Template:Short description Template:For multi Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox Christian leader

Walter Reynolds (died 1327) was Bishop of Worcester and then Archbishop of Canterbury (1313–1327) as well as Lord High Treasurer and Lord Chancellor.

Early careerEdit

Reynolds was the son of a baker from Windsor, Berkshire,Template:Sfn and became a clerk, or chaplain, in the service of Edward I.Template:Sfn

Reynolds held several livings and, owing perhaps to his acting skill, he became a prime favourite with the Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward II, whom he served as Keeper of the Great Wardrobe.Template:Sfn Just after the prince became king, on 22 August 1307 Reynolds, was appointed Treasurer of England.Template:Sfn

On 13 November 1307 Reynolds, who had the living of St Mary's Church, Wimbledon<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was elected Bishop of Worcester and consecrated on 13 October 1308.Template:Sfn He was also on 6 July 1310 named Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord Chancellor of England.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Amongst his duties as Bishop of Worcester was to act as the patron and appoint the headmaster of the school that later became the Royal Grammar School Worcester.

Reynolds was one of the godfathers of the future Edward III when the prince was christened on 17 November 1312.Template:Sfn

EpiscopateEdit

When Robert Winchelsea, Archbishop of Canterbury, died in May 1313 Edward II convinced Pope Clement V to appoint his favourite to the vacant archbishopric,Template:Citation needed and Reynolds was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral in January 1314 as the 51st Archbishop.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Although the private life of the new archbishop appears to have been the reverse of exemplary, he attempted to carry out some very necessary reforms in his new official capacity; he also continued the struggle for precedence, which had been carried on for many years between the archbishops of Canterbury and of York. In this connection in 1317 he laid London under an interdict after William de Melton, the Archbishop of York, had passed through its streets with his cross borne erect before him.Template:Sfn

Reynolds remained in general loyal to Edward II until 1324, when with all his suffragans he opposed the king in defence of the Bishop of Hereford, Adam Orleton.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He then fought with Edward II over liturgical issues, and sent sums of money to Queen Isabella in her rebellion against the King.Template:Sfn Having fled for safety into Kent he returned to London and declared for Edward III, whom he crowned on 1 February 1327.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He was appointed as a member of the regency council for Edward III that was formed in February 1327.Template:Sfn In 1327 Reynolds popularised in England the political argument of vox populi, vox Dei, contrary to Alcuin's original warning to Charlemagne to resist such arguments, as the title of his sermon laying charges against Edward II.

File:Canterburycathedralwalterreynoldstomb.jpg
Tomb of Reynolds in Canterbury Cathedral

Reynolds died at Mortlake on 16 November 1327.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

CitationsEdit

Template:Reflist

ReferencesEdit

  • {{#if: |
   |{{#ifeq: Reynolds, Walter |
                |{{#ifeq: |
                             |File:PD-icon.svg 
                             |File:Wikisource-logo.svg 
                           }}
                |File:Wikisource-logo.svg 
               }}
  }}{{#ifeq:  |
   |{{#ifeq:  |
                                    |This article
                                    |One or more of the preceding sentences
                                   }} incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 
  }}{{#invoke:template wrapper|{{#if:|list|wrap}}|_template=cite EB1911
   |_exclude=footnote, inline, noicon, no-icon, noprescript, no-prescript, _debug
   | noicon=1
  }}{{#ifeq:  ||}}

External linksEdit

Template:S-start Template:S-off Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-rel Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft Template:S-end

Template:Archbishops of Canterbury Template:Bishops of Worcester Template:House of Plantagenet Lord High Treasurers Template:House of Plantagenet Lord Chancellors Template:Authority control