Thomas Langley

For other people named Thomas Langley, see Thomas Langley (disambiguation).

Thomas Langley
Bishop of Durham
Church	Roman Catholic
Appointed	14 May 1406
Installed	4 September 1406
Term ended	20 November 1437
Predecessor	Walter Skirlaw
Successor	Robert Neville
Other posts	Lord Chancellor Bishop-elect of London Archbishop-elect of York
Orders
Consecration	8 August 1406
Personal details
Born	c. 1363 Middleton, Lancashire
Died	20 November 1437 (aged c. 74) Bishop Auckland, County Durham
Buried	Durham Cathedral
Nationality	English
Parents	William and Alice Langley
Previous post	Lord Privy Seal Dean of York

Thomas Langley (c. 1363 – 20 November 1437) was an English prelate who held high ecclesiastical and political offices in the early to mid-15th century. He was Dean of York, Bishop of Durham, twice Lord Chancellor of England to three kings, and a Pseudocardinal. In turn Keeper of the King's signet and Keeper of the Privy Seal before becoming de facto England's first Foreign Secretary. He was the second longest serving Chancellor of the Middle Ages.

Life

Langley was born in Middleton, Lancashire, the third son of Alice and William Langley. In 1375 he was sent to St Mary's Abbey, Thetford, a feeder for Corpus Christi in Cambridge. Langley attended this college until it was ransacked and destroyed by poll tax rioters on 15 June 1381.

Langley returned to Middleton and in 1385 he was appointed rector of Radcliffe and collated as Archdeacon of Norfolk in 1399. In 1401 he was appointed Dean of York, but the appointment was blocked by Pope Boniface IX because of Langley's part in the deposition and murder of Richard II. In 1401 he was given custody of the privy seal, which office he held until 1405.^[1]

Langley's alterations to the Galilee Chapel

In October 1404, Langley was elected Bishop of London but the new Pope, Innocent VII, refused to allow his installation and on 2 March 1405 he was appointed Chancellor for the first time.^[2] From then on until his semi-retirement in 1430, Langley spent 5,670 days in the service of the crown. He now lived in an inn in Holborn in the City of London. Within 20 days Archbishop Scrope of York rebelled, was captured and executed after a show trial. Langley was elected in August 1405 as Archbishop, which the Pope again disapproved of and excommunicated Langley and King Henry IV. The election was quashed in May 1406.^[3]

The excommunication was lifted the following year and Langley was installed as Bishop of Durham in St Paul's Cathedral in 1406. In 1407 he resigned his Chancellorship^[2] and on the same day he was appointed what was in effect the first Foreign Minister of England.

Langley was created a pseudocardinal in the consistory of 6 June 1411 by Antipope John XXIII, an honour Langley refused.^[4] In 1412, in his first visit to his birthplace since 1385, he completed an early rebuilding of Middleton Parish Church, adding a new wooden tower and a chantry for use as a school for local children, and reconsecrating and rededicated it to St Leonard, in 1412. The same year he also founded a school related to the church (later known as Middleton Grammar School and Queen Elizabeth's Senior High School). He also founded Durham School.^[5]

In 1413, Henry IV died in Westminster Abbey, Langley his executor at his side. During the reign of his successor Henry V, he spent three-quarters of his time in the service of the crown – a politician first and churchman second – and at Windsor on 28 September 1422, as Chancellor, he delivered up the gold seal of England in a purse of white leather to his infant sovereign Henry VI. (Rymer's 'Foedera,' vol. x. fol. 253). He returned to Middleton for the last time in 1424.

From 1430 until his death Langley attended to his diocese, something he had, by his own admission, neglected, continuing with various diplomatic work when called upon by the government. He made major alterations to the west end of Durham Cathedral, blocking the Great West Door with an altar and his own tomb, thus necessitating the construction of the two later doors to north and south, and the great buttresses on the outside of the west walls, which prevent the building from slipping into the river (for Hugh de Puiset's architect could not be bothered with foundations and sank the base of his pillars hardly more than a foot or two below the ground).

Citations

↑ Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 95
1 2 Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 87
↑ Fryde Handbook of British Chronology p. 282
↑ Miranda, Salvador. "Thomas Langley". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
↑ Fraser, C. M. "Langley, Thomas (c.1360–1437)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004). Retrieved 9 September 2009. ...he also founded a chantry in the Galilee chapel of Durham Cathedral, his designated burial place, whose two chaplains were to teach grammar and song to poor children freely—the forerunner of Durham School.

References

Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd, reprinted 2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.

Political offices
Preceded by Richard Clifford	Lord Privy Seal 1401–1405	Succeeded by Nicholas Bubwith
Preceded by Henry Beaufort	Lord Chancellor 1405–1407	Succeeded by Thomas Arundel
Preceded by Henry Beaufort	Lord Chancellor 1417–1424	Succeeded by Henry Beaufort
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Walter Skirlaw	Bishop of Durham 1406–1437	Succeeded by Robert Neville
Preceded by Robert Braybrooke (bishop)	Bishop-elect of London 1404 (quashed by the pope)	Succeeded by Roger Walden (bishop)
Preceded by Richard le Scrope (archbishop)	Archbishop-elect of York 1405–1406 (quashed by the pope)	Succeeded by Robert Hallam (archbishop)

Deans of York

High Medieval	Hugh William of St. Barbara Robert of Ghent Robert Butevilain Hubert Walter Henry Marshal Simon of Apulia William Testard Hamo Roger de Insula Geoffrey de Norwich Fulk Basset Walter of Kirkham Sewal de Bovil Godfrey Ludham Roger de Holderness/Skeffling William Langton Robert de Scarborough Henry of Newark

Late Medieval	William Hambleton Raymond de Goth William Pickering Robert Pickering William de Colby William Zouche Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord Cardinal Angelicus Grimaud Edmund Stafford Roger Walden Richard Clifford Thomas Langley John Prophet Thomas Polton William Grey Robert Gilbert William Felter Richard Andrew Robert Booth Christopher Urswick William Sheffield Geoffrey Blythe

Early modern	Christopher Bainbridge James Harrington Thomas Wolsey John Yonge Brian Higden Richard Layton Nicholas Wotton Matthew Hutton John Thornborough George Meriton John Scott Richard Marsh William Sancroft Robert Hitch Tobias Wickham Thomas Gale Henry Finch Richard Osbaldeston John Fountayne

Late modern	George Markham William Cockburn Augustus Duncombe Arthur Purey-Cust William Foxley Norris Lionel Ford Herbert Bate Eric Milner-White Alan Richardson Ronald Jasper John Southgate Raymond Furnell Keith Jones Vivienne Faull

Bishops of London

Post-Augustine	Mellitus Cedd Wine Earconwald Waldhere Ingwald Ecgwulf Wigheah Eadberht Eadgar Coenwalh Eadbald Heathoberht Osmund Æthelnoth Ceolberht Deorwulf Swithwulf Heahstan Wulfsige Æthelweard Leofstan Theodred Brihthelm Dunstan Ælfstan Wulfstan Ælfhun Ælfwig Ælfweard Robert of Jumièges Spearhafoc

Post-Conquest	William the Norman Hugh d'Orevalle Maurice Richard de Belmeis I Gilbert Universalis Anselm (quashed) Robert de Sigello Richard de Belmeis II Gilbert Foliot Richard FitzNeal William of Sainte-Mère-Église Eustace of Fauconberg Roger Niger Fulk Basset Henry Wingham Richard Talbot Henry of Sandwich John Chishull Fulke Lovell Richard Gravesend Ralph Baldock Gilbert Segrave Richard Newport Stephen Gravesend Richard de Wentworth Ralph Stratford Michael Northburgh Simon Sudbury William Courtenay Robert Braybrooke Roger Walden Nicholas Bubwith Richard Clifford John Kemp William Grey Robert FitzHugh Robert Gilbert Thomas Kempe Richard Hill Thomas Savage William Warham William Barons Richard FitzJames Cuthbert Tunstall

During the Reformation	John Stokesley Edmund Bonner (1st) Nicholas Ridley Edmund Bonner (2nd)

Post-Reformation	Edmund Grindal Edwin Sandys John Aylmer Richard Fletcher Richard Bancroft Richard Vaughan Thomas Ravis George Abbot John King George Montaigne William Laud William Juxon Gilbert Sheldon Humphrey Henchman Henry Compton John Robinson Edmund Gibson Thomas Sherlock Thomas Hayter Richard Osbaldeston Richard Terrick Robert Lowth Beilby Porteus John Randolph William Howley Charles Blomfield Archibald Tait John Jackson Frederick Temple Mandell Creighton Arthur Winnington-Ingram Geoffrey Fisher William Wand Henry Montgomery Campbell Robert Stopford Gerald Ellison Graham Leonard David Hope Richard Chartres

Bishops and Prince-Bishops of Durham

Bishops of Lindisfarne	Aidan Finan Colmán Tuda United to York Eata Cuthbert Eadberht Eadfrith Æthelwold Cynewulf Higbald Egbert Egfrid Ecgred Eanbert Eardulf See at Chester-le-Street: Eardulf Cutheard Tilred Wilgred Uchtred Sexhelm Aldred Ælfsige Aldhun

High Medieval Bishops of Durham	Aldhun Edmund Eadred Æthelric Æthelwine

High Medieval Prince-Bishops	William Walcher William de St-Calais Ranulf Flambard Geoffrey Rufus William Cumin William of St. Barbara Hugh de Puiset Philip of Poitou Richard Poore John de Gray Morgan Richard Marsh William Scot Richard Poore Thomas de Melsonby Nicholas Farnham Walter of Kirkham Robert Stitchill Robert of Holy Island Antony Bek

Late Medieval Prince-Bishops	Richard Kellaw Lewis de Beaumont Richard de Bury Thomas Hatfield John Fordham Walter Skirlaw Thomas Langley Robert Neville Lawrence Booth William Dudley John Sherwood Richard Foxe

Early modern Prince-Bishops	William Senhouse Christopher Bainbridge Thomas Ruthall Thomas Wolsey Cuthbert Tunstall James Pilkington Richard Barnes Matthew Hutton Tobias Matthew William James Richard Neile George Montaigne John Howson Thomas Morton John Cosin Nathaniel Crew William Talbot Edward Chandler Joseph Butler Richard Trevor John Egerton Thomas Thurlow Shute Barrington William Van Mildert

Late modern Bishops	Edward Maltby Charles Longley Henry Villiers Charles Baring Joseph Barber Lightfoot Brooke Westcott Handley Moule Hensley Henson Alwyn Williams Michael Ramsey Maurice Harland Ian Ramsey John Habgood David Jenkins Michael Turnbull Tom Wright Justin Welby Paul Butler

Bishops and Archbishops of York

Pre-Reformation Bishops	Paulinus Chad Wilfrid Bosa John of Beverley Wilfrid II

Pre-Reformation Archbishops	Egbert Æthelbert Eanbald I Eanbald II Wulfsige Wigmund Wulfhere Æthelbald Hrotheweard Wulfstan I Oscytel Edwald Oswald Ealdwulf Wulfstan II Ælfric Puttoc Cynesige Ealdred Thomas of Bayeux Gerard Thomas II Thurstan William FitzHerbert Henry Murdac William FitzHerbert Roger de Pont L'Évêque Geoffrey Plantagenet Simon Langton Walter de Gray Sewal de Bovil Godfrey Ludham William Langton Bonaventure Walter Giffard William de Wickwane John le Romeyn Henry of Newark Thomas of Corbridge William Greenfield William Melton William Zouche John of Thoresby Alexander Neville Thomas Arundel Robert Waldby Richard le Scrope Thomas Langley Robert Hallam Henry Bowet Philip Morgan Richard Fleming John Kemp William Booth George Neville Lawrence Booth Thomas Rotherham Thomas Savage Christopher Bainbridge Thomas Wolsey

Post-Reformation Archbishops	Edward Lee Robert Holgate Nicholas Heath Thomas Young Edmund Grindal Edwin Sandys John Piers Matthew Hutton Tobias Matthew George Montaigne Samuel Harsnett Richard Neile John Williams Accepted Frewen Richard Sterne John Dolben Thomas Lamplugh John Sharp Sir William Dawes Bt Lancelot Blackburne Thomas Herring Matthew Hutton John Gilbert Robert Hay Drummond William Markham Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt Thomas Musgrave Charles Longley William Thomson William Magee William Maclagan Cosmo Lang William Temple Cyril Garbett Michael Ramsey Donald Coggan Stuart Blanch John Habgood David Hope John Sentamu

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 41339363 LCCN: nb99117747

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