Richard of Barking (died 1246) was an English

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

, the

Abbot of Westminster The Abbot of Westminster was the head (abbot) of Westminster Abbey. The position of Abbot of Westminster was a significant role in English history, with the abbots overseeing Westminster Abbey from its early days as a Benedictine monastery throug ...

, and a leading judge.

Life

He was for some years prior of the Abbey of Westminster, and on 14 October 1222 was elected abbot in succession to Humeto or Humez, receiving the benediction from

Peter des Roches Peter des Roches (died 9 June 1238) (List of Latinised names, Latinised as ''Petrus de Rupibus'' ("Peter from the rocks")) was bishop of Winchester in the reigns of King John of England and his son Henry III of England, Henry III. He was not an ...

Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' the offic ...

. He became a privy councillor, and a

baron of the exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was ...

next in rank to

William de Shareshull Sir William de Shareshull KB (1289/1290–1370) was an English lawyer and Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 26 October 1350 to 5 July 1361. He achieved prominence under the administration of Edward III of England. He was responsible f ...

. According to

William Dugdale Sir William Dugdale (12 September 1605 – 10 February 1686) was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject. Life Dugdale was born at Shustoke, near Colesh ...

and

John Weever John Weever (1576–1632) was an English antiquary and poet. He is best known for his ''Epigrammes in the Oldest Cut, and Newest Fashion'' (1599), containing epigrams on Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and other poets of his day, and for his ''Ancient ...

, he was chief baron; but it is doubtful whether such an office existed at the time. In 1243 mandates to the sheriffs of counties to collect

scutage Scutage was a medieval English tax levied on holders of a knight's fee under the feudal land tenure of knight-service. Under feudalism the king, through his vassals, provided land to knights for their support. The knights owed the king militar ...

money for the king Henry III's expedition to

Gascony Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...

are tested in his name, and he appears at that time to have been a favourite and attendant upon the king. In 1245 he, with

Walter Mauclerk Walter Mauclerk (or Walter Mauclerc; died 1248) was a medieval Bishop of Carlisle and Lord High Treasurer of England. Life Mauclerk's origins are unknown, although he had a brother who was prior of Reading Abbey. Another kinsman, possibly a n ...

, was king's deputy or lord justice of the kingdom during the king's absence in the Welsh wars, and on that ground he was excused from attendance at the

First Council of Lyon The First Council of Lyon (Lyon I) was the thirteenth ecumenical council, as numbered by the Catholic Church, taking place in 1245. This was the first ecumenical council to be held outside Rome's Lateran Palace after the Great Schism of 1054. ...

the year before. He died 23 November 1246, having increased the revenues of his abbey by the addition of the churches of Ocham, Aschewell, and Strengesham, the manor of Thorpe, the castle of

Morton Folet Morton may refer to: People * Morton (surname) * Morton (given name) Fictional * Morton Koopa, Jr., one of the Koopalings in the ''Mario'' franchise * A character in the ''Charlie and Lola'' franchise * A character in the 2008 film ''Horton H ...

, the village of New Morton, Gloucestershire, and one half the manors of

Longdon, Worcestershire Longdon is a village and a civil parish in the Malvern Hills (district), Malvern Hills District and council ward of the county of Worcestershire, England and lies about 5 km (3 miles) south of Upton-on-Severn. It is jointly administered wi ...

and Chadesley, in

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

. He was buried in a marble tomb before the altar of the Virgin in the

lady chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chape ...

built in Humeto's abbacy; his tomb was destroyed in the time of Abbot William de Colchester.

References

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Barking, Richard of Year of birth missing 1246 deaths English Benedictines Abbots of Westminster 13th-century English judges Benedictine abbots 13th-century Christian abbots