Silvester de Everdon
Encyclopedia
Silvester de Everdon was a medieval Bishop of Carlisle
and Lord Chancellor
of England.
, near Daventry
in Northamptonshire
, but other than the fact that he was related to a locally prominent family of Thorp, nothing else is known of his ancestry. He was a priest
in Northamptonshire
from 1219. In 1229 he entered the service of Ralph Neville
, who was Bishop of Chichester
and Lord Chancellor, as a chancery clerk and continued on in the chancery until his election to Carlisle. In 1244 Everdon became Lord Chancellor (holding the post until 1246) and in 1245 he became the Archdeacon of Chester. He was elected to the see of Carlisle about 1 September 1246 but declined the see
. He probably declined the see because of concerns over being rewarded for secular work with a clerical office.
King Henry III of England
seems to have persuaded Everdon that election was canonical, and he was elected again in November 1246 and accepted. Earlier, Matthew Paris
had described Silvester as "the king's faithful clerk, dear and close, obtaining the first place in the chancery, where he served him wisely" and certainly Henry would have had the ability to persuade Silvester to accept the bishopric. He was consecrated on 13 October 1247. During his time as bishop he worked to settle a long standing dispute over the finances of the see between the bishop and the canons
. He also served as a royal justice and attended parliament. He died in the spring of 1254, after being thrown from a horse near Northampton
while on his way to the royal court.
Everdon is buried in the Temple Church
in London.
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...
and 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...
of England.
Life
Everdon came from the village of EverdonEverdon
Everdon is a village in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England some two miles south of Daventry.Nearby The Stubbs is a wood belonging to the Woodland Trust, a UK conservation charity...
, near Daventry
Daventry
Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 .-Geography:The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 77 miles north-northwest of London, 13.9 miles west of Northampton and 10.2...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, but other than the fact that he was related to a locally prominent family of Thorp, nothing else is known of his ancestry. He was a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
from 1219. In 1229 he entered the service of Ralph Neville
Ralph Neville
Ralph Neville was a medieval clergyman and politician who served as Bishop of Chichester, Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord Chancellor of England...
, who was Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
and Lord Chancellor, as a chancery clerk and continued on in the chancery until his election to Carlisle. In 1244 Everdon became Lord Chancellor (holding the post until 1246) and in 1245 he became the Archdeacon of Chester. He was elected to the see of Carlisle about 1 September 1246 but declined 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...
. He probably declined the see because of concerns over being rewarded for secular work with a clerical office.
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...
seems to have persuaded Everdon that election was canonical, and he was elected again in November 1246 and accepted. Earlier, Matthew Paris
Matthew Paris
Matthew Paris was a Benedictine monk, English chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire...
had described Silvester as "the king's faithful clerk, dear and close, obtaining the first place in the chancery, where he served him wisely" and certainly Henry would have had the ability to persuade Silvester to accept the bishopric. He was consecrated on 13 October 1247. During his time as bishop he worked to settle a long standing dispute over the finances of the see between the bishop and the canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
. He also served as a royal justice and attended parliament. He died in the spring of 1254, after being thrown from a horse near Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
while on his way to the royal court.
Everdon is buried in the Temple Church
Temple Church
The Temple Church is a late-12th-century church in London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built for and by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. In modern times, two Inns of Court both use the church. It is famous for its effigy tombs and for being a round church...
in London.