William of Middleton, bishop of Norwich (d.1288)
- Biography
- William Middleton may have come from County Durham and held the degree of Doctor of Canon Law, probably from Oxford. He was appointed archdeacon of Oxford in the later part of Henry III's reign, though he may not have served in that office. By October 1273, he was the official of the court of Canterbury, and was also prebendary of Broomesbury in St Paul's Cathedral. From March 1274 to 1278 he acted as the archbishop's vicar-general, and from December 1274 served as official sede vacante in Bath and Wells diocese. In October 1275 he was appointed archdeacon of Canterbury. He is described as king's clerk in August 1277 and was appointed in June 1278 as joint keeper of the temporalities of the see of Canterbury.
By this time, he had already been elected bishop of Norwich. He was elected to this office on 24 February 1278 and consecrated at Lambeth on 29 May. Early in 1287, he left for Gascony with King Edward I, where he served as seneschal of Guyenne for two periods. By 10 August he was again in England and died on 31 August or 1 September, at Terling in Essex, and was buried in the lady chapel of Norwich Cathedral.
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/95159
- Related Place
- Norwich