John Langton (died 1337) was a

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of England and

Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of East and West Sussex. The see is based in the City of Chichester where the bishop's s ...

Life

Langton was a clerk in the royal chancery, serving as the first

Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and Head of Civil Justice. As a judge, the Master of ...

from May 1286, and became chancellor in 1292.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 85 He obtained several ecclesiastical appointments (including as Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Horncastle), but owing to the resistance of Pope

Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of b ...

he failed to secure the bishopric of Ely in 1298, although he was supported by King

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Duchy of Aquitaine, Aquitaine and D ...

and visited Rome to attain his end.Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces): Ely: Bishops
'' Resigning his office as chancellor in 1302, he was chosen Bishop of Chichester on 5 April 1305, consecrated bishop on 19 September 1305,Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 239 and again became chancellor shortly after the accession of

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to ...

in 1307.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 86 Langton was one of the ordainers elected in 1310, and it was probably his connection with this bodyBuck "Langton, John" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' that led to his losing the office of chancellor about this time. He continued, however, to take part in public affairs, mediating between the king and Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster in 1318, and attempting to do so between Edward and his rebellious barons in 1321. He died on 19 July 1337. Langton built the chapterhouse at Chichester, and was a benefactor of the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...

Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Langton, John Year of birth missing 1337 deaths Lord chancellors of England Bishops of Chichester 14th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Clerks Masters of the Rolls