John Russell (bishop)

Infobox bishopbiog
name = John Russell


religion =Catholic
See =Diocese of Lincoln
Title = Bishop of Lincoln
Period = 1480–1494
Predecessor = Thomas Rotherham
Successor =William Smyth
ordination =
bishops = Bishop of Rochester
post =
date of birth =
place of birth =
date of death =December 30 1494
place of death =

John Russell (died 30 December1494) was an English Bishop of Rochester and bishop of Lincoln and Lord Chancellor.

Life

He was admitted to Winchester College in 1443, and in 1449 went to Oxford as Fellow of New College. He resigned his fellowship in 1462, and appears to have entered the royal service.

In April of 1467 and January of 1468 he was employed on diplomatic missions for Edward IV of England to Charles the Bold, at Bruges. He was there again in February of 1470 as one of the envoys to invest Charles with the Order of the Garter: the Latin speech which Russell delivered on this last occasion was one of William Caxton's earliest publications, probably printed for him at Bruges by Colard Mansion [See Blades, Life of Caxton, i. p. vii, ii. 29-31.] .

In May of 1474 he was promoted to be keeper of the privy seal,Powicke "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 93] and retained his office even after his consecration as bishop of Rochester on 22 September 1476, and translation to the post of bishop of Lincoln on 9 September 1480.Powicke "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 249]

As a trusted minister of Edward IV, he was one of the executors of the king's will; but on 13 May 1483 he accepted the office of chancellor in the interest of Richard of Gloucester, apparently with great reluctance. He retained the great seal until 29 July 1485.Powicke "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 86]

Russell was above all things an official, and was sometimes employed by Henry VII in public affairs. But his last years were occupied chiefly with the business of his diocese, and of the university of Oxford, of which he had been elected chancellor in 1483. He died at Nettleham, and was buried at Lincoln Cathedral.

Sir Thomas More calls Russell "a wise manne and a good, and of much experience, and one of the best-learned men, undoubtedly, that England had in hys time." Two English speeches composed by Russell, for the intended parliament of Edward V, and the first parliament of Richard III, are printed in Nichols's "Grants of Edward V" [Camden Society] . Some other writings remain in manuscript.

ee also

* List of bishops of Rochester
* List of bishops of Lincoln and precursor offices
* List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers

Notes

References

*
* Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961

Further reading

For contemporary notices see especially More's "Life of Richard III", the Continuation of the Croyland Chronicle, ap. Freeman Scriptores, and Bentley's "Excerpta Historica", pp. 16-17.
* Wood, "History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford"
* T. Kirby, "Winchester Scholars", and "Annals of Winchester College"
* Campbell, "Lives of the Chancellors"
* Foss, "Judges of England"
* "Concise Dictionary of National Biography"

External links

* [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/John_Russell_(Bishop) Source]

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Persondata
NAME=Russell, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Lord Privy Seal; Lord Chancellor of England; Bishop of Rochester; Bishop of Lincoln
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=December 30, 1494
PLACE OF DEATH=