William Fitzstephen (also William fitz Stephen), (died c. 1191) was a cleric and administrator in the service of

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

. In the 1170s he wrote a long biography of Thomas Becket – the ''Vita Sancti Thomae'' (Life of St. Thomas). Fitzstephen had been Becket's personal household clerk for ten years and, when Becket became

Chancellor of England 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. The ...

, Becket gave his clerk full authority to act in his name in diocesan matters. Fitzstephen became a

subdeacon Subdeacon (or sub-deacon) is a minor order or ministry for men in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed between the acolyte (or reader) and the deacon in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

with responsibility for perusing letters and petitions involving the diocese. Fitzstephen appeared with Becket at the council at

Northampton Castle Northampton Castle at Northampton, was one of the most famous Norman castles in England. The castle site was outside the western city gate, and defended on three sides by deep trenches. A branch of the River Nene provided a natural barrier on the ...

, where the archbishop was disgraced. When Becket was then forced into exile, after refusing to sign the

Constitutions of Clarendon The Constitutions of Clarendon were a set of legislative procedures passed by Henry II of England in 1164. The Constitutions were composed of 16 articles and represent an attempt to restrict ecclesiastical privileges and curb the power of the Chur ...

, King Henry II accepted a petition, in verse, from Fitzstephen and pardoned him from the banishment meted upon his master. When Becket and the king reconciled, Fitzstephen became his administrator once more. Fitzstephen records that he was among those of Becket's advisors who cautioned against excommunicating king Henry. Fitzstephen was with Becket on the day of Becket's assassination in

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

in 1170. Fitzstephen wrote a biography of Becket, in which he gives a clear description of the differences between the archbishop and the King. This also included an account of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in the 12th century, which was included in the biography as a preface, . The three editions of this work demonstrate a continuing familiarity with the life of the city, and for this reason he is not thought to be the same William Fitzstephen whom Henry appointed to be

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

and itinerant

justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

in 1171.

References

* * * Endnotes: ** Materials for the Hist. of Thomas Becket, ed. Robertson (Rolls Ser.), vol. iii. contains Fitzstephen's Vita Sti Thomæ ** Roger of Hoveden, ed. Stubbs (Rolls Ser.), vol. ii. ** Madox's Hist. of the Exchequer (ed. 1769), vols. i. and ii. ** Foss's Judges, vol. i; Wright's Biographia Literaria, vol. ii. ** Hardy's Cat. of Manuscript Materials for Hist. of Great Britain and Ireland, ii.

External links

VITA SANCTI THOMAE, CANTUARIENSIS ARCHIEPISCOPI ET MARTYRIS, AUCTORE WILLELMO FILIO STEPHANI
1882 edition of the original Latin in

Hathi Trust HathiTrust Digital Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via Google Books and the Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally ...

An Annotated Translation of the Life of St. Thomas Becket by William Fitzstephen -- Part One
translated from Latin to English by Leo T. Gourde, year 1943
An Annotated Translation of the Life of St. Thomas Becket By William Fitzstephen -- Part Two
translated from Latin to English by Mary Aelred Sinclair, year 1944

- a translation * * 1191 deaths Crime witnesses Year of birth unknown Anglo-Normans {{England-reli-bio-stub

See also

References

External links