Walter Giffard

Infobox Archbishop of York
name = Walter Giffard


consecration = translated 15 October 1266
began=1 November 1266
term_end = late April 1279
predecessor = Godfrey Ludham
successor = William Wickwane
birth_date = circa 1225
birthplace =
death_date = April 1279
deathplace = York
tomb = York Minster

Walter Giffard (died April 1279) was Chancellor of England and Archbishop of York.

Family

Giffard was the son of Hugh Giffard, of Boyton in Wiltshire; [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=8457 British History Online Archbishops of York] accessed on 22 September 2007] his mother was Sibyl, the daughter and co-heiress of Walter de Cormeilles. Walter was born about 1225, and may have been the oldest son.Dobson "Giffard, Walter (c.1225–1279)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10654 Online Edition] accessed 12 November 2007] Hugh and Sybil were entrusted with the care of the young Prince Edward in 1239.Prestwich "Edward I" p. 5-6] In 1256 Giffard and his mother received the king's license to live in Boyton Castle. Giffard's brother was Bishop Godfrey Giffard — Bishop of Worcester and himself also Lord Chancellor of England; his sister Mabel was the Abbess of Shaftesbury. Walter was also a kinsman of William of Bitton I, who was Walter's predecessor at Bath. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34341 British History Online Bishops of Bath and Wells] accessed on 22 September 2007] The family was also related to Walter de Gray, who was Archbishop of York from 1215 to 1255.

Career

Walter studied at Cambridge University and took his master of arts at Oxford University. While at university Adam Marsh wrote to another scholar praising Walter's scholarly skills. Walter took holy orders and became a canon and archdeacon of Wells and a papal chaplain. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34409 British History Online Unidentified Prebends of Bath and Wells] accessed on 22 September 2007] On 22 May 1264 he was elected Bishop of Bath and Wells and received the temporalities on 1 September 1264. As the Archbishop of Canterbury, Boniface of Savoy was in France, Giffard travelled to Paris to be consecrated at Notre-Dame on 4 January 1265.Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 282] The service was performed by Peter d'Acquablanca, the Bishop of Hereford, Walter having first sworn that he would not take part against King Henry III. However, the barons were angered that he had ventured abroad against their will and ravaged nearly all his manors. Archbishop Boniface ordered him to excommunicate Simon de Montfort the Earl of Leicester and his party on Walter's return to England. Following the Battle of Evesham on 10 August 1265 King Henry made him Chancellor and awarded him a stipend of five hundred marks a year.Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 85] In August of the following year he was appointed one of the arbitrators for drawing up the award of Kenilworth which provided the disinherited lords a means of recovering their estates.

On 15 October 1266 he was appointed by Pope Clement IV to the Archbishopric of York — as part of this elevation he resigned the chancellorship and was enthroned on 1 November 1266, receiving his temporalities on Boxing dayFryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 282] . Soon after his enthronement he became involved in a dispute with Archbishop Boniface of Canterbury about the right to carry his cross erect in the southern province, and ended up making an appeal to Rome.

Although he had family wealth and much money associated with his office, he could not keep clear of debt. In the years after his appointment he paid 1600 marks to Italian money-lenders, 550 marks to certain merchants of Paris, and in 1270 sent 200 marks to his agents at Rome to expedite his affairs, hoping, "...for the present to keep out of the whirlpool of usury." Despite his own financial problems he seems to have been kind to his relatives — paying for his nephew's education and giving his brother Godfrey the Archdeaconry of York. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=6444 British History Online Archdeacons of York] accessed on 22 September 2007] His register contains many gifts to the poor, and he helped support schoolmasters at Beverley.Moorman "Church Life in England in the Thirteenth Century" p. 205-207] He also supported the scholarly careers of two of his successors at York, John le Romeyn and William Greenfield.

On 13 October 1269 he officiated at the translation of St. Edward the Confessor's relics. When leaving England, Prince Edward (who was then heir to the throne) appointed him by will in 1270 as one of the tutors of his sons. He also assisted Edward in bringing John de Warenne the Earl of Surrey to justice for the murder of Alan la Zouche at Westminster. Upon the death of Henry III on 20 November 1272 the Great Seal was delivered to the Archbishop as first Lord of the Council — in order for him, Roger Mortimer and Robert Burnell to be appointed to govern the Kingdom until the new King's return to the country.Chrimes "An Introduction to the Administrative History of Mediaeval England" p. 130]

Death

Giffard died at York on or about 22 April 1279, and he was buried in York Minster, probably in the choir. Archbishop Thoresby later removed his body to a tomb which he had erected in the presbytery. Contemporary reports state that Giffard was a handsome, happy and genial man who was fond of luxury — as a result of this in later life he grew fat which affected both his health and his temper. He was noted at the time as being a man of high character who was able and industrious.

Notes

References

* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=8457 British History Online Archbishops of York] accessed on 22 September 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=6444 British History Online Archdeacons of York] accessed on 22 September 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34341 British History Online Bishops of Bath and Wells] accessed on 22 September 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=34409 British History Online Unidentified Prebends of Bath and Wells] accessed on 22 September 2007
* Chrimes, S. B. "An Introduction to the Administrative History of Mediaeval England" Third Edition Oxford:Basil Blackwell 1966
* Dobson, R. B. "Giffard, Walter (c.1225–1279)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10654 Online Edition] accessed 12 November 2007
*
* Moorman, John R. H. "Church Life in England in the Thirteenth Century" Revised Edition Cambridge:Cambridge University Press 1955
* Prestwich, Michael "Edward I" New Haven:Yale University Press 1997 ISBN 0-300-07157-4

External links

* [http://www.britannia.com/bios/abofy/wgiffard.html Walter Giffard at Britannia Biographies]
* [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Walter_Giffard Walter Giffard at 1911 Britannica Encyclopedia Online]
* [http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/families/giffard/godfrey.shtml Godfrey Giffard's Will]

Persondata
NAME= Giffard, Walter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Lord Chancellor; Bishop of Bath; Archbishop of York
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH= April 1279
PLACE OF DEATH=York