William de Melton
| William Melton | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of York | |
 |
|
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Elected | December 1315 |
| Installed | unknown |
| Term ended | 5 April 1340 |
| Predecessor | William Greenfield |
| Successor | William Zouche |
| Other posts | Provost of Beverley |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | September 1317 |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 5 April 1340 Cawood Palace |
| Buried | York Minster |
William Melton (died 5 April 1340) was the 43rd Archbishop of York (1317–1340).
Melton was the son of Nicholas of Melton, and the brother of Henry de Melton, and John Melton. He was born in Melton in the parish of Welton, about nine miles from Kingston upon Hull. He was a contemporary of John Hotham, Chancellor of England and Bishop of Ely. The two prelates were often associated in public matters and were the most powerful churchmen of their period in England.
Melton was Controller of the Wardrobe at the accession of Edward II in 1307 and was a pluralist through and through at the time of his elevation to the see of York. Among other things, he was also Archdeacon of Barnstaple and Provost of Beverley. He was Lord Privy Seal from 1307 to about 1312, having been Dean of St. Martin's-le-Grand at that time also. He was promoted to Keeper of the Household Wardrobe from 1314 to 1316. He was elected by the chapter of York within a month of Archbishop Greenfield's death, in December 1315, but difficulties arose and he was not consecrated until September 1317, at Avignon by Pope John XXII.
Throughout Melton's archiepiscopate, he was actively concerned in the affairs of Scotland. Between 1318 and 1322, the Scots, under James Douglas, Lord of Douglas, made raids into Yorkshire, devastating great parts of the country, destroying churches and sacking the richest monasteries. These continued raids led to a dispute between the City of York and Melton regarding the responsibility for the upkeep of part of the city's motte and bailey defences known as the Old Baile. During the raid of 1319, the King was at the siege of Berwick and much of the trained soldiery was there with him. Archbishop Melton was ordered to collect what men he could and to lead them against the Scots. Clergy, friars and citizens of York were accordingly gathered and the result was the Battle of Myton (12 October 1319) on the Swale, in which the English were entirely routed. Queen Isabella, who was in York at the time, managed to escape to safety at Nottingham.
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