Richard FitzJames (died 1522) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

academic and administrator who became successively

Bishop of Rochester The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury. The town of Rochester has the bishop's seat, at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was foun ...

Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of East and West Sussex. The see is based in the City of Chichester where the bishop's seat ...

, and

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 ...

Origins

Born about 1442, he was the son of John FitzJames (died 1476), who lived at Redlynch in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, and his wife Alice Newburgh. The judge, Sir

John FitzJames Sir John Fitzjames (c. 1465/70 – c. 1542) was Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1526 until 1539. Sir John was a nephew of Richard Fitzjames, Bishop of London during the Hunne case. Sir John had also been Recorder of Bristol, Attorney ...

was his nephew.

Career

He was principal of

St Alban Hall, Oxford St Alban Hall, sometimes known as St Alban's Hall or Stubbins, was one of the medieval halls of the University of Oxford, and one of the longest-surviving. It was established in the 13th century, acquired by neighbouring Merton College in the ...

from 1477 to 1481 and

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in 1481 and 1491. He was nominated to the

see of Rochester The Diocese of Rochester is a Church of England diocese in the English county of Kent and the Province of Canterbury. The cathedral church of the diocese is Rochester Cathedral in the former city of Rochester. The bishop's Latin episcopal signat ...

on 2 January 1497 and consecrated on 21 May 1497, being translated to the

see of Chichester See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

on 29 November 1503.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 268 He was translated from Chichester to the

see of London The Diocese of London forms part of the Church of England's Province of Canterbury in England. It lies directly north of the Thames. For centuries the diocese covered a vast tract and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north ...

about 5 June 1506.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 240 He died in London on 15 January 1522,Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 259 and was buried in a tomb he had prepared for himself in the nave of

Old St Paul's Cathedral Old St Paul's Cathedral was the cathedral of the City of London that, until the Great Fire of London, Great Fire of 1666, stood on the site of the present St Paul's Cathedral. Built from 1087 to 1314 and dedicated to Paul of Tarsus, Saint Paul, ...

, with his arms being depicted on the ceiling. During his life he had co-founded a school in his native Somerset, now known as King's School Bruton, which he remembered in his will dated 11 April 1518.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzjames, Richard Bishops of Rochester 16th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Bishops of Chichester Bishops of London Vice-Chancellors of the University of Oxford Year of birth missing 15th-century births 1522 deaths 15th-century English people Founders of English schools and colleges Wardens of Merton College, Oxford Principals of St Alban Hall, Oxford