Robert de Chauncy (died 1278) was a medieval Bishop of Carlisle.

Life

Chauncy's family probably came from Chawreth in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

, from which he took his name. Beyond the fact that he was

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...

, nothing else is known of his background.Summerson "Chaury, Robert and Thomas Vipont" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' He was probably controller of the queen's wardrobe for Queen

Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introd ...

by April 1243. He was named

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Badsworth on 26 January 1255 and was named as

Archdeacon of Bath The Archdeacon of Bath is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells. The post, having oversight over the archdeaconry of Bath, has existed since the twelfth century. The archdeaconry includes five deanerie ...

between 26 January 1255 and 22 January 1257Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7: Bath and Wells: Archdeacons: Bath
' Following the death of Thomas Vipont, the cathedral chapter of

Carlisle Cathedral Carlisle Cathedral is a grade-I listed Anglican cathedral in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria, England. It was founded as an Augustinian priory and became a cathedral in 1133. It is also the seat of the Bishop of Carlisle.Tim Tatton-Brown and John ...

first elected Robert of St Agatha, who refused the office. The chapter then elected Chauncy, who was a royal clerk as well as holding the above ecclesiastical offices. He was elected to the

see of Carlisle The Diocese of Carlisle was created in 11 April 1132 by Henry I out of part of the Diocese of Durham, although many people of Cumbric descent in the area looked to Glasgow for spiritual leadership. The first bishop was Æthelwold, who was the ...

about 12 February 1257, and consecrated on 14 April 1258.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 235 He received a dispensation for

illegitimacy Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...

from Pope Alexander IV on 19 June 1257.Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces): Carlisle: Bishops
' Chauncy remained in the king's service, and went with the king to France in 1259. He was also with the king when Henry was held captive by

Simon de Montfort Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester ( – 4 August 1265), later sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from his namesake relatives, was a nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led the ...

in 1264. However, he never gained the favor of King Edward I, Henry's successor, although he served for two years at the start of his reign as

Sheriff of Cumberland The high sheriff, sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferre ...

. Chauncy was active in the affairs of his diocese, working to improve the morals of the laity and the clergy alike. He died in September or October 1278. He was buried in Carlisle Cathedral, and his tomb survived the fire in that church in 1292.

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References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chauncy, Robert de 1278 deaths Bishops of Carlisle Archdeacons of Bath 13th-century English Roman Catholic bishops High Sheriffs of Cumberland Year of birth unknown