Roger Weseham
Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield
Appointedbetween 17 May and 4 July 1245
Term endedresigned November or December 1256
PredecessorRobert de Monte Pessulano
SuccessorRoger de Meyland
Other post(s)Dean of Lincoln
Orders
Consecrationbetween 17 May and 4 July 1245
Personal details
Diedc. 20 May 1257
BuriedLichfield Cathedral
DenominationCatholic

Roger Weseham (also Roger de Weseham; died 1257) was an English medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.

Weseham was probably a native of Weasenham, Norfolk,[1] and was educated at Oxford University. He graduated with a master's in arts before 1233.[2] He was then a lecturer at Oxford University.[3] He was Archdeacon of Oxford by May 1237 until 1240, when he was appointed Dean of Lincoln by Robert Grosseteste, who had made Roger a protégé.[2] He was nominated as a bishop and consecrated between 17 May and 4 July 1245.[4]

While bishop, Weseham wrote an Instituta for his clergy, in order to teach them Christian doctrine and help them select sermon topics.[5] One of the subjects he wanted his clergy to cover the basics tenets of the Christian faith. To do this, he listed all the doctrines in the Apostles' Creed, and covered possible sermon themes relating to each doctrine.[6] He also gathered learned men around him, including the Franciscan Brother Vincent, John of Basingstoke, a Greek scholar, and Ralph de Sempringham, who became Chancellor of the University of Oxford.[2]

Weseham resigned the see in November or December 1256 and died about 20 May 1257.[4] He resigned due to paralysis.[7] He was buried in Lichfield Cathedral.[2]

Citations

  1. ^ Either Weasenham All Saints or Weasenham St Peter
  2. ^ a b c d Franklin "Wesham, Roger of" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
  3. ^ Moorman Church Life in England p. 163
  4. ^ a b Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 253
  5. ^ Moorman Church Life in England p. 181
  6. ^ Swanson Religion and Devotion p. 67
  7. ^ Moorman Church Life in England p. 183

References

  • Franklin, M. J. (2004). "Wesham, Roger of". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29066. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  • Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
  • Moorman, John R. H. (1955). Church Life in England in the Thirteenth Century (Revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
  • Swanson, R. N. (1995). Religion and Devotion in Europe, c. 1215-c. 1515. Cambridge Medieval Textbooks. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-37950-4.
Catholic Church titles Preceded byRobert de Monte Pessulano Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield 1245–1256 Succeeded byRoger de Meyland

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