Ralph Neville facts for kids

Ralph Neville (who died in 1244) was an important clergyman and politician in medieval England. He served as the Bishop of Chichester and also as the Lord Chancellor of England.

Neville first appeared in official records in 1207. He was working for King John at the time. He continued to serve the royal family for the rest of his life. By 1213, he was in charge of the Great Seal of England. This seal was used to make official documents valid. However, he wasn't officially named Chancellor until 1226. The Chancellor was the person in charge of the Great Seal.

In 1222, Neville was given the important position of Bishop of Chichester. He was also chosen to be the Archbishop of Canterbury and later the Bishop of Winchester. But both of these elections were cancelled, so he never held those jobs.

As the keeper of the Great Seal and later as Chancellor, Neville was known for being fair. He made many changes to how the chancery worked. The chancery was the government office that handled official documents. In 1238, he lost control of the Great Seal after a disagreement with King Henry III. But he kept the title of Chancellor until he died. He passed away in his London home, which was on a street later called Chancery Lane. This street was named after his connection to the chancery office.

Ralph Neville's Early Life and Family

Ralph Neville was born outside of marriage. He had at least three brothers. These were Nicholas, William, and Robert de Neville. Nicholas was a canon at Chichester Cathedral. William was the treasurer for the see of Chichester, which means he managed the church's money. Robert held a special church position called a prebend at Chichester. We don't know who their father was. Another person likely related to them was Roger, who owned land in Lincolnshire. Robert later became the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a top finance job. Nicholas became a baron of the Exchequer, helping with royal finances. Ralph Neville was also related to Hugh de Neville, who was King John's main forest manager.

Ralph Neville worked as a royal clerk for King John in 1207. He was at Marlborough Castle on royal business in December of that year. Some old records mention a Ralph Neville who delivered things to Hugh de Neville. Another record mentions a Ralph Neville who was Hugh de Neville's chaplain. These might be about the future bishop, but we are not sure. Hugh de Neville and Ralph Neville later worked together. They also wrote letters to each other about work and personal matters. Both men said the other was a relative.

We don't know much about Neville's activities right after 1207. This is because there are not many royal records from that time. But in December 1213, he was put in charge of the Great Seal. By April 1214, he was the Dean of Lichfield. He also held a prebend in the diocese of London. Neville joined the royal chancery around 1214. He got this job mostly because of Peter des Roches. Peter was the Bishop of Winchester and a favorite of the king. From March to October 1214, Neville was in France with the king. After the king returned to England, Neville stayed in royal service until at least May 1216. However, he no longer had the Great Seal. We don't know what he did during the last part of King John's rule. King John died suddenly in October 1216.

Royal Service and Becoming Bishop of Chichester

Ralph Neville became the keeper of the royal seal again around November 6, 1218. This was under the new king, Henry III (who ruled from 1216 to 1272). Neville had been at the royal court since May 1218. He was given the seal as soon as it was ready. One of the first documents sealed was a promise. It said no new permanent rights would be given until Henry became an adult.

Neville was also the vice-chancellor of England. This was under Richard Marsh, who was the Chancellor. Marsh had become the Bishop of Durham in 1217. He spent most of his time on church matters in his northern area. So, Neville did most of the Chancellor's duties. He had most of the power of that office. Marsh kept the title of Chancellor until he died in 1226.

In May and June 1219, the government faced some problems. Pandulf, a church official from the Pope, told Neville to stay in London. He was to keep the Great Seal safe. A royal council meeting was held in Gloucester. After this meeting, the government was controlled by Hubert de Burgh, the Justiciar (a chief judge), Pandulf, and Peter des Roches.

Neville received special permission from the Pope on January 25, 1220. This permission was for his birth outside of marriage. The king, Stephen Langton (the Archbishop of Canterbury), other bishops, and Cardinal Guala Bicchieri all recommended him. They all said he had a good reputation. In late October, he became the chancellor of the Chichester church area. Then, around November 1, 1222, he was chosen as the Bishop of Chichester. He gained control of the church's lands and money on November 3, 1222. He officially became a bishop on April 21, 1224.

In April 1223, Pope Honorius III told Neville to stop using the Great Seal only when the chief judge or others told him to. Instead, he should only use it when the king commanded. This basically meant the king was starting to take control. But the king's childhood rule didn't fully end until December 1223. Even then, the king was not officially declared an adult. So, the rule about not giving permanent grants without a time limit stayed in place.

Becoming Lord Chancellor of England

Ralph Neville was officially named Lord Chancellor of England on May 17, 1226. The great council, a group of important people, made this decision. It happened while King Henry III was still young. Neville was given the job for life.

Unlike Hubert de Burgh, who lost his jobs when Henry III became an adult, Neville stayed Chancellor. He had only small disagreements with the king until 1238. In 1232, his lifetime appointment was confirmed again. Under Neville, the chancery started to become a real government department. Before, it was just part of the king's household.

A writer from that time, Matthew Paris, praised Neville. He said Neville treated everyone fairly as Chancellor. He was also very open about his duties. This was important because the Chancellor controlled who could see the king. Neville made several changes to how the chancery worked. He separated the liberate rolls (records of payments) from the letters close (private letters) in 1226. He also started keeping the Charter Rolls (records of royal grants) again in 1227. He could also issue special orders called writs de cursu on his own.

Neville received many gifts and special rights from the king. For example, his belongings could not be taken by any royal or other official. The king also agreed not to interfere with Neville's last will.

Letters from the church leader of Chichester Cathedral asked the bishop to visit Chichester for Easter. They wanted him to celebrate Mass and deal with important church issues. Neville's duties as Chancellor kept him very busy. He couldn't always attend to his church area. But he hired other churchmen to manage things there. His relationship with his church leaders seemed good. He hired a theology teacher for his cathedral. He also supported students at schools in Lincoln, Oxford, and Douai. He worked hard to protect the rights and lands of his church area from others. Once, he even threatened to kick out the Earl of Arundel or his men from the church if they hunted on his land.

Challenges and Later Years

Neville was chosen as Archbishop of Canterbury around September 24, 1231. The monks of Canterbury elected him. But Pope Gregory IX cancelled his election in early 1232. The Pope said Neville was illiteratus, meaning "unlearned." This was even though he was found to be literatus (learned) in 1214. Other concerns were raised by Simon Langton (priest), a church official. He called Neville a courtier (someone who spends time at court) instead of a true priest. He also claimed Neville wanted to free England from its ties to the Pope.

Besides his chancery duties, Neville sometimes sat with the barons of the exchequer (finance officials). He also sat with royal justices (judges). He helped choose royal judges. In 1230, he was the regent of England while King Henry was in France. A regent rules when the king is away or too young. During this time, Neville met with Llywelyn the Great, a Welsh prince. They tried to make a peace agreement between the English and the Welsh, but it didn't work.

In 1232, Hubert de Burgh faced problems and was losing power. Neville, along with Ranulf, the Earl of Chester, argued that de Burgh should not be taken from sanctuary. Sanctuary was a safe place in a church where people could not be arrested. Neville's pleas worked for a while, but de Burgh was eventually removed.

The king tried to remove Neville from the chancellorship in 1236. But Neville argued that he was appointed when the king was young. This was done with the agreement of the great council. So, only the council could fire him.

In 1238, the church leaders of Winchester chose William de Raley as their bishop. This was against the king's choice, William, the Bishop of Valence. When that election was cancelled, they chose Neville. But his election to Winchester was also cancelled in 1239. This led to a disagreement with King Henry III. William of Valence was the uncle of Eleanor of Provence, whom Henry had married in 1236. Valence quickly gained a lot of influence with the king. He worked to remove older royal officials and make changes to the government. This, along with the disputed election, caused Neville to lose the king's favor.

Even though Henry took the Great Seal from Neville from 1238 to 1242, Neville kept the title of Chancellor until he died. This meant he still received money from the job. The Great Seal was held by several less powerful officials. This was probably so Henry could have more control over its use. It also stopped another powerful official from getting in his way. These officials did not have the power that Neville had, which allowed him to stand up to the king.

In 1239, Neville might have been offered the Great Seal again, but he refused. In May 1242, Neville was again in charge of the seal while Henry was in France. He seemed to share this job with the regent. After the king returned in September 1243, Neville did seal a few documents with the Great Seal. He died a few months later.

Death and Legacy

Ralph Neville was buried behind the high altar in Chichester Cathedral

Ralph Neville died between February 1 and 4, 1244. He passed away at the palace he had built in London. This street was then called New Street, but it was later renamed Chancery Lane because of his role as Lord Chancellor. He was buried in Chichester Cathedral, behind the main altar.

After Neville's death, Matthew Paris described him as "a man praiseworthy in all things." He also called him "a pillar of loyalty in the business of the kingdom and the king." We know some things from his will. He left some jewelry and gems to the king. Some of his lands went to the bishops who came after him. Other lands and items were given to his church leaders at Chichester. He also set up a way to give bread to poor people in Chichester. This gift continued until the 20th century. Neville also provided money for a chapel near Chichester. Two clergymen were to pray there for the soul of King John.

Many of Neville's letters still exist today. He collected them during his lifetime. They are now kept in the National Archives of the United Kingdom. These letters were published in a book called Sussex Archaeological Collections in 1850. They were edited by William Henry Blaauw. Neville helped his brother William advance in his career. But he also helped people who were not his relatives. One of Neville's clerks, Silvester de Everdon, worked in the chancery until 1246. He was then chosen as Bishop of Carlisle.

See also

In Spanish: Ralph Neville para niños