Richard of Bury
| Richard de Bury | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Durham | |
| Church | Catholic |
| Appointed | February 1333 |
| Term ended | 14 April 1345 |
| Predecessor | Lewis de Beaumont |
| Successor | Thomas Hatfield |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 January 1287 |
| Died | 14 April 1345 (aged 58) |
Richard de Bury (24 January 1287 – 14 April 1345), also known as Richard Aungerville or Aungervyle, was an English priest, teacher, bishop, writer, and bibliophile. He was a patron of learning and one of the first English collectors of books. He is chiefly remembered for his Philobiblon, written to inculcate in the clergy the pursuit of learning and the love of books. The "Philobiblon" is considered the earliest books to discuss librarianship in-depth.
Richard de Bury was born near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, the son of Sir Richard Aungervyle, who was descended from a knight who fought for William the Conqueror's men. Aungervyle settled in Leicestershire, and the family came into possession of the manor of Willoughby. The year of Richard de Bury's birth is debated, there are conflicting sources; the earliest date from the Catholic Encyclopedia is 1281, other historians determined his birth year to be either 1286 or 1287. Recent research has shown that 1287 is the most widely accepted birth date.
Sir Richard Aungervyle died when de Bury was a young boy. He was educated by his maternal uncle John de Willoughby, and after leaving the grammar school was sent to the University of Oxford, where he studied philosophy and theology. It is often reported that de Bury became a Benedictine monk at Durham Cathedral although several respected sources dispute this, as there is no evidence of him joining the Order. In fact, he was a priest and not a monk. He was made tutor to the future King Edward III whilst Prince of Wales (whom he would later serve as high chancellor and treasurer of England) and, according to Thomas Frognall Dibdin, inspired the prince with his own love of books.
Somehow he became involved in the intrigues preceding the deposition of King Edward II, and supplied Queen Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer, in Paris with money in 1325 from the revenues of Brienne, of which province he was treasurer. For some time he had to hide in Paris from the officers sent by Edward II to apprehend him. On the accession of Edward III his services were rewarded by rapid promotion. He was cofferer to the king (1327–28), treasurer of the wardrobe (1328–29) and afterwards Lord Privy Seal in 1329. The king repeatedly recommended him to the pope, and twice sent him, in 1330 and 1333, as ambassador to the papal court in exile at Avignon. On the first of these visits he met a fellow bibliophile, Petrarch, who records his impression of Aungerville as "not ignorant of literature and from his youth up curious beyond belief of hidden things". Petrarch asked him for information about Thule, but de Bury, who promised to reply when he was back at home among his books, never responded to repeated enquiries. Pope John XXII made him his principal chaplain, and presented him with a rochet in earnest of the next vacant bishopric in England.
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