William of March
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Denomination | Catholic |
|---|---|
| Senior posting | |
| See | Diocese of Bath and Wells |
| Title | Bishop of Bath and Wells |
| Period in office | 1293–1302 |
| Predecessor | Robert Burnell |
| Successor | Walter Haselshaw |
| Religious career | |
| Previous post | Canon of Wells |
| Personal | |
| Date of death | June 11, 1302 |
William of March was a medieval Lord High Treasurer of England and a Bishop of Bath and Wells.
[edit] Life
He was always referred to as magister, and may have attended and graduated from Oxford University.[1] He was controller of the wardrobe from 1283 to 1290 and Dean of St. Martin's-le-Grand before being selected as Treasurer in August of 1290. He was Treasurer until he was dismissed in August of 1295.[2]
He was a canon of Wells by March 20, 1291 and a royal clerk.[3]
He was elected bishop January 30, 1293 and consecrated May 17, 1293.[4] 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 assement of taxes and other varieties of income.[5] However, in August of 1295 William was dismissed as treasurer, although the financial policies did not change. It may be that King Edward I 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.[6] After his dimissal from the treasurership in 1295, he devoted himself to the care of his diocese, and was regarded as pious bishop.[7]
He died on June 11, 1302[4] although current historical research is challenging that date.[1] He was buried at Wells Cathedral in the south transept wall on June 17, 1302.[3] In 1325 there was a petition for him to be canonized,[3] which continued to be supported by Kings Edward II and Edward III of England. William is supposed to have built the chapter house at Wells. His will named a brother, John March, and a nephew, Robert Urry, who William left monies to go on crusade in William's name.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Jewell, Helen M. "March , William (d. 1302)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press, 2004 Online Edition accessed November 15, 2007
- ^ Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 104
- ^ a b c British History Online Bishops of Bath accessed on September 23, 2007
- ^ a b Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 228
- ^ Prestwich Edward I p. 343
- ^ Prestwich Edward I p. 405
- ^ Prestwich Edward I p. 139
[edit] References
- British History Online Bishops of Bath accessed on September 23, 2007
- Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology, Third Edition, revised, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
- Prestwich, Michael Edward I New Haven:Yale University Press 1997 ISBN 0-300-07157-4
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Kirkby |
Lord High Treasurer 1290–1295 |
Succeeded by John Droxford |
| Roman Catholic Church titles | ||
| Preceded by Robert Burnell |
Bishop of Bath and Wells 1293–1302 |
Succeeded by Walter Haselshaw |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | William of March |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Bishop of Bath and Wells |
| DATE OF BIRTH | |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 11, 1302 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
