John Russell (bishop)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Denomination | Catholic |
|---|---|
| Senior posting | |
| See | Diocese of Lincoln |
| Title | Bishop of Lincoln |
| Period in office | 1480–1494 |
| Predecessor | Thomas Rotherham |
| Successor | William Smyth |
| Religious career | |
| Previous bishoprics | Bishop of Rochester |
| Personal | |
| Date of death | December 30, 1494 |
John Russell (d. 30 December 1494) was an English Bishop of Rochester and bishop of Lincoln and Lord Chancellor.
Contents |
[edit] Life
He was admitted to Winchester College in 1443, and in 1449 went to Oxford as Fellow of New College. He resigned his fellowship in 1462, and appears to have entered the royal service.
In April of 1467 and January of 1468 he was employed on diplomatic missions for Edward IV of England to Charles the Bold, at Bruges. He was there again in February of 1470 as one of the envoys to invest Charles with the Order of the Garter: the Latin speech which Russell delivered on this last occasion was one of William Caxton's earliest publications, probably printed for him at Bruges by Colard Mansion[1].
In May of 1474 he was promoted to be keeper of the privy seal,[2] and retained his office even after his consecration as bishop of Rochester on 22 September 1476, and translation to the post of bishop of Lincoln on 9 September 1480.[3]
As a trusted minister of Edward IV, he was one of the executors of the king's will; but on 13 May 1483 he accepted the office of chancellor in the interest of Richard of Gloucester, apparently with great reluctance. He retained the great seal until 29 July 1485.[4]
Russell was above all things an official, and was sometimes employed by Henry VII in public affairs. But his last years were occupied chiefly with the business of his diocese, and of the university of Oxford, of which he had been elected chancellor in 1483. He died at Nettleham, and was buried at Lincoln Cathedral.
Sir Thomas More calls Russell "a wise manne and a good, and of much experience, and one of the best-learned men, undoubtedly, that England had in hys time." Two English speeches composed by Russell, for the intended parliament of Edward V, and the first parliament of Richard III, are printed in Nichols's Grants of Edward V[5]. Some other writings remain in manuscript.
[edit] See also
- List of bishops of Rochester
- List of bishops of Lincoln and precursor offices
- List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
[edit] Further reading
For contemporary notices see especially More's Life of Richard III, the Continuation of the Croyland Chronicle, ap. Freeman Scriptores, and Bentley's Excerpta Historica, pp. 16-17.
- Wood, History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford
- T. Kirby, Winchester Scholars, and Annals of Winchester College
- Campbell, Lives of the Chancellors
- Foss, Judges of England
- Concise Dictionary of National Biography
[edit] External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Rotheram |
Lord Privy Seal 1474–1483 |
Succeeded by John Gunthorp |
| Preceded by Thomas Rotheram |
Lord Chancellor 1483–1485 |
Succeeded by Thomas Rotheram |
| Religious titles | ||
| Preceded by John Alcock |
Bishop of Rochester 1476–1480 |
Succeeded by Edmund Audley |
| Preceded by Thomas Rotherham |
Bishop of Lincoln 1480–1494 |
Succeeded by William Smyth |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by William Dudley |
Chancellor of the University of Oxford 1483–1494 |
Succeeded by John Morton |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Russell, John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Lord Privy Seal; Lord Chancellor of England; Bishop of Rochester; Bishop of Lincoln |
| DATE OF BIRTH | |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 30, 1494 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
