Simon of Apulia (died 1223) was an Italian-born canon lawyer who served as

Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The current bishop is Mike Harrison (bishop), Mike Harrison, since 2024. From the first bishop until the sixteent ...

in Devon, England, from 1214 until his death in 1223.

Life

Nothing is known of Simon's early life beyond the fact that he was a native of southern Italy and that he was a canon lawyer and a ''magister''.Barlow "Apulia, Simon of" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' Simon was a

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 ...

of the cathedral chapter of York some time before being named Chancellor of the cathedral and then

Dean of York The Dean of York is the member of the clergy who is responsible for the running of the York Minster cathedral. As well as being the head of the cathedral church of the diocese and the metropolitical church of the province, the Dean of York holds ...

in January 1194 after a lengthy election dispute.Greenway
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 6: York: Deans
' Originally,

Geoffrey, Archbishop of York Geoffrey ( – 12 December 1212) was an illegitimate son of King Henry II of England Henry II () was King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of governmen ...

had wanted his brother Peter as dean, but then suggested Simon, who refused to give up his office of chancellor. Geoffrey then selected

Philip of Poitou Philip of Poitou (sometimes Philip of Poitiers; died 22 April 1208) was Bishop of Durham from 1197 to 1208, and prior to this Archdeacon of Canterbury. Early life Philip's origins and early life are unknown, although it is believed he may ha ...

, but the cathedral chapter wanted Simon, and all parties appealed to Rome. He was appointed Dean of York by Pope Celestine III.Cheney ''From Becket to Langton'' p. 82 Simon was elected to the

see of Exeter The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Provinc ...

about 13 April 1214 and consecrated on 5 October 1214. The see had been vacant since 1206 when Henry Marshal the previous bishop had died. However, because of 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 ...

's dispute with 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 ...

, the vacancy was not filled until a settlement was reached between John and Pope Innocent. Simon was consecrated by Archbishop

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 ...

at Canterbury. Simon attended the

Fourth Lateran Council The Fourth Council of the Lateran or Lateran IV was convoked by Pope Innocent III in April 1213 and opened at the Lateran Palace in Rome on 11 November 1215. Due to the great length of time between the council's convocation and its meeting, m ...

, but was back in England in time to take part in King Henry III's coronation on 28 October 1216. Very little of his administrative records survive, only a few documents are still extant. Simon did set out the boundaries of the parishes in the city of Exeter. He was also a benefactor to his cathedral, giving it vestments and other ornaments. Simon died on 9 September 1223.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 246 He was buried in

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...

in the lady chapel. His nephew, also named Simon, was named

archdeacon of Cornwall The Archdeacon of Cornwall is a senior cleric in the Church of England Diocese of Truro and one of two archdeacons in the diocese. History and composition The archdeaconry of Cornwall was created in the Diocese of Exeter in the late 11th centu ...

from 1218 to 1221.

Citations

References

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External links

* *
Entry for Simon
in George Oliver's ''Lives of the Bishops of Exeter''
Tomb in Exeter Cathedral

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon of Apulia 12th-century births 1223 deaths Bishops of Exeter Canon law jurists Deans of York 13th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops Burials at Exeter Cathedral Year of birth unknown