John de Ufford
Encyclopedia
John de Ufford, sometimes John de Offord or John Offord (died 20 May 1349) was chancellor and head of the royal administration to Edward III
as well as being appointed to the Archbishopric of Canterbury.
. He was sent, along with Nicholas de Luna and Hugh Neville to Avignon
in the summer of 1344 as envoys to a council held by Pope Clement VI
to mediate peace during the Peace of Malestroit (January 1343 – September 1346), a breathing space for both sides during the Hundred Years War. The mediation came to naught.
He was the chancellor to Edward III, keeper of both the great seal and the privy seal. He was entrusted with the privy seal in 1342 (thus becoming Lord Privy Seal
), and the great seal on 26 October 1345, which was the duty of the Lord Chancellor
. He resigned the office of Lord Privy Seal after 29 September 1344, but held the office of Chancellor until his death.
, Edward chose his chancellor for Archbishop of Canterbury
, though the canons of the chapter had elected Thomas Bradwardine
, the King's trusted confessor, a great intellectual and diplomat. John de Ufford was appointed to the see of Canterbury by Papal Bull dated 24 September 1348 and was granted the temporalities
of the see on 14 December 1348.
, before being consecrated, on 20 May 1349.
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
as well as being appointed to the Archbishopric of Canterbury.
Early life
He held the position of Dean of LincolnDean of Lincoln
The Dean of Lincoln is the head of the Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral in the city of Lincoln, England in the Diocese of Lincoln. The post is currently held by the Very Revd Philip John Warr Buckler, MA.-References:...
. He was sent, along with Nicholas de Luna and Hugh Neville to Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
in the summer of 1344 as envoys to a council held by Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
to mediate peace during the Peace of Malestroit (January 1343 – September 1346), a breathing space for both sides during the Hundred Years War. The mediation came to naught.
He was the chancellor to Edward III, keeper of both the great seal and the privy seal. He was entrusted with the privy seal in 1342 (thus becoming Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
), and the great seal on 26 October 1345, which was the duty of the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
. He resigned the office of Lord Privy Seal after 29 September 1344, but held the office of Chancellor until his death.
Archbishop of Canterbury
After the death of Archbishop John de StratfordJohn de Stratford
John de Stratford was Archbishop of Canterbury and Treasurer and Chancellor of England.-Life:John was born at Stratford-on-Avon and educated at Merton College, Oxford, afterwards entering the service of Edward II....
, Edward chose his chancellor for Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, though the canons of the chapter had elected Thomas Bradwardine
Thomas Bradwardine
Thomas Bradwardine was an English scholar, scientist, courtier and, very briefly, Archbishop of Canterbury. As a celebrated scholastic philosopher and doctor of theology, he is often called Doctor Profundus, .-Life:He was born either at Hartfield in Sussex or at Chichester, where his family were...
, the King's trusted confessor, a great intellectual and diplomat. John de Ufford was appointed to the see of Canterbury by Papal Bull dated 24 September 1348 and was granted the temporalities
Temporalities
Temporalities are the secular properties and possessions of the Christian Church. It is most often used to describe those properties that were used to support a bishop or other religious person or establishment. Its opposite description would be the spiritualities.In the Middle Ages, the...
of the see on 14 December 1348.
Death and afterward
Any developing contention between the chapter and the king was rendered a dead issue when John de Ufford, already aged and infirm, was carried off by the Black DeathBlack Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
, before being consecrated, on 20 May 1349.
External links
- British History Online: Folio xxvii–xxvii b.