagan The Hon Augustus Legge John Kempthorne Edward Woods Stretton Reeve Kenneth Skelton Keith Sutton Jonathan Gledhill

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