Walter Langton
Encyclopedia
Walter Langton was a bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and treasurer of England
.
He was probably a native of Langton West in Leicestershire
.
The life of Bishop Walter Langton, was strongly influenced by his family, Father William Langton (his uncle) and mentor, Bishop Robert Burnell
, Lord Chancellor of England. Then by the years in which he served King Edward I of England.
Although there is little research on the issue, he may have entered the church at a similar age. It is known that his uncle William Langton became Dean of York in 1262 and he may have come under his uncle's supervision at that time. In 1265 his uncle William Langton was elected by the brothers, Archbishop of York, but his appointment was superseded by the Pope's appointment of Bonaventura.
In public life both men took the name of their village of Langton West in Leicestershire, however their family name was Peverel. Hughes says:
Copies of charters preserved in his register, by which Langton granted land and the advowson
of the church of Adlingfleet
, Yorkshire, to Selby Abbey
, clearly states his paternity: Langton names himself as the son and heir of Simon Peverel. Although there is little research on the issue, it may be supposed that this family of Peverels represented that of William Peverel the favourite illegitimate son of William the Conqueror
. William Peverel built Peveril Castle
at Castleton to protect the Royal Forest of the Peak of which he was the "High Steward". He also had a son called William Peverel, who attempted to poison Ranulf Earl of Chester
and was accused of being a witch. As a result the family had it estates confiscated by the Crown and it fell from honour. Although it occurred a considerable time before, it may be supposed that the two men adopted another name in public life to give them advantage which their family name no longer could.
Keighley Shared Church is represented by St Andrew’s Church at Keighley
, West Yorkshire. Amongst its rectors is listed Walter de Langton, inducted 1272. More research into the Bishop’s life at this time may shed more light into his relationship with the wife of Sir John Lovetot.
It is said in the chronicles that King Edward I of England selected Walter Langton for his service.
, Bishop Robert Burnell
of Bath and Wells
, was also Archdeacon
of York. It may be supposed through his duties in York he became a friend of William Langton and through the two men, Walter Langton was introduced to the King. The King must have liked the young man, for he selected him for his service and in later years Bishop Walter Langton became unquestionably Edwards’s first minister and almost his only real confidant.
Appointed a clerk in the royal chancery
, he became a favourite servant of Edward I
, taking part in the suit over the succession to the Scottish throne in 1292, and visiting France more than once on diplomatic business. In 1293 he rushed to Lambeth to obtain a charter transferring the Isle of Wight to the king from Isabella de Fortibus
who was near to death. He obtained several ecclesiastical preferments, became treasurer in 1295, and in 1296 bishop of Lichfield
, being elected on 20 February and consecrated on 23 December.
Having become unpopular, the barons in 1301 vainly asked Edward to dismiss him; about the same time he was accused of murder, adultery
and simony
. Suspended from his office, he went to Rome
to be tried before Pope Boniface VIII
, who referred the case to Winchelsea, archbishop of Canterbury
; the archbishop, although Langton's lifelong enemy, found him innocent, and this sentence was confirmed by Boniface in 1303.
Little is said about the nature of the charges of witchcraft against Bishop Walter Langton. By inference Pope Boniface VIII was charged, about the same time with Invocation, consultation of diviners, and other offenses, by officials of King Philip IV of France
. About which more information is available.
Accounts by historians say little about how Bishop Walter Langton escaped the charges of Witchcraft at the tribunal at the Vatican over the 2 years he had to defend himself there. But a strong protest from King Edward I saw Pope Boniface refer the case back to English jurisdiction. Bishop Walter Langton was allowed to return to England and his was eventually found innocent. This incident represents a political struggle between the Archbishop Robert Winchelsea, the King and his councillor.
Throughout these difficulties, and also during a quarrel with the prince of Wales, afterwards Edward II
, the treasurer was loyally supported by the king. Visiting Pope Clement V
on royal business in 1305, Langton appears to have persuaded Clement to suspend Winchelsea; after his return to England he was the chief adviser of Edward I, who had already appointed him the principal executor of his will.
His position, however, was changed by the king's death in July 1307. The accession of Edward II
and the return of Langton's enemy, Piers Gaveston
, were quickly followed by the arrest of the bishop, his removal from office, and imprisonment at London
, Windsor
and Wallingford. His lands, together with a great hoard of movable wealth, were seized, and he was accused of misappropriation and venality. In spite of the intercession of Clement V and even of the restored Archbishop Winchelsea, who was anxious to uphold the privileges of his order, Langton, accused again by the barons in 1309, remained in prison after Edward's surrender to the Ordainers in 1310.
He was released in January 1312 and again became treasurer; but he was disliked by the ordainers, who forbade him to discharge the duties of his office. Excommunicated
by Winchelsea, he appealed to the pope, visited him at Avignon
, and returned to England after the archbishop's death in May 1313. He was a member of the royal council from this time until his dismissal at the request of parliament in 1315. He died on 9 November 1321, and was buried in Lichfield Cathedral
, which was improved and enriched at his expense. Langton appears to have been no relation of his contemporary, John Langton
, bishop of Chichester
.
Lord High Treasurer
The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Act of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third highest ranked Great Officer of State, below the Lord High Chancellor and above the Lord President...
.
He was probably a native of Langton West in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
The life of Bishop Walter Langton, was strongly influenced by his family, Father William Langton (his uncle) and mentor, Bishop Robert Burnell
Robert Burnell
Robert Burnell was an English bishop who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1274 to 1292. A native of Shropshire, he served as a minor royal official before entering into the service of Prince Edward, the future King Edward I of England...
, Lord Chancellor of England. Then by the years in which he served King Edward I of England.
Life before royal service
According to the Hughes paper:- In October 1298 Bishop Langton was licensed by Henry of NewarkHenry of Newark-Life:Nothing is known of Henry's ancestry, but he probably took his name from Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, where he owned some property. He wrote in 1298 that he had been brought up in the Gilbertine order of monks, but where exactly is unclear. Likewise, where he was educated is unknown....
, archbishop of YorkArchbishop of YorkThe Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, to ordain Walter and Robert Clipston, (his nephews), then aged seven and five years respectively, to all minor orders.
Although there is little research on the issue, he may have entered the church at a similar age. It is known that his uncle William Langton became Dean of York in 1262 and he may have come under his uncle's supervision at that time. In 1265 his uncle William Langton was elected by the brothers, Archbishop of York, but his appointment was superseded by the Pope's appointment of Bonaventura.
In public life both men took the name of their village of Langton West in Leicestershire, however their family name was Peverel. Hughes says:
- Langton's register clarifies the bishop's connection with the Peverel families of LeicestershireLeicestershireLeicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire 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,...
and shows that he was a Peverel by birth.
Copies of charters preserved in his register, by which Langton granted land and the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of the church of Adlingfleet
Adlingfleet
Adlingfleet is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that forms part of the civil parish of Twin Rivers. It is situated approximately to the east of Goole town centre.-History:...
, Yorkshire, to Selby Abbey
Selby Abbey
Selby Abbey is an Anglican parish church in the town of Selby, North Yorkshire.-Background:It is one of the relatively few surviving abbey churches of the medieval period, and, although not a cathedral, is one of the biggest...
, clearly states his paternity: Langton names himself as the son and heir of Simon Peverel. Although there is little research on the issue, it may be supposed that this family of Peverels represented that of William Peverel the favourite illegitimate son of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. William Peverel built Peveril Castle
Peveril Castle
Peveril Castle is a medieval building overlooking the village of Castleton in the English county of Derbyshire. Its site provides views across the Hope Valley and Cave Dale. The castle is named after its founder, William Peveril, who held lands in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire on behalf of the king...
at Castleton to protect the Royal Forest of the Peak of which he was the "High Steward". He also had a son called William Peverel, who attempted to poison Ranulf Earl of Chester
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Honour of Chester :The...
and was accused of being a witch. As a result the family had it estates confiscated by the Crown and it fell from honour. Although it occurred a considerable time before, it may be supposed that the two men adopted another name in public life to give them advantage which their family name no longer could.
Keighley Shared Church is represented by St Andrew’s Church at Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
, West Yorkshire. Amongst its rectors is listed Walter de Langton, inducted 1272. More research into the Bishop’s life at this time may shed more light into his relationship with the wife of Sir John Lovetot.
It is said in the chronicles that King Edward I of England selected Walter Langton for his service.
Life after entering royal service for King Edward I
Though his Lord ChancellorLord 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...
, Bishop Robert Burnell
Robert Burnell
Robert Burnell was an English bishop who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1274 to 1292. A native of Shropshire, he served as a minor royal official before entering into the service of Prince Edward, the future King Edward I of England...
of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
, was also Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of York. It may be supposed through his duties in York he became a friend of William Langton and through the two men, Walter Langton was introduced to the King. The King must have liked the young man, for he selected him for his service and in later years Bishop Walter Langton became unquestionably Edwards’s first minister and almost his only real confidant.
Appointed a clerk in the royal chancery
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...
, he became a favourite servant of Edward I
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...
, taking part in the suit over the succession to the Scottish throne in 1292, and visiting France more than once on diplomatic business. In 1293 he rushed to Lambeth to obtain a charter transferring the Isle of Wight to the king from Isabella de Fortibus
Isabella de Fortibus
Isabella de Fortibus was the eldest daughter of Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon. At the age of 11 or 12 she became the second wife of William de Fortibus who owned land in Yorkshire and Cumberland and was the count of Aumale in Normandy. When he died in 1260 part of his estates were...
who was near to death. He obtained several ecclesiastical preferments, became treasurer in 1295, and in 1296 bishop of Lichfield
Bishop of Lichfield
The Bishop of Lichfield is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 4,516 km² of the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed...
, being elected on 20 February and consecrated on 23 December.
Having become unpopular, the barons in 1301 vainly asked Edward to dismiss him; about the same time he was accused of murder, adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
and simony
Simony
Simony is the act of paying for sacraments and consequently for holy offices or for positions in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus , who appears in the Acts of the Apostles 8:9-24...
. Suspended from his office, he went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to be tried before Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII , born Benedetto Gaetani, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303. Today, Boniface VIII is probably best remembered for his feuds with Dante, who placed him in the Eighth circle of Hell in his Divina Commedia, among the Simonists.- Biography :Gaetani was born in 1235 in...
, who referred the case to Winchelsea, archbishop of Canterbury
Robert Winchelsey
Robert Winchelsey was an English Christian theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury. He studied at the universities of Paris and Oxford, and later taught at both. Influenced by Thomas Aquinas, he was a scholastic theologian...
; the archbishop, although Langton's lifelong enemy, found him innocent, and this sentence was confirmed by Boniface in 1303.
Little is said about the nature of the charges of witchcraft against Bishop Walter Langton. By inference Pope Boniface VIII was charged, about the same time with Invocation, consultation of diviners, and other offenses, by officials of King Philip IV of France
Philip IV of France
Philip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of...
. About which more information is available.
Accounts by historians say little about how Bishop Walter Langton escaped the charges of Witchcraft at the tribunal at the Vatican over the 2 years he had to defend himself there. But a strong protest from King Edward I saw Pope Boniface refer the case back to English jurisdiction. Bishop Walter Langton was allowed to return to England and his was eventually found innocent. This incident represents a political struggle between the Archbishop Robert Winchelsea, the King and his councillor.
Throughout these difficulties, and also during a quarrel with the prince of Wales, afterwards 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...
, the treasurer was loyally supported by the king. Visiting Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
on royal business in 1305, Langton appears to have persuaded Clement to suspend Winchelsea; after his return to England he was the chief adviser of Edward I, who had already appointed him the principal executor of his will.
Life after the King's death
There is an elaborate pictorial representation of the life of King Edward I in Bishop Walter Langton's residence housed outside of the Cathedral of Lichfield.His position, however, was changed by the king's death in July 1307. The accession of 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...
and the return of Langton's enemy, Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of King Edward II of England. At a young age he made a good impression on King Edward I of England, and was assigned to the household of the King's son, Edward of Carnarvon...
, were quickly followed by the arrest of the bishop, his removal from office, and imprisonment at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
and Wallingford. His lands, together with a great hoard of movable wealth, were seized, and he was accused of misappropriation and venality. In spite of the intercession of Clement V and even of the restored Archbishop Winchelsea, who was anxious to uphold the privileges of his order, Langton, accused again by the barons in 1309, remained in prison after Edward's surrender to the Ordainers in 1310.
He was released in January 1312 and again became treasurer; but he was disliked by the ordainers, who forbade him to discharge the duties of his office. Excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
by Winchelsea, he appealed to the pope, visited him at Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, and returned to England after the archbishop's death in May 1313. He was a member of the royal council from this time until his dismissal at the request of parliament in 1315. He died on 9 November 1321, and was buried in Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
, which was improved and enriched at his expense. Langton appears to have been no relation of his contemporary, John Langton
John Langton
John Langton was a chancellor of England and Bishop of Chichester-Life:Langton was a clerk in the royal chancery, serving as the first Master of the Rolls from May 1286, and became chancellor in 1292...
, 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...
.