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William Edington (died 6 or 7 October 1366) was an English bishop and administrator. He served as
Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' (except dur ...
from 1346 until his death,
Keeper of the wardrobe The King's Wardrobe, together with the Chamber, made up the personal part of medieval English government known as the King's household. Originally the room where the king's clothes, armour, and treasure were stored, the term was expanded to desc ...
from 1341 to 1344,
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 ...
from 1344 to 1356, and finally as
chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law co ...
from 1356 until he retired from royal administration in 1363. Edington's reforms of the administration – in particular of royal finances – had wide-ranging consequences, and contributed to the English military efficiency in the early stages of the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Planta ...
. As Bishop of Winchester he was responsible for starting an extensive rebuilding of
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 ...
, and for founding Edington Priory, the church of which still stands today.


Royal service

Edington's parents were Roger and Amice of Edington near Westbury, Wiltshire. Though it has been claimed that he was educated at
Oxford 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 ...
, there seems to be no support for this. His first patron, however, was the Oxford chancellor Gilbert Middleton, who was also a royal counsellor. When Middleton died in 1331, Edington entered the service of Middleton's friend, Adam Orleton, Bishop of Winchester. Through Orleton, Edington's abilities were brought to the attention of King
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 ro ...
, and in 1341 the King named him
keeper of the wardrobe The King's Wardrobe, together with the Chamber, made up the personal part of medieval English government known as the King's household. Originally the room where the king's clothes, armour, and treasure were stored, the term was expanded to desc ...
. The position was an important one; the wardrobe functioned as the treasury while the King was on campaign, and Edward strongly resisted any attempts to limit this royal prerogative. The King must have been impressed by Edington's performance, because in 1344 he made him treasurer of the realm, a position he held for the exceptionally long period of twelve years. This was a job fraught with problems, as the nation was in serious financial difficulties by the mid-1340s. The treasury was in great debt from the heavy demands of the early stages of the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Planta ...
. By then reneging on his debts, the king had lost public confidence, and struggled to obtain new loans. Edington saw the need to bring all royal expenditure under the oversight of the
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 ...
. This did not entail controlling the King's use of his resources – a move Edward would have resented greatly – but simply attempting to budget all revenues and expenses. By the early 1360s this was largely achieved; a testimony to the capabilities and energy of Edington as an administrator. In 1356 he was named chancellor, a post he held until his retirement from the national scene in 1363, possibly for health reasons.


Ecclasiastical career

Edington also held ecclesiastical
benefices A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
. After his education at Oxford he held a succession of rectorates in Northamptonshire: first at Cottingham, then at Dallington, and finally from 1322 at
Middleton Cheney Middleton Cheney is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. The village is about east of Banbury in Oxfordshire and about west-northwest of Brackley. The A422 road between Banbury and Brackley used to pass through Middle ...
. In 1335 Orleton collated Edington to the rectory of Cheriton, Hampshire, and from 1335 to 1346 he was master of the
Hospital of St Cross The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty is a medieval almshouse in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It has been described as "England's oldest and most perfect almshouse". Most of the buildings and grounds are open to the publ ...
in
Winchester Winchester is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is south-west of Lon ...
. Also the King was eager to reward his capable servant; in 1341 he was given the
prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of th ...
of Leighton Manor ( Lincoln), by 1344 he also held that of
Netheravon Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon and A345 road, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire, South West England. It is within Salisbury Plain. The village is on the right (west) bank of the Avon, opposite Fittl ...
( Salisbury), and by 1345 that of Putston (
Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a populatio ...
). This level of pluralism was not unusual at the time. His greatest preferment, however, came with his papal appointment – on the King's request – to the see of Winchester in 1345. This was the richest see in England, considered second only to the archbishopric of Milan. The monks of Winchester had already elected one of their own number, but this was over-ruled, and Edington was consecrated in 1346. As a bishop he was necessarily much absent, even with the relatively short distance between
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
and Winchester. He was not entirely detached from his episcopal duties, however: he used the see as a source for extensive
nepotism Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...
, yet he also initiated wide-ranging building works on the nave of the cathedral. Meanwhile, in 1351, he founded an Augustinian
priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of monk ...
at his birthplace of Edington, to have prayers said for himself, his parents and his brother. Although most of the priory has been demolished, the church still stands, as a good example of the transition between the decorated and
perpendicular style Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-ce ...
of church-building. Edington was the first Prelate of the
Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, outranked in ...
on its foundation in 1348, and that office has ever since been held by his successors as Bishops of Winchester. In May 1366, as a final sign of royal gratitude, King Edward had Edington elected
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is J ...
. Edington, however, declined on the grounds of failing health; or rather, he declined because, as he said, "Canterbury is the higher Rack, but Winchester is the better Manger," i.e., the former was the higher honour, but the second provided the higher income. Five months later, on 6 or 7 October 1366, he died at
Bishop's Waltham Bishop's Waltham (or Bishops Waltham) is a medieval market town situated at the source of the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It has a foot in the South Downs National Park and is located at the midpoint of a long-established route betwee ...
. He is buried in
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 ...
, where his effigy can be seen in the chantry chapel he himself had built in the nave.


Citations


References

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Further reading

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edington, William 1366 deaths 14th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Archbishops of Canterbury Bishops of Winchester Burials at Winchester Cathedral Lord chancellors of England Lord High Treasurers of England People from Wiltshire Year of birth unknown 14th-century English Roman Catholic archbishops