Gilbert of St Leonard

Infobox bishopbiog
name =Gilbert of St Leonard


religion =Catholic
See =Diocese of Chichester
Title = Bishop of Chichester
Period = 1288–1305
Predecessor = Stephen Bersted
Successor =John Langton
ordination =
bishops =
post =Treasurer of Chichester
date of birth =
place of birth =
date of death =12 February 1305
place of death =Amberley, West Sussex

Gilbert of St Leonard (or Gilbert of St. Leofard) was a medieval Bishop of Chichester.

Life

He was probably a native of France, deriving his name from the college of St Liphard at Meung-sur-Loire near Orléans. He was trained as a canon lawyer and first appears in England in 1254, perhaps having come to England because of the suspension of the University of Paris in 1253. He taught at Oxford University until 1256, when he probably started working for the bishop of Ely.Whittick "St Leofard , Gilbert de (c.1230–1305)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10680 Online Edition] accessed 27 November 2007] He was a canon of Chichester Cathedral by 28 December 1264. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34334 British History Online Prebends of Chichester] accessed on 21 October 2007] He shared the views of his bishop, Stephen Bersted, in the baronial party that was led by Simon de Montfort. He served the papal legate Ottobon in 1266. In 1268, Walter Giffard, Archbishop of York, was employing him as an official, but sometime during the end of the 1270s he returned to Chichester, probably before Walter Giffard's death in 1279. By 5 April 1279 he was Treasurer of Chichester. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34298 British History Online Treasurers of Chichester] accessed on 21 October 2007] He was elected to the see of Chichester on 30 January 1288, and consecrated on 5 September 1288Fryde "Handbook of British Chronology" p. 239] at Canterbury. [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34293 British History Online Bishops of Chichester] accessed on 21 October 2007]

While bishop he spent lavishly on expanding his cathedral and on gifts to King Edward I of England. It was Gilbert that baptised Edward's youngest son Edmund in 1301 at Woodstock. He died on 12 February 1305 at Amberley. He was buried in the lady chapel of Chichester Cathedral, where his tomb was destroyed in 1538.

Notes

References

* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34293 British History Online Bishops of Chichester] accessed on 21 October 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34334 British History Online Prebends of Chichester] accessed on 21 October 2007
* [http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34298 British History Online Treasurers of Chichester] accessed on 21 October 2007
*
* Whittick, Christopher "St Leofard , Gilbert de (c.1230–1305)" "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10680 Online Edition] accessed 27 November 2007

Persondata
NAME=Gilbert of St Leonard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Gilbert of St Leofard
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Bishop of Chichester
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=12 February 1305
PLACE OF DEATH=Amberley, West Sussex