Simon Sudbury
Encyclopedia
Simon Sudbury, also called Simon Theobald of Sudbury and Simon of Sudbury (died 14 June 1381) was Bishop of London
from 1361 to 1375, Archbishop of Canterbury
from 1375 until his death, and in the last year of his life Lord Chancellor of England
.
in Suffolk
, studied at the University of Paris
, and became one of the chaplains of Pope Innocent VI
, one of the Avignon popes
, who in 1356 sent him on a mission to Edward III of England
.
In 1361 Sudbury was made Chancellor of Salisbury and in October that year the Pope provided him to be Bishop of London
, his consecration occurring on 20 March 1362. He was soon serving King Edward III as an ambassador and in other ways. On 4 May 1375 he succeeded William Whittlesey
as archbishop of Canterbury, and during the rest of his life was a partisan of John of Gaunt.
In July 1377, following the death of Edward III in June, Sudbury crowned
the new king, Richard II
at Westminster Abbey
, and in 1378 John Wycliffe appeared before him at Lambeth
, but he only undertook proceedings against the reformer under great pressure.
In January 1380, Sudbury became Lord Chancellor
of England, and the insurgent peasants
regarded him as one of the principal authors of their woes. Having released John Ball
from his prison at Maidstone
, the Kent
ish insurgent
s attacked and damaged the archbishop's property at Canterbury
and Lambeth; then, rushing into the Tower of London
, they seized the archbishop himself. So unpopular was Sudbury that guards simply allowed the rebels through the gates.
Sudbury was dragged to Tower Hill and, on 14 June 1381, was beheaded. His body was afterwards buried in Canterbury Cathedral
, though his head (after being taken down from London Bridge
) is still kept at the church of St Gregory at Sudbury in Suffolk, which Sudbury partly rebuilt. With his brother, John of Chertsey, he also founded a college in Sudbury; he also did some building at Canterbury. His father was Nigel Theobald, and he is sometimes called Simon Theobald or Tybald.
In March 2011 a CT scan of Sudbury's mummified skull was performed at the West Suffolk Hospital, with the intention of making a facial reconstruction of Sudbury. The reconstruction was completed in September, 2011 by forensics expert Adrienne Barker at the University of Dundee
.
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
from 1361 to 1375, 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...
from 1375 until his death, and in the last year of his life Lord Chancellor of England
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...
.
Life
The son of Nigel Theobald, Sudbury (as he later became known) was born at SudburySudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, studied at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, and became one of the chaplains of Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI , born Étienne Aubert; his father was Adhemar Aubert seigneur de Montel-De-Gelas in Limousin province. His niece was Catherine Aubert, Dame de Boutheon, also the wife of Randon II baron de Joyeuse; she is La Fayette's ancestor...
, one of the Avignon popes
Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon, in modern-day France. This arose from the conflict between the Papacy and the French crown....
, who in 1356 sent him on a mission to Edward III of England
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...
.
In 1361 Sudbury was made Chancellor of Salisbury and in October that year the Pope provided him to be Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, his consecration occurring on 20 March 1362. He was soon serving King Edward III as an ambassador and in other ways. On 4 May 1375 he succeeded William Whittlesey
William Whittlesey
William Whittlesey was a Bishop of Rochester, then Bishop of Worcester, then finally Archbishop of Canterbury...
as archbishop of Canterbury, and during the rest of his life was a partisan of John of Gaunt.
In July 1377, following the death of Edward III in June, Sudbury crowned
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
the new king, Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, and in 1378 John Wycliffe appeared before him at Lambeth
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
, but he only undertook proceedings against the reformer under great pressure.
In January 1380, Sudbury became 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, and the insurgent peasants
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, Wat Tyler's Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the...
regarded him as one of the principal authors of their woes. Having released John Ball
John Ball (priest)
John Ball was an English Lollard priest who took a prominent part in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. In that year, Ball gave a sermon in which he asked the rhetorical question, "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?".-Biography:Little is known of Ball's early years. He lived in...
from his prison at Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, the Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
ish insurgent
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
s attacked and damaged the archbishop's property at Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
and Lambeth; then, rushing into the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, they seized the archbishop himself. So unpopular was Sudbury that guards simply allowed the rebels through the gates.
Sudbury was dragged to Tower Hill and, on 14 June 1381, was beheaded. His body was afterwards buried in Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, though his head (after being taken down from London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
) is still kept at the church of St Gregory at Sudbury in Suffolk, which Sudbury partly rebuilt. With his brother, John of Chertsey, he also founded a college in Sudbury; he also did some building at Canterbury. His father was Nigel Theobald, and he is sometimes called Simon Theobald or Tybald.
In March 2011 a CT scan of Sudbury's mummified skull was performed at the West Suffolk Hospital, with the intention of making a facial reconstruction of Sudbury. The reconstruction was completed in September, 2011 by forensics expert Adrienne Barker at the University of Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
.