Richard de Abyndon facts for kids

Richard de Abyndon, also known as Abendon or Abingdon, was an important English judge who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries. He passed away in 1327.

Early Life and Career

Richard de Abyndon was likely born in Abingdon-on-Thames, a town in England. He might have been the brother of Stephen de Abingdon, who became the Lord Mayor of London in 1315.

Richard started his career in the church. He became a deacon, which is a type of church official. After this, he worked as a clerk in the Exchequer, which was like the government's finance department. His job there was to manage the king's money.

Church Appointments

Richard received several church positions during his life.

• Before 1274, he was given the church of St. Sampson in Cricklade, Wiltshire.
• He later became the priest for a church in Willingham, Cambridgeshire.
• In 1284, he also received a church position in 'Parva Chert'.
• He also held positions in important cathedrals like Lichfield Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, and Wells Cathedral.

Working for the King

Richard de Abyndon often worked directly for the king, Edward I and later Edward II.

Roles in Wales and Ireland

In 1284, Richard was made the Chamberlain of North Wales. This meant he was in charge of collecting and spending the king's money in Wales, which had recently been conquered.

Later that year, he was sent to Dublin, Ireland. His task was to collect money from the archbishopric, which was a church area that did not have an archbishop at the time. In 1285, King Edward I gave him another church position in Dublin. He also helped collect taxes on wool in Ireland to pay for building forts in Wales.

From 1294 to 1296, Richard was again in Dublin. He managed the archbishopric after the previous archbishop died. He also helped with military efforts in Leinster, a region in Ireland.

Defending England

In 1297, Richard was in Cumberland, a county in northern England. He was raising money to help defend England from an invasion by the Scots.

Judge and Royal Official

In 1299, Richard de Abyndon was appointed as a Baron of the Exchequer. This was a very important job, similar to being a judge in charge of financial matters for the king.

Working on the Border

Around 1300, Richard worked near the border with Scotland. He had the power to fine people who did not follow the king's orders. He also helped make sure that castles captured from the Scots had enough food and supplies.

Managing Royal Finances

Richard continued to handle important financial tasks for the king.

• In 1300, he was put in charge of the vacant church area of Ely.
• In 1301, he helped speed up the collection of special taxes in Norfolk and Suffolk.
• In 1308, he was ordered to collect taxes in London and its surrounding areas.
• In 1310, he was chosen to go to Gascony, a region in France that belonged to the English king.
• He also collected taxes in Somerset and London.

Enforcing Laws

In 1311, Richard was appointed to make sure the Statute of Winchester was followed in the counties of Worcester, Gloucester, and Hereford. This statute was a law about keeping peace and order.

Bristol Dispute

In 1313, there was a big disagreement in Bristol between the citizens and the city's leaders. The king took control of the city and sent Richard and other judges to help sort out the problem. During a meeting, a riot broke out, and Richard was even held captive for a short time. He later tried many of the people involved in the riot.

Later Years

In 1316, Richard was again collecting taxes in London. However, he soon became unwell and had to step down from his judge position in 1317. He did appear as a judge again in 1320.

Richard de Abyndon owned land in several places, including Horton in Gloucestershire, and property in Wiltshire and Berkshire, likely in his hometown of Abingdon.

He passed away in 1327. After his death, two priests were hired to say prayers for him every day in the abbey church at Abingdon.