William Lyndwood
Encyclopedia
William Lyndwood was an English
bishop of St. David's, diplomat and canonist, most notable for the publication of the Provinciale.
, one of seven children. His parents were John Lyndwood (died 1419), a prosperous wool
merchant
, and his wife Alice. There is a monumental brass
to John Lyndwood in the local parish church
in which an infant William is portrayed decked in the robes of a doctor of laws.
Lyndwood was educated at Gonville Hall, Cambridge though few details are known. He is thought to have become a fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge
though later he moved to Oxford
where he became DCL
"probably rather by incorporation than constant education". He took Holy Orders
and was ordained
deacon
in 1404 and priest
in 1407.
appointed Lyndwood to his consistory court
. Then, in 1414, Lyndwood was appointed "Official" of the Archbishop of Canterbury
(i.e. his principal adviser and representative in matters of ecclesiastical law) in 1414, and Dean of the Arches in 1426, while holding at the same time several important benefice
s and prebends. In 1434 he was made Archdeacon of Stow in the Diocese of Lincoln
, and in 1442, after an earnest recommendation from King Henry VI
, he was promoted by Pope Martin V
to the vacant See of St. David's
. During these years Lyndwood's attention was occupied by many other matters besides the study of canon law
. He had been closely associated with Archbishop Henry Chichele
in his proceedings against the Lollards. He had also acted several times as the chosen representative of the English clergy in their discussions with the Crown
over subsidies, but more especially he had repeatedly been sent abroad on diplomatic missions, for example to Portugal
, France
and the Netherlands
, besides acting as the King's Proctor at the Council of Basle in 1433 and taking a prominent part as negotiator in arranging political and commercial treaties. He was also Keeper of the Privy Seal
from 1432 to 1443. Despite the fact that so much of Lyndwood's energies were spent upon purely secular concerns nothing seems ever to have been said against his moral or religious character. He was buried in the crypt of St Stephen's Chapel
, where his body was found in 1852, wrapped in a ceremonial cloth and allegedly "almost without signs of corruption".
in the Corpus Juris, and copies of much of the medieval English legislation
enacted, in view of special needs and local conditions, to supplement the jus commune
. Lyndwood's gloss gives an account of the views accepted among the English clergy of his day upon all sorts of subjects. It should be read together with John of Acton
's gloss, composed circa 1333-1335, on the Legatine Constitutions of the thirteenth century papal legates, Cardinals Otto and Ottobuono for England, which was published with the Provinciale by Wynkyn de Worde.
The Provinciale was published as Constituciones prouinciales ecclesie anglica[n]e by Wynkyn de Worde in London in 1496). The work was frequently reprinted in the early years of the sixteenth century, but the edition produced at Oxford
in 1679 is sometimes seen as the best.
The Catholic Encyclopaedia saw the work as important in the controversy over the attitude of the Ecclesia Anglicana towards the jurisdiction of the pope. Frederic William Maitland
controversially appealed to Lyndwood's authority against the view that the "Canon Law of Rome
, though always regarded as of great authority in England, was not held to be binding on the English ecclesiastical courts". The Catholic Encyclopaedia also contends that Maitland's arguments had found broader acceptance in English law
:
However, Maitland's view of Lyndwood's authority was attacked by Ogle.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
bishop of St. David's, diplomat and canonist, most notable for the publication of the Provinciale.
Early life
Lyndwood was born in Linwood, LincolnshireLinwood, Lincolnshire
Linwood is a small village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, on the minor B1202 road about south of the town of Market Rasen....
, one of seven children. His parents were John Lyndwood (died 1419), a prosperous wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, and his wife Alice. There is a monumental brass
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
to John Lyndwood in the local parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in which an infant William is portrayed decked in the robes of a doctor of laws.
Lyndwood was educated at Gonville Hall, Cambridge though few details are known. He is thought to have become a fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
though later he moved to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
where he became DCL
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
"probably rather by incorporation than constant education". He took Holy Orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1404 and priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1407.
Career
Lyndwood had a distinguished ecclesiastical career. In 1408, Robert Hallum, Bishop of SalisburyBishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
appointed Lyndwood to his consistory court
Consistory court
The consistory court is a type of ecclesiastical court, especially within the Church of England. They were established by a charter of King William I of England, and still exist today, although since about the middle of the 19th century consistory courts have lost much of their subject-matter...
. Then, in 1414, Lyndwood was appointed "Official" of the 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...
(i.e. his principal adviser and representative in matters of ecclesiastical law) in 1414, and Dean of the Arches in 1426, while holding at the same time several important benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s and prebends. In 1434 he was made Archdeacon of Stow in the Diocese of Lincoln
Diocese of Lincoln
The Diocese of Lincoln forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire.- History :...
, and in 1442, after an earnest recommendation from King Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
, he was promoted by Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
to the vacant See of St. David's
Bishop of St David's
The Bishop of St David's is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St David's.The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the city of St David's in Pembrokeshire, founding St David's Cathedral. The current Bishop of St...
. During these years Lyndwood's attention was occupied by many other matters besides the study of canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
. He had been closely associated with Archbishop Henry Chichele
Henry Chichele
Henry Chichele , English archbishop, founder of All Souls College, Oxford, was born at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, in 1363 or 1364...
in his proceedings against the Lollards. He had also acted several times as the chosen representative of the English clergy in their discussions with the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
over subsidies, but more especially he had repeatedly been sent abroad on diplomatic missions, for example to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, 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...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, besides acting as the King's Proctor at the Council of Basle in 1433 and taking a prominent part as negotiator in arranging political and commercial treaties. He was also Keeper of the 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...
from 1432 to 1443. Despite the fact that so much of Lyndwood's energies were spent upon purely secular concerns nothing seems ever to have been said against his moral or religious character. He was buried in the crypt of St Stephen's Chapel
St Stephen's Chapel
St Stephen's Chapel was a chapel in the old Palace of Westminster. It was largely lost in the fire of 1834, but the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the crypt survived...
, where his body was found in 1852, wrapped in a ceremonial cloth and allegedly "almost without signs of corruption".
The Provincale
Lyndwood, however, is chiefly remembered for his great commentary upon the ecclesiastical decrees enacted in English provincial councils under the presidency of the Archbishops of Canterbury. This elaborate work, commonly known as the Provinciale, follows the arrangement of the titles of the Decretals of Gregory IXDecretals of Gregory IX
The decretals of Gregory IX are an important source of medieval canon law. In 1230, the pontiff ordered his chaplain and confessor, St. Raymond of Peñaforte , a Dominican, to form a new canonical collection destined to replace all former collections...
in the Corpus Juris, and copies of much of the medieval English legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
enacted, in view of special needs and local conditions, to supplement the jus commune
Jus commune
Jus commune or ius commune is Latin for "common law" in certain jurisdictions. It is often used by civil law jurists to refer to those aspects of the civil law system's invariate legal principles, sometimes called "the law of the land" in English law...
. Lyndwood's gloss gives an account of the views accepted among the English clergy of his day upon all sorts of subjects. It should be read together with John of Acton
John Acton (canon lawyer)
John Acton was an English canon lawyer, known for his commentary on the writer on the ecclesiastical Constitutions of two papal legates of the thirteenth century. Sent to Henry III of England, they were Cardinal Otto, i.e. Oddone di Monferrato, and Cardinal Ottobone, i.e. Ottobuono de' Fieschi...
's gloss, composed circa 1333-1335, on the Legatine Constitutions of the thirteenth century papal legates, Cardinals Otto and Ottobuono for England, which was published with the Provinciale by Wynkyn de Worde.
The Provinciale was published as Constituciones prouinciales ecclesie anglica[n]e by Wynkyn de Worde in London in 1496). The work was frequently reprinted in the early years of the sixteenth century, but the edition produced at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1679 is sometimes seen as the best.
The Catholic Encyclopaedia saw the work as important in the controversy over the attitude of the Ecclesia Anglicana towards the jurisdiction of the pope. Frederic William Maitland
Frederic William Maitland
Frederic William Maitland was an English jurist and historian, generally regarded as the modern father of English legal history.-Biography:...
controversially appealed to Lyndwood's authority against the view that the "Canon Law of 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...
, though always regarded as of great authority in England, was not held to be binding on the English ecclesiastical courts". The Catholic Encyclopaedia also contends that Maitland's arguments had found broader acceptance in English law
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
:
However, Maitland's view of Lyndwood's authority was attacked by Ogle.