Geoffrey Ridel (bishop of Ely) facts for kids

Geoffrey Ridel (died August 1189) was an important figure in medieval England. He served as the Lord Chancellor of England for many years. This was a very powerful job, like a chief secretary or advisor to the king. Later, he became the Bishop of Ely, a leader in the church.

Early Life and Royal Service

Geoffrey Ridel was likely related to another important person named Geoffrey Ridel, who was a royal judge. Our Geoffrey Ridel started working for the king around 1156. He was a "royal clerk," meaning he helped the king with official documents and tasks.

By 1163, he became the Archdeacon of Canterbury. An archdeacon is a senior church official who helps the bishop manage a large area. Geoffrey Ridel also worked as a "royal judge," helping to make decisions in legal cases. He even served as a "baron of the Exchequer" by 1165. The Exchequer was like the government's treasury, managing the kingdom's money.

Supporting the King: The Becket Controversy

Geoffrey Ridel was a strong supporter of King Henry II of England. This was especially true during a big disagreement between the King and Thomas Becket, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. The King and Becket had different ideas about how much power the church should have compared to the king.

Ridel was involved in creating the Constitutions of Clarendon. These were a set of rules the king wanted to limit the church's power. Ridel even traveled to Rome in 1164 to speak for the king to the Pope. He continued to oppose Becket. By 1169, he was asking King Louis VII of France to stop giving Becket a safe place to stay.

Becket's supporters didn't like Ridel very much. They even called him "archidiabolus," which means "our archdevil." This was a playful, but mean, twist on his title of archdeacon. Ridel also tried to convince King Henry's son, Henry the Young King, not to meet with Becket. He told the young prince that Becket wanted to take away his inheritance.

Becoming a Bishop

After the big disagreement between the King and Becket was settled, Geoffrey Ridel was rewarded for his loyalty. He was chosen to become the Bishop of Ely in 1173. A "see" is the area a bishop is responsible for. Before becoming bishop, he had already been managing the church's lands and money in Ely for several years.

When he became a bishop, he stopped being the Lord Chancellor. However, he continued to be involved in government. He attended important meetings and even helped escort King Henry II's daughter, Joanna, to Sicily. She was going there to marry King William II of Sicily. Ridel also continued to work as a baron of the Exchequer until at least 1185.

Later Life and Legacy

Geoffrey Ridel passed away in August 1189. He died without leaving a will, which is a legal document saying who gets your property. Because of this, King Richard I of England took all of his personal belongings.

Even without a will, Ridel had a lot of wealth. His estate included more than 3,000 marks in coins, which was a huge amount of money back then. He also had farm supplies and valuable gold and silver items. He was buried in Ely Cathedral. During his time as bishop, he helped build a large part of the western transept of Ely Cathedral. A transept is a part of a cross-shaped church that sticks out on the sides.