William de Raley
Bishop of Winchester
Appointed	1 September 1242
Term ended	1250
Predecessor	Peter des Roches
Successor	Aymer de Valence
Other post(s)	Bishop-elect of Coventry and Lichfield Bishop of Norwich
Personal details
Died	before 1 September 1250
Buried	1 September 1250
Denomination	Roman Catholic

William de Raley^[a] (died 1250) was a medieval judge, administrator and bishop. Most historians now believe that he was the author of the great law book Bracton.^[2]

Life

In 1212 Raley was presented by the King to the church living at Bratton Fleming, in the archdeaconry of Barnstaple, wherein his occupation was described as "clerk", when he studied law.^[3] He is known to have served as a clerk of the bench in 1214, and again from 1219 to 1229. From 1225 to 1229 he was the personal clerk of Martin of Pattishall, with whom he travelled the Eyre in Cumberland and Northumberland between 1226 and 1227, where he acted as a commissioner for the assessment of Tallage. He became justice of the bench in 1229 following Pattishall's retirement,^{[citation needed]} with Roger of Thirkleby being appointed as his clerk in 1231.^[4]

Raley took part in an Eyre in Middlesex in 1229, and seven more Eyres elsewhere between 1232 and 1233. In 1233 he was made Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, a position he held until 1234 when he was appointed to the more senior position of Chief Justice of the King's Bench, becoming the most senior of the King's judges after the title of Justiciar, which was allowed to lapse.^{[citation needed]}

Raley was a trusted royal councillor as well as a judge, and between 1236 and 1239 was one of the King's chief advisors, being responsible for part of the Statute of Merton in 1236, as well as other legal reforms. In February 1239 he was elected Bishop of Coventry and Bishop of Lichfield, which he declined. He was elected to the see of Norwich on 10 April, which he then accepted; and was consecrated at Norwich Cathedral on 25 September.^[5]

Raley was translated to the see of Winchester on 1 September 1242,^[6] where he was at first rejected. After three votes at the monks in chapter, they appealed to the Pope for arbitration. But King Henry III of England still objected and appealed to Pope Innocent IV, who rejected the appeal. Finally Raley was enthroned in Winchester Cathedral on 20 November 1244. For the Pope's intercession he paid 6000 Marks, which he struggled to repay for the rest of his life.^[7]

Raley retired to Tours, France where he died shortly before 1 September 1250, the date he was buried in the Church of St Martin.^[7]

Notes

Citations

References

Crook, David (2004). "Raleigh [Ralegh], William of". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/23042. (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.
Greenway, Diana E. (1971). "Winchester: Bishops". Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300. Vol. 2: Monastic cathedrals (northern and southern provinces). Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 29 October 2007.
Pegues, Frank (October 1956). "The Clericus in the Legal Administration of Thirteenth-Century England". The English Historical Review. 71 (281): 529–559. doi:10.1093/ehr/LXXI.281.529. JSTOR 556837.

Legal offices Preceded byThomas of Moulton Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1233–1234 Succeeded byThomas of Moulton Preceded byOffice established Chief Justice of the King's Bench 1234–1239 Succeeded bySir Stephen de Segrave Catholic Church titles Preceded byAlexander de Stavenby Bishop-elect of Coventry and Lichfielddeclined 1239 Succeeded byNicholas Farnham Preceded bySimon of Elmham Bishop of Norwich 1239–1242 Succeeded byWalter Suffield Preceded byPeter des Roches Bishop of Winchester 1242–1250 Succeeded byAymer de Valence

v t e Bishops of Norwich
Bishops of Elmham	Bedwinus Northbertus Headulacus Æthelfrith Eanfrith Æthelwulf Alherdus Sybba Hunferthus Humbertus See interrupted Aethelweald Eadwulf Ælfric I Theodred I Theodred II Æthelstan Ælfgar Ælfwine Ælfric II Ælfric III Stigand Grimketel Stigand (again) Æthelmær Herfast see removed to Thetford
Bishops of Thetford	Herfast William de Beaufeu Herbert de Losinga see removed to Norwich
High Medieval	Herbert de Losinga Everard of Calne William de Turbeville John of Oxford John de Gray Pandulf Verraccio Thomas Blunville Simon of Elmham William de Raley Walter Suffield Simon Walton Roger Skerning William Middleton Ralph Walpole
Late Medieval	John Salmon Robert Baldock William Ayermin Thomas Hemenhale Antony Bek William Bateman Thomas Percy Henry le Despenser Alexander Tottington Richard Courtenay John Wakering William Alnwick Thomas Brunce Walter Hart James Goldwell Thomas Jane
Early modern	Richard Nykke William Rugg Thomas Thirlby John Hopton John Parkhurst Edmund Freke Edmund Scambler William Redman John Jegon John Overall Samuel Harsnett Francis White Richard Corbet Matthew Wren Richard Montagu Joseph Hall Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) Edward Reynolds Anthony Sparrow William Lloyd John Moore Charles Trimnell Thomas Green John Leng William Baker Robert Butts Thomas Gooch Samuel Lisle Thomas Hayter Philip Yonge Lewis Bagot George Horne Charles Manners-Sutton
Late modern	Henry Bathurst Edward Stanley Samuel Hinds John Pelham John Sheepshanks Bertram Pollock Percy Herbert Launcelot Fleming Maurice Wood Peter Nott Graham James Alan Winton (acting) Graham Usher

v t e Bishops of Lichfield (including precursor offices)
Mercia	Diuma Ceollach Trumhere Jaruman Chad, Bishop of the Mercians & the Lindisfaras
Lichfield	Winfrith Seaxwulf Headda Aldwine Witta Hemele Cuthfrith Berhthun Hygeberht (Archbishop of Lichfield) Ealdwulf Herewine Æthelwold Hunberght Cynefrith Tunberht Wulfsige Burgheard Eadberht Wulfred Wilferth Ælfwine Wulfgar Cynesige Wynsige Elphege Godwin Leofgar Brihtmær Wulfsige Leofwin Peter (became Bishop of Chester) Peter, Bishop of Chester
Coventry	Robert de Limesey, Bishop of Chester Robert de Limesey (previously Bishop of Chester) Robert Peche Roger de Clinton Walter Durdent Richard Peche Gerard la Pucelle Hugh Nonant Geoffrey de Muschamp William de Cornhill Alexander de Stavenby
Coventry & Lichfield	Alexander de Stavenby Hugh de Pateshull Roger Weseham Roger de Meyland Walter Langton Roger Northburgh Robert de Stretton Walter Skirlaw Richard le Scrope John Burghill John Catterick James Cary William Heyworth William Booth Nicholas Close Reginald Boulers John Hales William Smyth John Arundel Geoffrey Blythe Rowland Lee
Lichfield & Coventry	Rowland Lee Richard Sampson Ralph Baines Thomas Bentham William Overton George Abbot Richard Neile John Overall Thomas Morton Robert Wright Accepted Frewen Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) Accepted Frewen John Hacket Thomas Wood William Lloyd John Hough Edward Chandler Richard Smalbroke Frederick Cornwallis John Egerton Brownlow North Richard Hurd James Cornwallis Henry Ryder Samuel Butler
Lichfield	Samuel Butler James Bowstead John Lonsdale George Selwyn William Maclagan Augustus Legge John Kempthorne Edward Woods Stretton Reeve Kenneth Skelton Keith Sutton Jonathan Gledhill Clive Gregory (acting) Michael Ipgrave

v t e Bishops of Winchester
Early Medieval 634–1006	Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester Agilbert, Bishop of Dorchester Wine Leuthere Hædde Daniel Hunfrith Cyneheard Æthelheard Ecgbald Dudd Cyneberht Ealhmund Wigthegn Herefrith (disputed) Eadmund (disputed) Eadhun Helmstan Swithun Ealhferth Tunbeorht Denewulf Frithestan Beornstan/Byrnstan Ælfheah I Ælfsige I Beorhthelm Æthelwold I Ælfheah II	Arms of the Bishop of Winchester
High Medieval 1006–1304	Cenwulf Æthelwold II Ælfsige II Ælfwine Stigand Walkelin William Giffard Henry of Blois Richard of Ilchester Godfrey de Luci Richard Poore Peter des Roches Ralph Neville William de Raley Aymer de Valence Andrew of London William de Taunton John Gervais Nicholas of Ely Robert Burnell Richard de la More John of Pontoise
Late Medieval 1305–1501	Henry Woodlock John Sandale Rigaud of Assier John de Stratford Adam Orleton William Edington William of Wykeham Henry Beaufort William Waynflete Peter Courtenay Thomas Langton
Early Modern 1501–1820	Richard Foxe Thomas Wolsey Stephen Gardiner John Ponet Stephen Gardiner John White Robert Horne John Watson Thomas Cooper William Wickham William Day Thomas Bilson James Montague Lancelot Andrewes Richard Neile Walter Curle Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) Brian Duppa George Morley Peter Mews Jonathan Trelawny Charles Trimnell Richard Willis Benjamin Hoadly John Thomas Brownlow North
Late Modern 1820–current	George Pretyman Tomline Charles Sumner Samuel Wilberforce Harold Browne Anthony Thorold Randall Davidson Herbert Ryle Edward Talbot Theodore Woods Cyril Garbett Mervyn Haigh Alwyn Williams Falkner Allison John Taylor Colin James Michael Scott-Joynt Tim Dakin Philip Mounstephen

Life

See also

Notes

Citations

References