William of March (or William March;Clanchy ''From Memory to Written Record'' p. 94 died 1302) was a medieval

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

of England and a

Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of Do ...

Life

William was always referred to as '' magister'', and may have attended and graduated from

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 ...

.Jewell "March, William" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' He was controller of the wardrobe from 1283 to 1290 and

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of St. Martin's-le-Grand before being selected as Treasurer in August 1290. He was Treasurer until he was dismissed in August 1295.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 104 While treasurer, he introduced the practice of keeping

Exchequer In the civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty’s Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's ''current account'' (i.e., money held from taxation and other government reven ...

Journal rolls, or as accountants know them

day books A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two so ...

, which recorded the total amount in the treasury at the start of each day along with all payments made that day. This practice began in 1293, and did not record any payments made before taxes arrived at the treasury. William was a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...

of Wells by 20 March 1291 and a royal clerk.Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Bishops
' William was elected

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 ca ...

on 30 January 1293 and consecrated on 17 May 1293.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 228 As treasurer he was instrumental in putting forward administrative changes in the way the department was run. For the first time, monies coming into the treasury were recorded on special accounts and the officials of the department became more involved in the collection and assessment of taxes and other varieties of income.Prestwich ''Edward I'' p. 343 However, in August 1295 William was dismissed as treasurer, although the financial policies did not change. It may be that King

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

used March as a scapegoat, or it may be that some charges that citizens of London brought against the treasurer were felt to be valid.Prestwich ''Edward I'' p. 405 After his dismissal from the treasurership in 1295, he devoted himself to the care of his diocese, and was regarded as a pious bishop.Prestwich ''Edward I'' p. 139 William died on 11 June 1302 although current historical research is challenging that date. He was buried at

Wells Cathedral Wells Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England, dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, whose cathedra it holds as mother church of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Built as a ...

in the south transept wall on 17 June 1302. In 1325 there was a petition for him to be canonized, which continued to be supported by kings

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to t ...

and

Edward III 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 r ...

. William is supposed to have built the chapter house at

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

. His will named a brother, John March, and a nephew, Robert Urry, to whom William left monies to go on crusade in William's name.

Citations

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:William of March Bishops of Bath and Wells 1302 deaths Lord High Treasurers of England Year of birth unknown Burials at Wells Cathedral 13th-century English Roman Catholic bishops