Walter de Gray
Encyclopedia
Walter de Gray was an English
prelate and statesman who rose to be Archbishop of York
and Lord Chancellor
.
and nephew of John de Gray
(the Younger), Bishop of Norwich
. His sister, Hawise, married the Justiciar
of England, Philip Basset
. He studied at the University of Oxford
, attending lectures by Edmund of Abingdon.
Gray was a favorite of King John of England
, who named him Lord Chancellor
in 1205, having paid John 5000 marks for the office. He was named Bishop of Lichfield
in 1210, but was not consecrated as bishop there. Gray was then elected Bishop of Worcester
on 20 January 1214, and resigned as chancellor in October 1214. His consecration as Bishop of Worcester took place on 5 October 1214. Gray was present at the signing of Magna Carta
in June 1215. While he was away from England on an errand for the king, he was appointed Archbishop of York, being elected on 10 November 1215 through the influence of John and Pope Innocent III
. John had wanted Walter, but, the canon
s of York felt that Walter was uneducated, and selected Simon Langton
, brother of Stephen Langton
Archbishop of Canterbury
instead. John objected, and wrote to Innocent III complaining of the election of the brother of one of his staunchest enemies, and Innocent agreed. However, Walter in the end paid more than ₤10,000 to the pope in various fees to get his election confirmed. Walter attended the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.
Gray was an important royal official during the minority of Henry III
, who often sent him on diplomatic missions. Henry also named Gray as guardian of England when the king went to France in 1242. In 1252, Walter hosted King Henry and King Alexander III of Scotland
for the Christmas feasts at York, which event cost the archbishop ₤2500. Gray attempted to assert his archiepiscopal authority over Scotland, which not only resisted by the Scots but by the Archbishops of Canterbury. Gray had little success in defending his rights to Scotland against either adversary. Gray built the south transept of York Minster
purchased the village of Bishopthorpe
, which became the residence of the archbishop of York. He also donated to the church at Ripon
.
Gray held a series of councils in his diocese from 1241 to 1255 which endeavored to enforce clerical celibacy, keep benefices from being inherited, and improve the education and morals of the clergy. He gave generously to his cathedral and other churches, as well as working to endown vicarages. He visited many of the monasteries of his diocese and helped those that were in financial difficulties. He also oversaw the translation of Wilfrid
's remains to a new shrine at Ripon.
In 1255, Gray visited London to attend a meeting of parliament, and died at Fulham
on the 1 May 1255. He was buried on 15 May 1255 at York Minster.
Gray's three nephews were William Langton
(or Rotherfield) who was Dean of York
and was elected archbishop of York but never consecrated, and Walter le Breton and Walter de Grey, who were canons of York.
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...
prelate and statesman who rose to be 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...
and 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...
.
Life
Gray was the son of John de Gray the Elder of Eaton in NorfolkEaton, Norfolk
Eaton is a suburb of the city of Norwich, the county town of Norfolk in the East of England.Eaton lies to the southwest of the city centre on the A11 road, the main route to London/Cambridge...
and nephew of John de Gray
John de Gray
John de Gray was Bishop of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk, as well as being elected Archbishop of Canterbury, but was never confirmed as archbishop.-Life:...
(the Younger), Bishop of Norwich
Bishop of Norwich
The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The see is in the City of Norwich where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided...
. His sister, Hawise, married the Justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
of England, Philip Basset
Philip Basset
Philip Basset was the Justiciar of England.Philip was the son of Alan Basset of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and his wife, Alice, the daughter of Stephen Gray. He inherited the manor of Wycombe and served as the Justiciar of England between the two terms served by his son-in-law, Hugh le...
. He studied at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, attending lectures by Edmund of Abingdon.
Gray was a favorite of King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, who named him 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...
in 1205, having paid John 5000 marks for the office. He was named 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...
in 1210, but was not consecrated as bishop there. Gray was then elected Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
on 20 January 1214, and resigned as chancellor in October 1214. His consecration as Bishop of Worcester took place on 5 October 1214. Gray was present at the signing of Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
in June 1215. While he was away from England on an errand for the king, he was appointed Archbishop of York, being elected on 10 November 1215 through the influence of John and Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
. John had wanted Walter, but, the canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s of York felt that Walter was uneducated, and selected Simon Langton
Simon Langton (archbishop)
Simon Langton was an English medieval clergyman who served as Archdeacon of Canterbury from 1227 until his death in 1248. He had previously been Archbishop-elect of York, but the election was quashed by Pope Innocent III.-Life:...
, brother of Stephen Langton
Stephen Langton
Stephen Langton was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and his death in 1228 and was a central figure in the dispute between King John of England and Pope Innocent III, which ultimately led to the issuing of Magna Carta in 1215...
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...
instead. John objected, and wrote to Innocent III complaining of the election of the brother of one of his staunchest enemies, and Innocent agreed. However, Walter in the end paid more than ₤10,000 to the pope in various fees to get his election confirmed. Walter attended the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.
Gray was an important royal official during the minority of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
, who often sent him on diplomatic missions. Henry also named Gray as guardian of England when the king went to France in 1242. In 1252, Walter hosted King Henry and King Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...
for the Christmas feasts at York, which event cost the archbishop ₤2500. Gray attempted to assert his archiepiscopal authority over Scotland, which not only resisted by the Scots but by the Archbishops of Canterbury. Gray had little success in defending his rights to Scotland against either adversary. Gray built the south transept 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...
purchased the village of Bishopthorpe
Bishopthorpe
Bishopthorpe is a village and civil parish three miles south of York in the City of York unitary authority and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the River Ouse, and has a population of 3,174. Prior to 1996 it was part of the Selby district...
, which became the residence of the archbishop of York. He also donated to the church at Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
.
Gray held a series of councils in his diocese from 1241 to 1255 which endeavored to enforce clerical celibacy, keep benefices from being inherited, and improve the education and morals of the clergy. He gave generously to his cathedral and other churches, as well as working to endown vicarages. He visited many of the monasteries of his diocese and helped those that were in financial difficulties. He also oversaw the translation of Wilfrid
Wilfrid
Wilfrid was an English bishop and saint. Born a Northumbrian noble, he entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Gaul, and at Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and became the abbot of a newly founded monastery at Ripon...
's remains to a new shrine at Ripon.
In 1255, Gray visited London to attend a meeting of parliament, and died at Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
on the 1 May 1255. He was buried on 15 May 1255 at York Minster.
Gray's three nephews were William Langton
William Langton
William Langton was a medieval English priest and nephew of Archbishop Walter de Gray. William was selected but never consecrated as Archbishop of York and Bishop of Carlisle....
(or Rotherfield) who was Dean of York
Dean of York
The Dean of York is the member of the clergy who is responsible for the running of the York Minster cathedral.-11th–12th centuries:* 1093–c.1135: Hugh* c.1138–1143: William of Sainte-Barbe...
and was elected archbishop of York but never consecrated, and Walter le Breton and Walter de Grey, who were canons of York.