Thomas Cranley was a leading statesman and cleric in early fifteenth-century Ireland, who held the offices of Chancellor of Oxford, Archbishop of Dublin

Archbishop of Dublin

The Archbishop of Dublin may refer to:* Archbishop of Dublin – an article which lists of pre- and post-Reformation archbishops.* Archbishop of Dublin – the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin....

 and Lord Chancellor of Ireland

Lord Chancellor of Ireland

The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...

.

Early career

He was born in England about 1337, entered the Carmelite order, is recorded as a fellow of Merton College, Oxford

Merton College, Oxford

Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...

 in 1366, became Warden of New College in 1389 and Chancellor of Oxford in 1390.

Irish career

In 1397 on the death of Richard Northalis

Richard Northalis

Richard Northalis was an Irish cleric and jurist who held the offices of Bishop of Ossory, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland....

 he was made Archbishop of Dublin and arrived in Ireland the following year. After the accession of King Henry IV

Henry IV of England

Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...

 he undertook a mission on his behalf to Rome before being made Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1401. When Henry's son Thomas, Duke of Clarence was made Lord Deputy Cranley was appointed to his council. A letter he sent to the King around the end of 1402 paints a grim picture of English rule in Ireland. Cranley assures the King of his absolute loyalty and duty to both the King and his son, but implores the King to send money and aid since " your son is so destitute of money that he has not a penny in the world ..and his soldiers have departed from him, and the people of his household are on the point of leaving." The King , who was generally short of money, is not known to have responded.

Pressure of business, ill health and old age made Cranley increasingly unable to perform his duties, and the office of Chancellor was carried out by a deputy, Laurence Merbury

Laurence Merbury

Sir Laurence Merbury was an English born statesman in Ireland who held the office of Treasurer of Ireland and was also Deputy to the Lord Chancellor of Ireland.He was born at Marbury in Cheshire, son of Thomas Merbury....

. Cranley resigned in 1410, but in 1413 the new King Henry V reappointed him Chancellor. This is a tribute to the high regard in which the Crown, and the Lord Lieutenant the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury

Earl of Shrewsbury

Earl of Shrewsbury is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the peerage of England.-First creation, 1074:The first creation occurred in 1074 for Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors...

 held him; he also acted as justiciar.In 1417 he was asked to present a memorial on the state of Ireland to the Crown; he reached England, but died at Faringdon

Faringdon

Faringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway...

 in Berkshire on 25 May. He was buried in New College, Oxford

New College, Oxford

New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...

: the inscription on his tomb hails him as " the flower of prelates".

Appearance and character

Early historians warmly praised Cranley for both mental and physical qualities : "thou art fair beyond the children of men, grace is diffused through thy lips because of thine eloquence". He is described as tall and commanding in appearance with fair hair and a ruddy complexion, witty, eloquent and learned. As a cleric he was described as charitable, a notable preacher and a great builder of churches.