William Zouche
Encyclopedia
William Zouche or William de la Zouche, (died 19 July 1352 at Cawood Palace
, North Yorkshire
) was a medieval Archbishop of York
.
Zouche was a younger son of William, Lord Zouche of Haringworth, in Northamptonshire
. He was appointed Archdeacon of Barnstaple
in 1329. On 12 July 1330, he was collated Archdeacon of Exeter. In 1335 he was named Lord Privy Seal
, having already been controller of the wardrobe from 1334 to 1335 and Dean of York. In 1337 he was given the position of Lord High Treasurer
, which he held until March 1338, and then once more was Treasurer from December 1338 to May 1340.
Upon the death of Archbishop Melton of York
, King Edward III
wanted his secretary, William of Kildesby elected to the post. However, the Canons of York elected Zouche, their Dean, on 2 May 1340. The king endeavoured to set aside the election, but without effect, and, after a delay of two years, Zouche was consecrated, at Avignon
, by Pope Clement VI
on 7 July 1342.
Zouche had been employed by Edward III before his elevation to the see, but had fallen into disfavour. He was not forgiven until the year 1346, when he was made a Warden of the Marches. In this capacity, he led one of the bodies of English troops which defeated the Scots at the Battle of Neville's Cross
, close to Durham
, on 18 October 1346. The King was extremely thankful and Archbishop Zouche was asked to continue his careful watch over the border.
Whilst Archbishop, the plague known as the Black Death hit England and his diocese, and Zouche had to take action in 1349 such as ensure extra burial grounds were consecrated and get approval from the Pope to ordinate extra clergy.
Zouche died on 19 July 1352 at Cawood Palace
and was buried before the altar of St. Edward in the nave of York Minster
. He founded, and himself began the building of, a chantry adjoining south wall of the choir. This must have been taken down, when Thoresby's choir (wider than the old one) was built and no trace of it remains.
Cawood Castle
Cawood Castle was a palace for the Archbishops of York. The remains of the castle are located in Cawood, a village in North Yorkshire, England.-History:...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
) was a medieval Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The 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...
.
Zouche was a younger son of William, Lord Zouche of Haringworth, 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,...
. He was appointed Archdeacon of Barnstaple
Archdeacon of Barnstaple
The Archdeaconry of Barnstaple is one of the oldest Archdeaconries in England. It is an administrative division of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter.-History:...
in 1329. On 12 July 1330, he was collated Archdeacon of Exeter. In 1335 he was named Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
, having already been controller of the wardrobe from 1334 to 1335 and Dean of York. In 1337 he was given the position of Lord High Treasurer
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...
, which he held until March 1338, and then once more was Treasurer from December 1338 to May 1340.
Upon the death of Archbishop Melton of York
William Melton
-Life:Melton was the son of Henry of Melton, and the brother of Henry de Melton. He was born in Melton in the parish of Welton, about nine miles from Kingston upon Hull. He was a contemporary of John Hotham, Chancellor of England and Bishop of Ely...
, King Edward III
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...
wanted his secretary, William of Kildesby elected to the post. However, the Canons of York elected Zouche, their Dean, on 2 May 1340. The king endeavoured to set aside the election, but without effect, and, after a delay of two years, Zouche was consecrated, 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...
, by Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
on 7 July 1342.
Zouche had been employed by Edward III before his elevation to the see, but had fallen into disfavour. He was not forgiven until the year 1346, when he was made a Warden of the Marches. In this capacity, he led one of the bodies of English troops which defeated the Scots at the Battle of Neville's Cross
Battle of Neville's Cross
The Battle of Neville's Cross took place to the west of Durham, England on 17 October 1346.-Background:In 1346, England was embroiled in the Hundred Years' War with France. In order to divert his enemy Philip VI of France appealed to David II of Scotland to attack the English from the north in...
, close to Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, on 18 October 1346. The King was extremely thankful and Archbishop Zouche was asked to continue his careful watch over the border.
Whilst Archbishop, the plague known as the Black Death hit England and his diocese, and Zouche had to take action in 1349 such as ensure extra burial grounds were consecrated and get approval from the Pope to ordinate extra clergy.
Zouche died on 19 July 1352 at Cawood Palace
Cawood Castle
Cawood Castle was a palace for the Archbishops of York. The remains of the castle are located in Cawood, a village in North Yorkshire, England.-History:...
and was buried before the altar of St. Edward in the nave of York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
. He founded, and himself began the building of, a chantry adjoining south wall of the choir. This must have been taken down, when Thoresby's choir (wider than the old one) was built and no trace of it remains.