Thomas de Brantingham
Encyclopedia
Thomas de Brantingham was an English
clergy
man who served as Lord Treasurer
to Edward III
and on two occasions to Richard II
, and as bishop of Exeter
from 1370 until his death. De Brantingham was a member of the Brantingham family
of North East England
.
Edward III obtained preferment for him in the church, and from 1361 to 1368 he was employed in France
in responsible positions. At an early stage in de Brantingham's career, de Brantingham served as Keeper of the Wardrobe
. He was closely associated with William of Wykeham
, and while the latter was in power as chancellor, Brantingham was Lord Treasurer
to Edward III (from 1369 to 1371), and on two occasions to Richard II
(from 1377 to 1381; and in 1389), being appointed bishop of Exeter
on 5 March 1370 and consecrated as such on 12 May 1370. De Brantingham died in December 1394, probably on the 23rd, and was buried in the nave
of Exeter cathedral
.
, Cornwall
) in the peculiar jurisdiction
of St German's, concerning a suit
carried on by them for eighteen years against the Prior and Convent of St. German's
about permission for them to have their own chaplain
. The petitioners sought de Brantingham's intervention to settle the dispute, although his decision is now lost.
of Exeter Cathedral
and lists, among the beneficiaries of his will, Richard Brantingham and his wife, Joan (presumably de Brantingham's son and daughter-in-law). Nor did De Brantingham forget the village of Brantingham
, which had given its name to his family
, bequeathing to the church of Brantingham a pair of vestments or one shilling
. De Brantingham also left a book of decretal
s to each of Merton Hall and Stapledon Hall. De Brantingham's association with Stapledon Hall (now Exeter College, Oxford
) pre-dated his death to his contribution of 20 pounds
to the building of its library. As proof of his position in society, de Brantingham also remembered in (or had as a witness to) his will William Hankeford
, later Chief Justice of the King's Bench
.
Richard Brantingham is recorded in the survey of Thomas Hatfield
, Bishop of Durham, completed in 1382, as a "suiter" or lawyer
, holding a half a burgage
for life in Auckland
and paying six pence
for any omission, and one penny at the four terms. Bishop Hatfield granted a forest office to the valet
of his kitchen
, Walter Brantingham, presumably a relation.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man who served as Lord 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...
to 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...
and on two occasions to 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...
, and as bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
from 1370 until his death. De Brantingham was a member of the Brantingham family
Brantingham (family)
The Brantinghams are a once-noble family from North East England, originally from Brantingham in Yorkshire.-Coat of arms:...
of North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
.
Edward III obtained preferment for him in the church, and from 1361 to 1368 he was employed in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in responsible positions. At an early stage in de Brantingham's career, de Brantingham served as Keeper of the Wardrobe
Wardrobe (government)
The wardrobe, along with the chamber, made up the personal part of medieval English government known as the king's household. Its chief officer went under the title of Master or Keeper of the Great Wardrobe. As a result, the wardrobe often appropriated large funds from the exchequer, the main...
. He was closely associated with William of Wykeham
William of Wykeham
William of Wykeham was Bishop of Winchester, Chancellor of England, founder of Winchester College, New College, Oxford, New College School, Oxford, and builder of a large part of Windsor Castle.-Life:...
, and while the latter was in power as chancellor, Brantingham was Lord 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...
to Edward III (from 1369 to 1371), and on two occasions to 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...
(from 1377 to 1381; and in 1389), being appointed bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
on 5 March 1370 and consecrated as such on 12 May 1370. De Brantingham died in December 1394, probably on the 23rd, and was buried in the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of Exeter cathedral
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
.
Bishop of Exeter
While serving as bishop of Exeter, de Brantingham was petitioned by parishioners of "St. Tenion" (which, it has been suggested, may refer to Tinney Hall near LewannickLewannick
Lewannick is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately five miles southwest of Launceston. The civil parish has a population of 884....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
) in the peculiar jurisdiction
Royal Peculiar
A Royal Peculiar is a place of worship that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than under a bishop. The concept dates from Anglo-Saxon times, when a church could ally itself with the monarch and therefore not be subject to the bishop of the area...
of St German's, concerning a suit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
carried on by them for eighteen years against the Prior and Convent of St. German's
St German's Priory
St German's Priory is a large Norman church in the village of St Germans in south-east Cornwall, in the United Kingdom.-History:According to a credible tradition the church here was founded by St Germanus himself ca. 430 AD. The first written record however is of Conan being made Bishop in the...
about permission for them to have their own chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
. The petitioners sought de Brantingham's intervention to settle the dispute, although his decision is now lost.
Personal life
A record of de Brantingham's death, dated 13 December 1394, notes that the bishop was to be buried in the naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
and lists, among the beneficiaries of his will, Richard Brantingham and his wife, Joan (presumably de Brantingham's son and daughter-in-law). Nor did De Brantingham forget the village of Brantingham
Brantingham
Brantingham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated about north of Brough, and west of Kingston upon Hull. It lies to the north of the A63 road...
, which had given its name to his family
Brantingham (family)
The Brantinghams are a once-noble family from North East England, originally from Brantingham in Yorkshire.-Coat of arms:...
, bequeathing to the church of Brantingham a pair of vestments or one shilling
Shilling (English coin)
The English shilling was a coin of the Kingdom of England, when first introduced known as the testoon. It remained in circulation until it became the British shilling as the result of the Union of England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707.There were twenty shillings to the...
. De Brantingham also left a book of decretal
Decretal
Decretals is the name that is given in Canon law to those letters of the pope which formulate decisions in ecclesiastical law.They are generally given in answer to consultations, but are sometimes due to the initiative of the popes...
s to each of Merton Hall and Stapledon Hall. De Brantingham's association with Stapledon Hall (now Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
) pre-dated his death to his contribution of 20 pounds
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
to the building of its library. As proof of his position in society, de Brantingham also remembered in (or had as a witness to) his will William Hankeford
William Hankeford
Sir William Hankeford KS was an English lawyer, and Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1413 until 1423. His parentage is not known, but he came from a gentry family from Hankford, near Bulkworthy in Devon. He was educated at the Middle Temple, appointed serjeant-at-law in 1388 and king's...
, later Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
.
Richard Brantingham is recorded in the survey of Thomas Hatfield
Thomas Hatfield
Thomas Hatfield was Bishop of Durham from 1345 to 1381.Hatfield was receiver of the chamber when he was selected to be Lord Privy Seal in late 1344. He relinquished that office to his successor in July of 1345....
, Bishop of Durham, completed in 1382, as a "suiter" or lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, holding a half a burgage
Burgage
Burgage is a medieval land term used in England and Scotland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town rental property , owned by a king or lord. The property usually, and distinctly, consisted of a house on a long and narrow plot of land, with the narrow end facing the street...
for life in Auckland
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
and paying six pence
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
for any omission, and one penny at the four terms. Bishop Hatfield granted a forest office to the valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
of his kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
, Walter Brantingham, presumably a relation.