Nicholas of Ely was

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

of England, Bishop of Worcester, Bishop of Winchester, and

Lord High Treasurer The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State in ...

in the 13th century.

Life

Nicholas was Archdeacon of Ely when he was first appointed chancellor by Henry III in 1260, but he was sacked in favour of

Walter de Merton Walter de Merton ( – 27 October 1277) was Lord Chancellor of England, Archdeacon of Bath, founder of Merton College, Oxford, and Bishop of Rochester. For the first two years of the reign of Edward I he was - in all but name - Regent of England d ...

in 1261.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 85 His politics were in favour of the Montfortian dispensation in parliament created by the Provisions of Oxford. He supported the new activism for which compromises could be extracted on liberties from the King in exchange for voting money. But on his return from France, Henry III was absolved by the Pope from upholding the provisions. A bull was published in which the reforms were renounced. Both the Justiciar, Hugh Despenser, and the Chancellor were dismissed in favour of the faction around the Marcher Lords. However the offices of state were not abolished, and nor would the overthrow of the provisions mean punishment for the former officials. Nicholas also held prebends in the diocese of London and was a papal chaplain.British History Online Archdeacons of Ely
accessed on 2 November 2007 Nicholas was a popular reformist figure when he returned to office, although De Montfort insisted that the Council now had the power to appoint, he was appointed Treasurer at the Oxford parliament in April 1263. Montfort's victory at Windsor and Bristol over the royalists could mean that Nicholas would once more be favoured by his ally, he was granted the office of Chancellor in August, but lost both offices later in the year.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 104T.Wykes, ''Annales Monastici: The Chronicle of Thomas Wykes,''vol.4, ed.H.R. Luard, (London, 1869). He was elected to the

see of Worcester The Diocese of Worcester forms part of the Church of England (Anglican) Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese was founded around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce, one of the many ...

about 8 June 1266 and consecrated on 19 September 1266.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 279 He was enthroned at

Worcester Cathedral Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, in Worcestershire, England, situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Bles ...

on 26 September 1266.British History Online Bishops of Worcester
accessed on 2 November 2007 Nicholas was translated to the

see of Winchester The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England. Founded in 676, it is one of the older dioceses in England. It once covered Wessex, many times its present size which is today most of the historic enla ...

on 2 March 1268Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 276 by

Pope Clement IV Pope Clement IV ( la, Clemens IV; 23 November 1190 – 29 November 1268), born Gui Foucois ( la, Guido Falcodius; french: Guy de Foulques or ') and also known as Guy le Gros (French for "Guy the Fat"; it, Guido il Grosso), was bishop of Le Pu ...

. He was enthroned at

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

on 27 May 1268.British History Online Bishops of Winchester
accessed on 2 November 2007 Nicholas died on 12 February 1280.

Citations

References

British History Online Archdeacons of Ely
accessed on 2 November 2007
British History Online Bishops of Winchester
accessed on 2 November 2007
British History Online Bishops of Worcester
accessed on 2 November 2007 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas Of Ely Lord chancellors of England Lord High Treasurers of England Bishops of Worcester 13th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Year of birth missing 1280 deaths Bishops of Winchester