Ralph of Irton
Encyclopedia
Ralph of Irton was a medieval Bishop of Carlisle
.
of Gisborough Priory
, an Augustinian foundation, sometime before 1257. Between 1257 and 1261 he was elected prior
of Gisborough. He was elected to the see of Carlisle on 14 December 1278. However, King Edward I of England
objected to the election because no new license had been obtained from the king after William de Rotherfeld refused the see
. Ralph appealed to Pope Nicholas III
and the election was quashed, however Nicholas then provided Ralph to the see and he was consecrated before 9 April 1280.
Ralph imposed taxation in his diocese to secure the completion of Carlisle Cathedral
. He also served Edward as a diplomat in the negotiations over the proposed marriage of the future Edward II
to Margaret, the Maid of Norway, which never came to pass after Margaret's death soon after the marriage was arranged. Ralph died on 1 March 1292 while attending a parliament
at London, from a burst vein. His will provided that most of his belongings be left to his successors at Carlisle. He was buried in Carlisle Cathedral, but his tomb was destroyed soon after his burial by a fire in the cathedral.
Bishop of Carlisle
The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District...
.
Life
Ralph was a canonCanon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Gisborough Priory
Gisborough Priory
Gisborough Priory is a ruined former Augustinian priory in the town of Guisborough, now in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1119 as the Priory of St. Mary by Robert de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale, an ancestor of the...
, an Augustinian foundation, sometime before 1257. Between 1257 and 1261 he was elected prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of Gisborough. He was elected to the see of Carlisle on 14 December 1278. However, King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
objected to the election because no new license had been obtained from the king after William de Rotherfeld refused the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
. Ralph appealed to Pope Nicholas III
Pope Nicholas III
Pope Nicholas III , born Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, Pope from November 25, 1277 to his death in 1280, was a Roman nobleman who had served under eight Popes, been made cardinal-deacon of St...
and the election was quashed, however Nicholas then provided Ralph to the see and he was consecrated before 9 April 1280.
Ralph imposed taxation in his diocese to secure the completion of Carlisle Cathedral
Carlisle Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, otherwise called Carlisle Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Carlisle. It is located in Carlisle, in Cumbria, North West England...
. He also served Edward as a diplomat in the negotiations over the proposed marriage of the future Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
to Margaret, the Maid of Norway, which never came to pass after Margaret's death soon after the marriage was arranged. Ralph died on 1 March 1292 while attending a parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
at London, from a burst vein. His will provided that most of his belongings be left to his successors at Carlisle. He was buried in Carlisle Cathedral, but his tomb was destroyed soon after his burial by a fire in the cathedral.