Robert Stitchill (sometimes Robert Stichel; died 1274) was a medieval

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

in England.

Life

Stitchill probably came from the village of

Stichill Stichill is a village and civil parish in the historic county of Roxburghshire, a division of the Scottish Borders. Situated north of the Burgh of Kelso, Stichill lies north of the Eden Water and from the English Border at Coldstream. Stich ...

in Roxburghshire. His father was a priest, and may have been the William Scot who was elected to the

see of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Church of England, Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler (bishop), Pau ...

in 1226. William Scot was never confirmed as bishop, for his election was quashed by Pope

Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...

in 1227.Piper "Stichill, Robert of" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' Stitchill was a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

at Durham Cathedral and prior of a monastic cell at FinchaleGreenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces): Durham: Bishops
' before he was elected to the

on 30 September 1260.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 242 His dispensation for his illegitimate birth had already been obtained from the pope. He was consecrated

bishop 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 c ...

on 13 February 1261 at Southwell by Godfrey Ludham, the

Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...

. While bishop, Stitchill gave of land to the monks of his cathedral chapter for their support, as well as books and other gifts. However, there were disputes with the monks over the retirement of their prior, and also over the right of the bishop to oversee the affairs of the chapter. He also founded a hospital at Greatham, County Durham that survived into the modern age. He defended the rights of the bishop to the palatinate of Durham, securing a number of court decisions that upheld the palatinate rights of the bishop. Stitchill attended the Second Council of Lyon in 1274, where he obtained the permission of Pope

Gregory X Pope Gregory X ( la, Gregorius X; – 10 January 1276), born Teobaldo Visconti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 September 1271 to his death and was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. He was ...

to resign his see. He died on 4 August 1274 near Lyons, before he was able to return to Durham to resign. He was buried at

Savigny Abbey Savigny Abbey (''Abbaye de Savigny'') was a monastery near the village of Savigny-le-Vieux (Manche), in northern France. It was founded early in the 12th century. Initially it was the central house of the Congregation of Savigny, who were Benedi ...

, although his heart was sent to Durham to be buried there.

Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stitchill, Robert Bishops of Durham 1274 deaths 13th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Year of birth unknown