Richard of Dover

Richard of Dover
Archbishop of Canterbury
Burial site of Richard of Dover in the north aisle of the nave of Canterbury Cathedral
Appointed	3 June 1173
Term ended	16 February 1184
Predecessor	Thomas Becket
Successor	Baldwin of Forde
Other posts	Prior of Dover Priory
Orders
Consecration	7 April 1174 by Pope Alexander III
Personal details
Died	16 February 1184 Halling, Kent
Buried	Canterbury Cathedral

Richard (died 1184) was a medieval Benedictine monk and Archbishop of Canterbury. Employed by Thomas Becket immediately before Becket's death, Richard arranged for Becket to be buried in Canterbury Cathedral and eventually succeeded Becket at Canterbury in a contentious election. Much of Richard's time as archbishop was spent in a dispute with Roger de Pont L'Evêque, the Archbishop of York over the primacy of England, and with St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury over the archbishop's jurisdiction over the abbey. Richard had better relations with King Henry II of England than Becket had, and was employed by the king on diplomatic affairs. Richard also had the trust of the papacy, and served as a judge for the papacy. Several of his questions to Pope Alexander III were collected into the Decretals, a collection of ecclesiastical laws, and his patronage of canon lawyers did much to advance the study of canon law in England.

Richard was born in Normandy and became a monk at Canterbury, and a chaplain to Theobald of Bec, the Archbishop of Canterbury. At some point, he received an education, but it is not known where or who he studied with. The first notice of him in history is as a monk at Christ Church. He was a colleague of Thomas Becket while they both worked for Theobald. In 1157 he was appointed prior of St. Martin's priory in Dover. St. Martin's was a Benedictine priory and a dependent house of Christ Church Cathedral Priory in Canterbury, the cathedral chapter of the archbishops of Canterbury. Right before Becket's death Richard was employed by Becket to meet with Henry the Young King, but was unsuccessful in the attempt. After Becket's death, Richard took charge of Becket's body, and arranged for an immediate burial in Canterbury Cathedral.