Walter de Gray

Walter de Grey
Archbishop of York
Tomb of Archbishop de Grey in York Minster
Elected	10 November 1215
Term ended	1 May 1255
Predecessor	Geoffrey Plantagenet
Successor	Sewal de Bovil
Other posts	Bishop of Lichfield Bishop of Worcester
Orders
Consecration	5 October 1214
Personal details
Birth name	Walter de Grey
Born	Eaton, Norfolk
Died	1 May 1255 Fulham, Middlesex
Buried	York Minster
Parents	John de Grey

Walter de Grey or Walter de Gray^[1] (died 1 May 1255) was an English prelate and statesman who rose to be Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor.

Life

Grey was the son of John de Grey, of Eaton in Norfolk and nephew of John de Grey, Bishop of Norwich.^[2] His birth year is not recorded, nor is his age when he died, but according to the historian Lee Wyatt, Grey was likely born around 1180. This assumes that in 1214 he was at least 30, the earliest legal age for consecration as a bishop, which would mean he was not born after 1184. Likewise, it is unlikely he was much older than 80 when he died, which gives an earliest possible birth year of 1175.^[3] His sister, Hawise, married the Justiciar of England, Sir Philip Basset. He studied at Oxford University where he was tutored by Edmund of Abingdon.^[4]

Grey was a favourite of King John of England, who appointed him Lord Chancellor in 1205,^[5] having paid King John 5,000 marks for the office.^[4] He was named Bishop of Lichfield in 1210,^[6] but was never consecrated as bishop there. Grey was then elected Bishop of Worcester on 20 January 1214,^[7] after resigning as Chancellor in October 1214;^[5] his consecration as Bishop of Worcester took place on 5 October 1214.^[7] Grey was present at the signing of Magna Carta in June 1215. While he was away from England on a royal mission, he was appointed Archbishop of York, being elected on 10 November 1215^[8] through the influence of John and Innocent III. John had wanted Walter, but the Canons of York deemed Walter to be ill-educated and elected Simon Langton, brother of Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury. King John objected, and wrote to Innocent III complaining of the election of the brother of one of his staunchest enemies, with which Innocent agreed.^[9] However, Grey eventually paid more than £10,000 to the Pope in various fees to get his election confirmed.^[10] Walter attended the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.^[11]

Grey was an important royal officer during the minority of Henry III, often posted as a diplomatic envoy. Henry also named Grey as Guardian of England when the King campaigned in France during 1242/3.^[4] In 1252, Archbishop Grey hosted King Henry and King Alexander III of the Scots for Christmas feasts at York at a cost of ₤2,500.^[12] Grey attempted to assert his archiepiscopal authority over Scotland, which was not only resisted by the Scots but by the Archbishops of Canterbury. Grey had little success in defending his rights to Scotland against either adversary. Grey built the south transept of York Minster and purchased the village of Bishopthorpe, which became the residence of the Archbishop of York.^[4] He also endowed Ripon church.^[13]

Grey presided over a series of Councils in his archdiocese from 1241 to 1255 which endeavoured to enforce clerical celibacy, keep benefices from being inherited, and improve the education and morals of the clergy. He gave generously to his cathedral and other churches, as well as working to endow vicarages. He visited many of the monasteries of his diocese and helped those that were in financial difficulties. He also oversaw the translation of Wilfrid's remains to a new shrine at Ripon.^[4]

In 1255, Grey visited London to attend a meeting of parliament, and died at Fulham Palace on 1 May 1255.^[2]^[7] He was buried on 15 May 1255 at York Minster.^[4]

Grey's three nephews were William Langton (or Rotherfield) who was Dean of York and elected Archbishop of York but never consecrated, and Walter le Breton and Walter de Grey, both Canons of York.^[2]

Citations

↑ "And the Word was made Flesh and lived among us". York Minster. 3 January 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
1 2 3 Greenway Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 6: York: Archbishops
↑ Wyatt "Making of an Archbishop" Seven Studies p. 65
1 2 3 4 5 6 Haines "Gray, Walter de" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
1 2 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 84
↑ Greenway Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces): Worcester: Bishops
1 2 3 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 279
↑ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 282
↑ Bartlett England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings pp. 406-407
↑ Moorman Church Life p. 174
↑ Moorman Church Life p. 237
↑ Moorman Church Life p. 175
↑ Moorman Church Life p. 204

References

Bartlett, Robert C. (2000). England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings: 1075–1225. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-822741-8.
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.
Greenway, Diana E. (1971). Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces): Worcester: Bishops. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 15 September 2007.
Greenway, Diana E. (1999). Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 6: York: Archbishops. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 15 September 2007.
Haines, Roy Martin (2004). "Gray, Walter de (d. 1255)" ((subscription or UK public library membership required)). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/11566.
Moorman, John R. H. (1955). Church Life in England in the Thirteenth Century (Revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. OCLC 213820968.
Wyatt, Lee (1983). "The Making of an Archbishop: The Early Career of Walter de Gray 1205-1215". In Bowers, Richard H. Seven Studies in Medieval English History and Other Historical Essays Presented to Harold S. Snellgrove. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi. pp. 65–74. ISBN 0-87805-183-X.

Political offices
Preceded by Hubert Walter	Lord Chancellor 1205–1214	Succeeded by Richard Marsh
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Mauger of Worcester	Bishop of Worcester 1214–1216	Succeeded by Sylvester of Worcester
Preceded by Simon Langton	Archbishop of York 1216–1255	Succeeded by Sewal de Bovil

Bishops of Worcester

Early Medieval	Bosel Oftfor Egwin of Evesham Wilfrith (I) Milred Waermund Tilhere Heathured Denebeorht Heahbeorht Ealhhun Werferth Æthelhun Wilfrith (II) Koenwald St Dunstan St Oswald Ealdwulf

High Medieval	Wulfstan (I) Leofsige Beorhtheah Lyfing Ælfric Puttoc Lyfing Ealdred St Wulfstan (II) Samson Theulf Simon John de Pageham Alured Roger Baldwin of Forde William of Northall Robert FitzRalph Henry de Sully John of Coutances Mauger Randulf of Evesham Walter de Gray Sylvester William de Blois Walter de Cantilupe Nicholas of Ely Godfrey Giffard

Late Medieval	John St German William Gainsborough Walter Reynolds Walter Maidstone Thomas Cobham Wulstan Bransford Adam Orleton Simon Montacute Thomas Hemenhale Wulstan Bransford John of Thoresby Reginald Brian John Barnet William Whittlesey William Lenn Walter Lyghe Henry Wakefield Robert Tideman of Winchcombe Richard Clifford Thomas Peverel Philip Morgan Thomas Polton Thomas Brunce Thomas Bourchier John Carpenter ("Bishop of Worcester and Westbury") John Alcock Robert Morton Giovanni de' Gigli

Early modern	Silvestro de' Gigli Girolamo Ghinucci Hugh Latimer John Bell Nicholas Heath John Hooper Nicholas Heath Richard Pate Edwin Sandys Nicholas Bullingham John Whitgift Edmund Freke Richard Fletcher Thomas Bilson Gervase Babington Henry Parry John Thornborough John Prideaux George Morley John Gauden John Earle Robert Skinner Walter Blandford James Fleetwood William Thomas Edward Stillingfleet William Lloyd John Hough Isaac Maddox James Johnson Brownlow North Richard Hurd

Late modern	Folliott Cornewall Robert Carr Henry Pepys Henry Philpott John Perowne Charles Gore Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs Ernest Pearce Arthur Perowne William Wilson Cash Mervyn Charles-Edwards Robin Woods Philip Goodrich Peter Selby John Inge

Bishops and Archbishops of York

Pre-Reformation Bishops	Paulinus Chad Wilfrid Bosa John of Beverley Wilfrid II

Pre-Reformation Archbishops	Egbert Æthelbert Eanbald I Eanbald II Wulfsige Wigmund Wulfhere Æthelbald Hrotheweard Wulfstan I Oscytel Edwald Oswald Ealdwulf Wulfstan II Ælfric Puttoc Cynesige Ealdred Thomas of Bayeux Gerard Thomas II Thurstan William FitzHerbert Henry Murdac William FitzHerbert Roger de Pont L'Évêque Geoffrey Plantagenet Simon Langton Walter de Gray Sewal de Bovil Godfrey Ludham William Langton Bonaventure Walter Giffard William de Wickwane John le Romeyn Henry of Newark Thomas of Corbridge William Greenfield William Melton William Zouche John of Thoresby Alexander Neville Thomas Arundel Robert Waldby Richard le Scrope Thomas Langley Robert Hallam Henry Bowet Philip Morgan Richard Fleming John Kemp William Booth George Neville Lawrence Booth Thomas Rotherham Thomas Savage Christopher Bainbridge Thomas Wolsey

Post-Reformation Archbishops	Edward Lee Robert Holgate Nicholas Heath Thomas Young Edmund Grindal Edwin Sandys John Piers Matthew Hutton Tobias Matthew George Montaigne Samuel Harsnett Richard Neile John Williams Accepted Frewen Richard Sterne John Dolben Thomas Lamplugh John Sharp Sir William Dawes Bt Lancelot Blackburne Thomas Herring Matthew Hutton John Gilbert Robert Hay Drummond William Markham Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt Thomas Musgrave Charles Longley William Thomson William Magee William Maclagan Cosmo Lang William Temple Cyril Garbett Michael Ramsey Donald Coggan Stuart Blanch John Habgood David Hope John Sentamu

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Walter de Gray

Life

See also

Citations

References