Roger of Salisbury

Roger of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
Tomb in Salisbury Cathedral, traditionally held to be Roger's
Appointed	29 September 1102
Term ended	11 December 1139
Predecessor	Osmund
Successor	Henry de Sully
Orders
Consecration	11 August 1107
Personal details
Died	11 December 1139 Salisbury
Denomination	Catholic
Chief Justiciar of England (de facto)
In office ? – 1139
Monarch	Henry I Stephen
Succeeded by	Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester
Lord Chancellor
In office 1101–1102
Monarch	Henry I

Roger of Salisbury (died 1139), also known as Roger le Poer, was a Norman medieval bishop of Salisbury and the seventh Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England.

Roger was originally priest of a small chapel near Caen in Normandy. He was called "Roger, priest of the church of Avranches", in his notification of election to the bishopric.{{sfn The future King Henry I, who happened to hear mass there one day, was impressed by the speed with which Roger read the service and enrolled him in his own service.

Roger, though uneducated, showed great talent for business. On coming to the throne, Henry almost immediately made him Chancellor in 1101. He held that office until late 1102. On 29 September 1102 Roger received the bishopric of Salisbury at Old Sarum Cathedral, but he was not consecrated until 11 August 1107 owing to the dispute between Henry and Archbishop Anselm. He was consecrated at Canterbury.{{sfn During the Investitures controversy, he skillfully managed to keep the favour of both the king and Anselm. Roger devoted himself to administrative business, and remodelled it completely. He created the exchequer system, which was managed by him and his family for more than a century, and he used his position to heap up power and riches. He became the first man in England after the King, and was in office, if not in title, justiciar. He was never called Justiciar during Henry's reign.

Roger ruled England while Henry was in Normandy, and succeeded in obtaining the see of Canterbury for his nominee, William de Corbeil. Duke Robert seems to have been put into his custody after Tinchebrai. Though Roger had sworn allegiance to Matilda, he disliked the Angevin connection, and went over to Stephen, carrying with him the royal treasure and administrative system upon Stephen's accession in 1135. Stephen placed great reliance on him, on his nephews, the bishops of Ely and Lincoln, and on his son Roger le Poer, who was treasurer.