Richard le Grant
Encyclopedia
Richard le Grant was Archbishop of Canterbury
from 1229 to 1231.
, Essex
and had a brother and sister whom he provided for after he became archbishop. He was chancellor of the see of Lincoln when Henry III
nominated him to be Archbishop of Canterbury in opposition to Walter d'Eynsham
in 1229. He had been chancellor of Lincoln since at least 16 December 1220, when he first occurs in documents in that office. He was also a distinguished writer. and teacher.
Grant was provided to the see of Canterbury on 19 January 1229 by Pope Gregory IX
, and received the temporalities
of the see probably on 24 March 1231. He was consecrated on 10 June 1229. He was recommended for the see by Alexander de Stavenby
, the Bishop of Coventry
, and Henry Sandford
, the Bishop of Rochester
, who wrote to the pope on Richard's behalf. On 26 January 1231, at a council at Westminster
Grant, along with other bishops, objected to Henry III's earlier demand of a second scutage
payment. Grant found himself in conflict with Hubert de Burgh, the Justiciar
, over the wardship of the de Clare estates at Towbridge, which conflict the archbishop lost after King Henry III of England
sided with his justiciar.
Grant then attempted to implement reforms in the clergy over the issue of pluralism
and the employment of the clergy in the royal government. In pursuit of this aim, he journeyed to Rome to enlist the papacy's aid, but after a favorable reception at the Curia, he died on his return journey to England on 3 August 1231 in Italy. He was buried in San Gemini
in Umbria
.
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...
from 1229 to 1231.
Biography
Grant was a native of NazeingNazeing
Nazeing is a parish of 3,952 lying about four miles north of Waltham Abbey, England and bounded on the west by the River Lea. Most of it is still rural, but during the past 40 years there has been a considerable development of market gardening, light industry, holiday fishing, and boating...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and had a brother and sister whom he provided for after he became archbishop. He was chancellor of the see of Lincoln when Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
nominated him to be Archbishop of Canterbury in opposition to Walter d'Eynsham
Walter d'Eynsham
Walter d'Eynsham, also known as Walter de Hempsham was a medieval Archbishop of Canterbury-elect.Walter was a monk of Christ Church Priory in Canterbury, when he was chosen to be the Archbishop of Canterbury on 3 August 1228 by his fellow monks of the cathedral chapter. His appointment was...
in 1229. He had been chancellor of Lincoln since at least 16 December 1220, when he first occurs in documents in that office. He was also a distinguished writer. and teacher.
Grant was provided to the see of Canterbury on 19 January 1229 by Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
, and received 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 probably on 24 March 1231. He was consecrated on 10 June 1229. He was recommended for the see by Alexander de Stavenby
Alexander de Stavenby
Alexander de Stavenby was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.Alexander was probably a native of Sainsby, 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...
, the Bishop of Coventry
Bishop of Coventry
The Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary of the England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichfield....
, and Henry Sandford
Henry Sandford
-Life:Sandford was a royal official before becoming a canon of the diocese of Salisbury and was Archdeacon of Canterbury from about 1213 until he was chosen for Rochester....
, the Bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
, who wrote to the pope on Richard's behalf. On 26 January 1231, at a council at Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
Grant, along with other bishops, objected to Henry III's earlier demand of a second scutage
Scutage
The form of taxation known as scutage, in the law of England under the feudal system, allowed a knight to "buy out" of the military service due to the Crown as a holder of a knight's fee held under the feudal land tenure of knight-service. Its name derived from shield...
payment. Grant found himself in conflict with Hubert de Burgh, the Justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
, over the wardship of the de Clare estates at Towbridge, which conflict the archbishop lost after King Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
sided with his justiciar.
Grant then attempted to implement reforms in the clergy over the issue of pluralism
Religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...
and the employment of the clergy in the royal government. In pursuit of this aim, he journeyed to Rome to enlist the papacy's aid, but after a favorable reception at the Curia, he died on his return journey to England on 3 August 1231 in Italy. He was buried in San Gemini
San Gemini
San Gemini is a comune of c. 4,500 inhabitants in the province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria, located about 60 km south of Perugia and about 10 km northwest of Terni....
in Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
.