Eustace (Bishop of Ely)
| Eustace | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Ely | |
| Elected | 10 August 1197 |
| Predecessor | William Longchamp |
| Successor | Geoffrey de Burgo |
| Other posts | Dean of Salisbury |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 8 March 1198 by Hubert Walter |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 3 or 4 February 1215 Reading |
| Buried | Ely Cathedral |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Keeper of the Great Seal | |
|
In office 1197–1198 |
|
| Monarch | Richard I of England |
| Preceded by | William Longchamp |
| Succeeded by | Hubert Walter |
| Lord Chancellor | |
|
In office 1198–1198 |
|
| Monarch | Richard I of England |
| Preceded by | William Longchamp |
| Succeeded by | Hubert Walter |
Eustace (died 1215) was the twenty-third Lord Chancellor of England, from 1197 to 1198. He was also Dean of Salisbury and Bishop of Ely.
Eustace was probably French or Norman by birth, and was educated at Paris. He was a student with Gerald of Wales, who remained a lifelong friend. After his education was finished, he was considered a master, or magister. By 1177, he was a clerk for Robert Foliot, who was Bishop of Hereford, and he stayed at Hereford until around 1186. By 1190, he held the office of parson of Withcall, Lincolnshire. He entered the king's service sometime before 1194, for he was Dean of Salisbury by 5 May 1194. He held the offices of Archdeacon of Richmond, treasurer of the East Riding and archdeacon of the East Riding after this.
Eustace was elected to the see of Ely on 10 August 1197 and consecrated on 8 March 1198. He had been elected at Vaudreuil, but King Richard I of England sent him on a diplomatic mission to Germany after his election, which kept him from being consecrated until 1198. The consecration was performed by Hubert Walter, the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster.
Eustace was Lord Chancellor from May 1198 to May 1199. During this time he also acted as a royal justice, and in January 1199, Richard sent him to King Philip II of France to notify the French king that the truce between Philip and Richard was over. With the death of King Richard and the accession of King John of England, Eustace was replaced as chancellor by Hubert Walter, but Eustace was still employed by the king on diplomatic errands, including two errands to the French king, in 1202 and 1204. It was at this time that Pope Innocent III began to use Eustace as a papal judge-delegate, first appointing him to help mediate a dispute between Hubert Walter and the monks of Canterbury.
...
Wikipedia