Archibishop of Canterbury who aided the opponents of King Richard II during the reign of King Henry IV. Arundel vigorously suppressed the Lollards. His father was Richard Fitzalan, 3rd earl of Arundel, and his mother was a member of the powerful House of Lancaster. He became bishop of Ely in 1374, and during the early years of the reign of Richard II he sided with the nobles opposed to the King. This party forced Richard to make Arundel chancellor of England (1386) and archbishop of York (1388) until, in 1389, he was able to throw off control by the nobles and remove Arundel from office. After making peace with his opponents, Richard reappointed Arundel to the chancellorship in 1391, but Arundel resigned in 1396 to become archibishop of Canterbury. In the following year the King again deprived Arundel of his see and banished him from the kingdom. Arundel joined Henry of Bolingbroke in exile and returned to England in 1399 when Bolingbroke invaded the country, defeated Richard, and ascended the throne as Henry IV. Resuming his duties at Canterbury, Arundel initiated against the Lollards (followers of John Wycliffe) a campaign that resulted in the burning of several of them. In 1413 he led proceedings against the Lollard leader Sir John Oldcastle, who was condemned to death. In addition, Arundel served as Henry's chancellor from 1407-9 and in 1412-13. [W. Glyn Thomas]
One of the council of regency during Richard II's minority; and aligned with the lords appellant in trying to curb royal tyranny. He was nevertheless promoted to the see of Canterbury in 1396; but he lost the king's confidence in 1397, and was impeached and banished by parliament in 1397, ostensibly for involvement with the lords appellant. He was translated from Canterbury to the see of St Andrews, in Scotland, his place of exile. Arundel crowned Henry Bolingbroke as Henry IV on his return from exile in 1399 and was restored to Canterbury. Under Henry IV he served twice as chancellor, continued his earnest efforts to crush Lollardy, and prevented attempts in parliament in 1404 and 1410 to disendow the Church. [The Plantagenet Encyclopedia, p. 22]
1353-1414, archbishop of Canterbury; bishop of Ely, 1374; chancellor, 1386-9; archbishop of York, 1388; again chancellor, 1391-6; archbishop of Canterbury, 1396; was perhaps implicated in a conspiracy of his brother, Earl of Arundel, the Duke of Gloucester, and Earl of Warwick against King Richard II; impeached by House of Commons and banished, 1397, for assisting the commission of regency 11 years before, in derogation of the king's authority; went to Rome and sought intercession of Boniface IX, who at Richard II's request translated him to St. ASndrews, a see which acknowledged the rival pope; returned to England with Henry IV, whom he crowned, 1399; again chancellor, 1399, 1407, and 1412; strenuously rested lollardy. [Dictionary of National Biography, p. 33]
Thomas Arundel |