|
John de Gray (died 18 October 1214) was a medieval English Bishop of Norwich, and the elected but unconfirmed Archbishop of Canterbury. He was employed in the service of John of England even before John's coronation as king, for which he was rewarded with a number of ecclesiastical offices, culminating in his ''pro forma'' election to Norwich in 1200. De Gray continued in royal service after his elevation to the episcopate, lending the king money and undertaking diplomatic missions on his behalf. In 1205 King John attempted to further reward de Gray with a translation to the archbishopric of Canterbury, but a disputed election process led to de Gray's selection being quashed by Pope Innocent III in 1206. Innocent consecrated Stephen Langton as archbishop against John's wishes, triggering a long dispute between the papacy and the king. The pope imposed various sanctions on England and John; at one point de Gray was one of only two bishops still legitimately holding office in England. In 1209 he became governor of Ireland for John, and spent until 1213 attempting to impose royal government on the Anglo-Norman barons and the native Irish in that country. Recalled to England to help defend against a threatened invasion by the French, de Gray then travelled to Rome to secure a papal pardon after the final settlement of John and Innocent's dispute over the bishop's abortive elevation to Canterbury. After securing his pardon de Gray was appointed Bishop of Durham, but he died on his way back to England. De Gray built a palace in his diocese and several castles in Ireland. Although reviled by one contemporary writer as an "evil counsellor" to the king,〔 modern historians have been more forgiving; one praised his intelligence and others stated that de Gray was one of the few men King John trusted throughout his life. De Gray's nephew, Walter de Gray, secured the office of Lord Chancellor with his uncle's help in 1205. ==Early life== Some describe de Gray as a native of Norfolk; he was likely descended from the Norman knight, Anchetil de Greye.〔Haines "Gray, John de" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''〕 De Gray was the uncle of Walter de Gray, later Archbishop of York.〔 The elder de Gray was instrumental in securing the selection of his nephew as Lord Chancellor,〔 as he was a surety for Walter's payment of a fine of 5000 marks to acquire the position.〔Harding ''England in the Thirteenth Century'' p. 236〕 By 1196 de Gray was in the service of Prince John (later King John), and was keeper of John's seal by 1198.〔Greenway ''(Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 6: York: Archdeacons of Cleveland )''〕 After John's accession to the throne of England in 1199 he became Archdeacon of Cleveland in March 1200,〔 and Archdeacon of Gloucester before April that year.〔Greenway ''(Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces): Worcester: Archdeacons of Gloucester )''〕 He also served as John's secretary,〔Warren ''King John'' pp. 160–162〕 and frequently as a deputy for the Lord Chancellor, Hubert Walter.〔Young ''Hubert Walter'' p. 149〕 Shortly after John became king, de Gray began travelling between England and the continent on royal business, and for the first two years of John's reign was active in the royal chancery, sealing royal charters.〔 De Gray was elected Bishop of Norwich on about 7 September 1200,〔 although the election was purely ''pro forma'',〔 as acknowledged by a contemporary writer Roger of Howden, who stated that the new bishop "succeeded to the bishopric of Norwich by the gift of King John".〔Quoted in Warren ''King John'' p. 160〕 De Gray was consecrated on 24 September.〔Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 261〕 His consecration took place together with that of the new Bishop of Hereford Giles de Braose at Westminster, at the conclusion of a provincial church council held by Archbishop Walter, which de Gray had been attending.〔Cheney ''Hubert Walter'' p. 65〕 Walter performed the ceremony in a chapel of Westminster Abbey.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John de Gray」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|