William of Ely

William
5th Lord High Treasurer
In office
1196 – Aug 1215
Monarch Richard I
John
Preceded by Richard FitzNeal
Succeeded by Eustace of Fauconberg,
Bishop of London
Personal details
Relations Richard FitzNeal
Religion Roman Catholic
William
Archdeacon of Cleveland
Church Catholic
In Office 1201
Personal details
Previous post Canon of St. Paul's
Prebend of Leighton Buzzard

William of Ely was an English churchman and the fifth Lord High Treasurer of England. He was a relative of Richard FitzNeal and supposed descendant of Nigel, Bishop of Ely, both previous Lord High Treasurers. He was appointed a Canon of St. Paul's just before being nmade Lord High Treasurer in 1196. He added the position of Archdeacon of Cleveland in 1201 and Prebendary of Leighton Buzzard in 1207.[1]

A story about William of Ely tells of his attempted escape from England during a time when he had fallen from favour with the King; he was disguised as a commoner but was stopped when he proved unable to respond to a simple question posed to him in English (illustrating the dominance of the French language among nobles and clergymen at the time).[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Painter, Sydney (1979). The Reign of King John. Ayer Publishing. pp. 66–67. 
  2. ^ Walter, Henriette (1994). Aventure des langues en Occident : leur origine, leur histoire, leur géographie. Paris: Laffont. pp. 379. 
Political offices
Preceded by
Richard FitzNeal		 Lord High Treasurer
1196–1215		 Succeeded by
Eustace of Fauconberg
High Medieval

Hugh the Chanter • Ralph de Baro • John son of Letold • Ralph • Jeremy • Geoffrey de Muschamp • John de Gray • Ralph de Kyme • Hugh Murdac • William of Ely • Matthew Scot • Serlo • Walter de Taney • John de Langeton • Roger • Rufinus of Tonengo • Thomas de Grimston
Late Medieval

Stephen de Mauley • Adrian de Fieschi • Innocent de Fieschi • William de Weston • John Ellerker • Thomas de Holwell • William de Ferriby • William de Catton • William de Kexby • Roger de Ripon • Robert de Manfeld • Adam Spencer • John Marshall • John Fitzthomas • Alexander Herle • Thomas Walkington • Clement Stanton • Richard Pittes • William Pelleson • William Duffield • Stephen Wilton • William Brande • William Poteman • William Constable • Henry Carnebull • Geoffrey Blythe • John Hole • Thomas Crossley
Early modern

John Reynald • Richard Rawlyngs • James Denton • Thomas Bedell • William Clyff • Richard Langridge • John Warner • Christopher Malton • Ralph Coulton • Richard Remington • Richard Byrde • John Phillips • Henry Thurscros • Timothy Thurscros • John Neale • Robert Feild • John Lake • Barnabas Long • John Burton • James Fall • John Richardson • Jaques Sterne • Francis Blackburne • Robert Peirson
Late modern

Charles Baillie • Francis Wrangham • Leveson Venables Vernon • Henry Todd • Edward Churton • ... • George Townley • ... • Paul Ferguson