William of Wykeham
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William of Wykeham (1320 – September 27, 1404) was Bishop of Winchester, Chancellor of England, founder of Winchester College and of New College, Oxford, and builder of a large part of Windsor Castle.
William was born to an undistinguished family, in Wickham, Hampshire, and educated at a school in Winchester. He was appointed Justice in Eyre south of the Trent along with Peter Atte Wode in 1361, a position he held until about 1367. He became secretary to the constable of Winchester Castle and in that capacity learned a lot about building. This led to architectural work for King Edward III, for whom he reconstucted Windsor Castle. William was paid for these services by being given the incomes of various churches, and eventually, in 1362, he was ordained. He had shown considerable talent as an administrator and in 1366 he became Bishop of Winchester, and in the following year, Chancellor of England. He resigned this position in 1371 and began a long conflict with John of Gaunt. However, with the ascension of Richard II to the throne, William was reappointed Chancellor in 1389.
He had many ups and downs in his long career, but at the time of his death, he was one of the richest men in England. Much of his wealth went into the schools he patronized, but he also contrived to leave a fortune to a nephew, whose descendants include the Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes family.
His motto was 'Manners makyth man'. This, along with a heraldic style crest, were adopted by him and not acquired by descent. His biography was written by Bishop Lowth. He was also written about by Lord Brougham in his 'Old England's Worthies' (1857) and by Froissart.
His family name, despite what the spelling seems to indicate, is pronounced "wickum".
[edit] Further reading
- CAMPBELL, Lives of the Lord Chancellors (London, 1848), I, xv, xvii
- DRANE, The Three Chancellors (London, 1882), 1-112
- KITCHIN, Winchester in Historic Towns Series (London, 1890).
- LOWTH, Life of William of Wykeham (London, 1759)
- MOBERLY, Life of William Wykeham (Wells, 1887)
- WALCOTT, William of Wykeham and his Colleges (London, 1897)
| Religious Posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Edington |
Bishop of Winchester 1366-1404 |
Succeeded by Henry Cardinal Beaufort |
| Legal Offices | ||
| Preceded by Thomas de Braose |
Justice in Eyre south of the Trent with Peter atte Wood 1361–1367 |
Succeeded by John de la Lee |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Buckingham |
Lord Privy Seal 1363–1367 |
Succeeded by Peter Lacy |
| Preceded by Simon Langham |
Lord Chancellor 1367–1371 |
Succeeded by Sir Robert Thorp |
| Preceded by Thomas Arundel |
Lord Chancellor 1389–1391 |
Succeeded by Thomas Arundel |
