Simon Langton (died 1248) was an English medieval clergyman who served as

Archdeacon of Canterbury The Archdeacon of Canterbury is a senior office-holder in the Diocese of Canterbury (a division of the Church of England Province of Canterbury). Like other archdeacons, they are an administrator in the diocese at large (having oversight of parish ...

from 1227 until his death in 1248. He had previously been Archbishop-elect of York, but the election was quashed by Pope

Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

Life

Langton held the

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

of Strensall in the diocese of York by 20 November 1214. He was the brother of

Stephen Langton Stephen Langton (c. 1150 – 9 July 1228) was an English Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal of the Catholic Church and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1207 until his death in 1228. The dispute between list of English kings, King John of E ...

, who became

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

in 1207.Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 6: York: Archbishops
' A third brother Walter was a Knight, serving in the Albigensian Crusades and being captured and ransomed, and when he died childless in 1234, Simon Langton was left with the lands and his substantial debts. He probably studied at Paris, where his brother was a noted instructor.Cazel "Langton, Simon" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' Langton was employed by his brother in the negotiations with King

John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

in 1210, when Simon told John that Stephen would not lift the interdict unless John put himself "wholly in his mercy."Poole ''Domesday Book to Magna Carta'' pp. 446-447 He had also appeared at the 1208 Winchester council to present the papal demands to allow Stephen into the see of Canterbury.Joliffe ''Angevin Kingship'' p. 168 Langton was elected in June 1215 to fill the Archbishopric of York. King John had wanted the selection of

Walter de Gray Walter de Gray (died 1 May 1255) was an English prelate and Diplomat, statesman who was Archbishop of York from 1215 to 1255 and Lord Chancellor from 1205 to 1214. His uncle was John de Gray, who was a bishop and royal servant to King John of ...

, John's

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

and

Bishop of Worcester The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary (officer), head of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Worcester, Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title can be traced back to the foundation of the diocese in the ...

. However, the

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

s of York felt that Gray was uneducated, and selected Langton instead. John objected, and wrote to Pope Innocent III complaining of the election of the brother of one of his staunchest enemies, and Innocent agreed.Bartlett ''England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings'' pp. 406-407 Langton had previously been forbidden to seek the office, and accordingly the election was quashed on 20 August 1215 by the pope.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 281 Langton then proceeded to join Prince Louis of France's invasion of England in 1215, and acted as Louis' chancellor, against the express wishes of the pope. Because of this, in 1216 he was

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...

, and deprived of all

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

s,Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 6: York: Prebenderies of Strensall
' He was eventually absolved, and made an official of the papal court and allowed to hold a prebend in France. On 14 May 1227 Langton was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury, and held that office until his death in 1248.Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces): Canterbury: Archdeacons of Canterbury
' In January 1235 he was employed by King

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of John, King of England, King John and Isabella of Ang ...

to negotiate a renewal of the truce with France.Powell and Wallis ''House of Lords'' p. 158 He also represented Archbishop

Edmund Rich Edmund of Abingdon (also known as Edmund Rich, St Edmund of Canterbury, Edmund of Pontigny, French: St Edme; c. 11741240) was an Catholic Church in England and Wales, English Catholic prelate who served as List of archbishops of Canterbury, Ar ...

at Rome in a number of disputes. Besides the renewal of the peace treaty, Langton represented King Henry in many diplomatic missions. He was a patron to the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

in England and left a library to the University of Paris.

Citations

References

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Langton, Simon Year of birth missing 1248 deaths People excommunicated by the Catholic Church Archbishops of York Archdeacons of Canterbury 13th-century English Roman Catholic archbishops