Home > William Courtenay

Being a native of the west of England he was educated at Stapledon Hall, Oxford, and after graduating in law was chosen chancellor of the university in 1367. Courtenay's ecclesiastical and political career began about the same time. Having been made prebendary of Exeter, of Wells and of York, he was consecrated bishop of Hereford in 1370, was translated to the see of London in 1375, and became archbishop of Canterbury in 1381, succeeding Simon of Sudbury in both these latter positions.

As a politician the period of his activity coincides with the years of Edward III’s dotage, and with practically the whole of Richard II's reign. From the first he ranged himself among the opponents of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster; he was a firm upholder of the rights of the English Church, and was always eager to root out Lollardry. In 1373 he declared in convocation that he would not contribute to a subsidy until the evils from which the church suffered were removed; in 1375 he incurred the displeasure of the king by publishing a papal bull against the Florentines; and in 1377 his decided action during the quarrel between John of Gaunt and William of Wykeham ended in a temporary triumph for the bishop.

He was for a short time chancellor of England during 1381, and in January 1382Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-En'yu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Emperor Go-Komatsu ascends to the throne of Japan John Wyclif's teachings are condemned by the Synod of London. September, 30: Trieste being donated b he officiated at the marriage of Richard II with Anne of Bohemia, afterwards crowning the queen. In 1382 the archbishop’s visitation led to disputes with the bishops of Exeter and Salisbury, and Courtenay was only partially able to enforce the payment of a special tax to meet his expenses on this occasion. During his concluding years the archbishop appears to have upheld the papal authority in England, although not to the injury of the English Church.

He protested against the confirmation of the statute of provisors in 1390, and he was successful in slightly modifying the statute of praemunirePraemunire (an error, from Latin praemonere, to pre-admonish or forewarn), was an offence in English law that took its name from the introductory words of the writ of summons issued to the defendant to answer the charge, "Praemunire facias A. to be forewa in 1393. Disliking the extravagance of Richard II he publicly reproved the king, and after an angry scene the royal threats drove him for a time into Devonshire. In 1386 he was one of the commissioners appointed to reform the kingdom and the royal household, and in 1387 he arranged a peace between Richard and his enemies under Thomas of WoodstockThomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester ( January 7, 1355 September 8 (or 9), 1397) was the thirteenth and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Queen Philippa. Thomas was born after two short-lived sons, one of whom had also been baptised, duke of Gloucester. Courtenay died at MaidstoneMaidstone is the county town of Kent, in southeast England, about 30 miles from London. It is the economic, administrative and agricultural centre of the county, and also the borough of Maidstone. The Maidstone district has a population of 138,948, of whi on July 31 1396, and was buried in Canterbury cathedral.

See WF Hook, Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury, vol. iv. (London, 1860—1876); and William Stubbs, Constitutional History, vols. ii. and iii. (Oxford, 1895—1896).

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911 Britannica