John Grandisson

John Grandisson (died 1369) was a medieval Bishop of Exeter.

Grandisson was born at Ashperton near Hereford in 1292. His father William, Lord de Grandisson, was a Burgundian in the household of Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, brother of King Edward I of England. He studied theology at the University of Paris, and became a Prebendary of Masham in York Minster at the age of 17. He became Archdeacon of Nottingham at 26, then succeeded his younger brother Thomas as a Prebendary of Heydore at Lincoln Cathedral.

Grandisson was nominated as bishop on 10 August 1327 and consecrated on 18 October 1327. He died 16 July 1369.^[1] Bishop Grandisson was buried in the mortuary chapel of St Radegund on the south side of the central doorway of the west front of Exeter Cathedral. His tomb was destroyed during the reign of Elizabeth 1.

While bishop, Grandisson outlawed a popular cult that was being promoted by a house of canons in Frithelstock.^[2] In addition, in 1335, he founded the original Kings School (Ottery St Mary) (then known as the College of Secular Canons) establishing it as a choir school for eight boys and a Master of Grammar.

Notes

References

• Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X. 
• Swanson, R. N. (1995). Religion and Devotion in Europe, c. 1215-c. 1515. Cambridge Medieval Textbooks. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-37950-4.