John Kemp
His Eminence John Kemp | |
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Cardinal, Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of All England | |
Appointed | 21 July 1452 |
Term ended | 22 March 1454 |
Predecessor | John Stafford |
Successor | Thomas Bourchier |
Orders | |
Consecration |
3 December 1419 by Louis d'Harcourt |
Created Cardinal |
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Personal details | |
Born |
c. 1380 Kent |
Died |
22 March 1454 Canterbury |
Buried | Canterbury Cathedral |
Nationality | English |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Alma mater | Merton College, Oxford |
John Kemp (c. 1380 – 22 March 1454) was a medieval English cardinal, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor of England.
Biography
Kemp was son of Thomas Kempe, a gentleman of Ollantigh, in the parish of Wye near Ashford, Kent. He was born about 1380 and educated at Merton College, Oxford.
Kemp practised as an ecclesiastical lawyer, was an assessor at the trial of Oldcastle, and in 1415 was made dean of the Court of Arches but did not do a good job as dean. He then passed into the royal service, and being employed in the administration of Normandy was eventually made chancellor of the duchy. He was briefly archdeacon of Durham.[1] In 1418 he was made Keeper of the Privy Seal which he retained until 1421.[2] Early in 1419 he was elected Bishop of Rochester, and was consecrated at Rouen on 3 December.[3] In February 1421 he was translated to Chichester,[4] and in November following to London.[5]
During the minority of Henry VI Kemp had a prominent position in the English council as a supporter of Henry Beaufort, whom he succeeded as chancellor in March 1426.[6] In this same year on 20 July he was promoted to the Archbishop of York.[7] Kempe held office as chancellor for six years; his main task in government was to keep Humphrey of Gloucester in check. His resignation on 28 February 1432[6] was a concession to Gloucester. He still enjoyed Beaufort's favour, and retaining his place in the council was employed on important missions, especially at the congress of Arras in 1435, and the conference at Calais in 1438.
In December 1439 Kemp was created a cardinal priest,[8] and during the next few years took less share in politics. He supported William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk over the king's marriage with Margaret of Anjou; but afterwards there arose some difference between them, due in part to a dispute about the nomination of the cardinal's nephew, Thomas Kempe, to the bishopric of London. At the time of Suffolk’s fall in January 1450 Kemp once more became chancellor.[6] His appointment may have been because he was not committed entirely to either party. In spite of his age and infirmity he showed some vigour in dealing with Jack Cade's rebellion, and by his official experience and skill did what he could for four years to sustain the king's authority.
Kemp was rewarded by his translation to Canterbury in July 1452,[9] when Pope Nicholas V added as a special honour the title of cardinal-bishop of Santa Rufina. As Richard of York gained influence, Kempe became unpopular; men called him "the cursed cardinal," and his fall seemed imminent when he died suddenly on 22 March 1454.[9] He was buried at Canterbury, in the choir.
Kemp was a politician first, and hardly at all a bishop; and he was accused with some justice of neglecting his dioceses, especially at York. Still he was a capable official, and a faithful servant to Henry VI, who called him "one of the wisest lords of the land" (Paston Letters, l. 315). He founded Wye College at his native place at Wye, that was part of the University of London before officially being closed in 2009.
Citations
- ↑ "Kemp, John (1380?–1447)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
- ↑ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 95
- ↑ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 267
- ↑ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 239
- ↑ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 259
- 1 2 3 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 87
- ↑ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 282
- ↑ Cardinal John Kempe. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved on 20 November 2008.
- 1 2 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 234
References
- Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Henry Ware |
Lord Privy Seal 1418–1421 |
Succeeded by John Stafford |
Preceded by Henry Beaufort |
Lord Chancellor 1426–1432 |
Succeeded by John Stafford |
Preceded by John Stafford |
Lord Chancellor 1450–1454 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Salisbury |
Catholic Church titles | ||
Preceded by Richard Young |
Bishop of Rochester 1419–1421 |
Succeeded by John Langdon |
Preceded by Henry Ware |
Bishop of Chichester 1421–1422 |
Succeeded by Thomas Polton |
Preceded by Richard Clifford |
Bishop of London 1422–1426 |
Succeeded by William Grey |
Preceded by Richard Fleming |
Archbishop of York 1426–1452 |
Succeeded by William Booth |
Preceded by John Stafford |
Archbishop of Canterbury 1452–1454 |
Succeeded by Thomas Bourchier |
Preceded by Bandello Bandelli |
Cardinal Priest of Santa Balbina 1439–1452 |
Succeeded by Amico Agnifili |
Preceded by John of Toledo |
Cardinal Bishop of Santa Rufina 1452–1454 |
Succeeded by Bernard de Languissel |
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.