Michael Northburgh, otherwise Michael de Northburgh (Northborough), was the

Bishop of London A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

between 1354 and his death in 1361. He was the nephew of

Roger Northburgh Roger Northburgh (died 1358) was a cleric, administrator and politician who was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1321 until his death. His was a stormy career as he was inevitably involved in many of the conflicts of his time: military, dyna ...

Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield The Bishop of Lichfield is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers 4,516 km2 (1,744 sq. mi.) of the counties of Powys, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and West M ...

. Northburgh's uncle's influence enabled him to be appointed Archdeacon of Chester in 1341 (until forced to resign in 1342) and

Archdeacon of Suffolk The Archdeacon of Suffolk is a senior cleric in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The archdeacon is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy in the territory of the archdeaconry. History Originally in the Dioceses of No ...

in 1347 (until 1353) before he had been ordained into higher orders. Whilst archdeacon he became Rector of

Pulham St. Mary Pulham Saint Mary is a rural village and civil parish in Norfolk, that lies next to the village of Pulham Market. It is situated approximately northeast of Diss and south of Norwich, covers an area of and a population of 892 at the 2011 censu ...

(1341) and acquired many canonries. He occupied the office of

Lord Privy Seal The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and abov ...

between 1350 and 1354.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 94 Northburgh was elected Bishop of London on 22 April 1354 and consecrated on 12 July 1355.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 258 His most lasting achievement as bishop was in helping to found the

Charterhouse Charterhouse may refer to: * Charterhouse (monastery), of the Carthusian religious order Charterhouse may also refer to: Places * The Charterhouse, Coventry, a former monastery * Charterhouse School, an English public school in Surrey London ...

. He bought land from Sir Walter de Manny and by his will left £2000 'for the foundation of a House according to the ritual of the

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...

order in a place commonly called "Newchirchehawe", where there is a church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Northburgh accompanied King

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ro ...

on the English expedition to France which included the

Battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King EdwardIII. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France du ...

(1346) and acted as royal clerk, writing an eyewitness account in a newsletter from the English camp, and giving the French casualties as 1,542 "without reckoning the commons and foot-soldiers". Northburgh died of the plague on 9 September 1361. In his will he left valuable books and artifacts to the illegitimate Michael Northborough, a future

Archdeacon of Colchester The Archdeacon of Colchester is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Diocese of Chelmsford – she or he has responsibilities within her archdeaconry (the Archdeaconry of Colchester) including oversight of church buildings and some supervision, d ...

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Northburgh, Michael Archdeacons of Chester Archdeacons of Suffolk Lords Privy Seal Bishops of London 14th-century deaths from plague (disease) 1361 deaths Year of birth unknown 14th-century English Roman Catholic bishops