Robert Baldock (or de Baldock; died 28 May 1327) was the

Lord Privy Seal The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and abov ...

and

Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...

of England, during the reign of King

Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

Career

Baldock was

archdeacon of Middlesex The Archdeacon of Middlesex is a senior cleric in the Church of England, co-responsible for the Archdeaconry of "Middlesex", which mirrors the "Kensington" episcopal area of the Diocese of London — the other person responsible being the Bis ...

when he was named

Controller of the Wardrobe The King's Wardrobe, together with the Chamber, made up the personal part of medieval English government known as the King's household. Originally the room where the king's clothes, armour, and treasure were stored, the term was expanded to desc ...

and Lord Privy Seal on 27 January 1320 and then Prebend of Aylesbury in August 1320. He remained Lord Privy Seal until 8 July 1323, before being named Lord Chancellor of England on 20 August 1323. Baldock was elected

Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary (Catholic Church), ordinary of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Norwich, Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. Th ...

on 23 July 1325, but before

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

resigned the office on 3 September 1325 to avoid a collision between the pope and the King. In October 1326, Baldock was one of the small number of supporters who fled London with King Edward when Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer invaded. He remained with the King and the Despensers, the King's particular favorites, in their flight across England to the Despensers' lands in Wales, and was one of the last handful who attempted to cross to Ireland and failed. He and the King remained fugitives until their hiding place was revealed. Baldock lost his offices and was imprisoned in November 1326.

Death

Unlike the Despensers, who suffered quick trials and executions, Baldock was a clergyman, and so in February 1327 was sent to London for trial by fellow clergy. He was placed under house arrest at Hereford Palace (the

Bishop of Hereford The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury. Until 1534, the Diocese of Hereford was in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church and two of its bishop ...

's London residence). A mob broke into the house, severely beat him, and threw him into

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, the pr ...

, where he was murdered by some of the inmates.

Citations

References

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