Richard de Morins facts for kids

Richard de Morins (born around 1161, died 1242), also known as Richard of Mores or Ricardus Anglicus, was an important English church leader. He started his career as an Augustinian canon at Merton Priory. Later, in 1202, he became the prior (leader) of Dunstable Priory.

Richard was known for his intelligence and his work for both the Church and the King.

Richard's Life and Work

We don't know much about Richard's family. However, he was clearly an important person.

Working for the King and Pope

In February 1203, King John sent Richard to Rome. His mission was to ask the Pope for help in making peace with France. Richard returned in July with a special messenger from the Pope, a cardinal named John of Ferentino.

In 1206, this cardinal gave Richard a new job. He was to visit and check on religious houses in the Diocese of Lincoln. This meant he made sure they were following the rules.

Helping the Church

In 1212, Richard helped investigate losses suffered by the Church. This was after a time when the Pope had stopped many church services in England (called the interdict). He also helped spread the word for a new crusade in several counties.

Later, in 1214–15, Richard was one of three church officials chosen for an important task. They had to look into the election of a new abbot for St. Edmund's.

Studying and Traveling

In 1215, Richard attended a very important meeting in Rome called the Lateran Council. On his way back home, he stayed in Paris for a year. He used this time to study theology at the University.

Solving Problems and Visiting Monasteries

Richard continued to be a busy and trusted figure. In 1222, he helped settle a disagreement between the Bishop of London and Westminster Abbey. The next year, he visited monasteries in the Province of York for his religious order.

He did this again in 1228, visiting monasteries in the dioceses of Lichfield and Lincoln. In 1239, Richard helped prepare a report for the Pope. This report was about the Archbishop of Canterbury's right to visit monasteries.

Richard de Morins passed away on April 9, 1242.

Richard as Prior of Dunstable

Richard became a canon at Merton Priory. Then, King John brought him to lead Dunstable Priory. At that time, he was only a deacon, but he became a priest on September 21. He was a very good leader for the priory.

Bringing Pilgrims to Dunstable

Around 1207–1210, Richard managed to get some holy objects (relics) of Saint Fremund. These relics came from a shrine in Cropredy and were brought to a new shrine at Dunstable Priory. This was a big deal! Many pilgrims, who were traveling to St Albans, stopped at Dunstable. This greatly helped the local economy.

Chronicler and Observer of the World

From 1210, Richard started writing the history of Dunstable Priory. He continued this work until he died. These writings, called annals, show that he was very interested in what was happening across Europe and in the East.

In 1212, he encouraged people to join the crusade. He also attended the important Lateran Council in 1215. After that, he studied in Paris for a year.

Richard was made a "visitor" for religious houses in the diocese of Lincoln in 1206. This meant he checked on them. In 1212, the Pope asked him to preach about the crusade in several English counties. In the same year, he was asked to figure out how much money the clergy lost because of King John's demands.

He continued to visit monasteries for his order. In 1223, he visited in the province of York. In 1228, he visited in the dioceses of Lincoln and Coventry. Finally, in 1239, when he was quite old, he helped write about problems between the Archbishop of Canterbury and other bishops.