Misplaced Pages

Thomas Cranley DD a.k.a. Thomas Craule (c. 1340–1417) was a leading statesman, judge and cleric in early fifteenth-century Ireland, who held the offices of Chancellor of Oxford University, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Early career

He was born in England about 1340; little seems to be known about his family. He entered the Carmelite order. He is recorded as a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, in 1366. He became Warden of New College in 1389 and Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 1390. He was a Doctor of Divinity and a judge.

Irish career

In 1397, on the death of Richard Northalis, he was made Archbishop of Dublin and arrived in Ireland the following year. After the accession of King Henry IV, Cranley undertook a diplomatic mission to Rome, and was made Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1401. When Henry's son Thomas, Duke of Clarence, was made Lord Deputy of Ireland, Cranley was appointed to his council. A letter which he sent to the King around the end of 1402 painted a grim picture of the state of English rule in Ireland. Cranley assured the King of his absolute loyalty to both the King and his son, but implored the King to send over money and men since "your son is so destitute of money that he has not a penny in the world ... and his soldiers have departed from him, and the people of his household are on the point of leaving". The King, who was generally short of money, is not known to have responded to this plea. Cranley himself could probably have contributed something to the Deputy's expenses: certainly, he was sufficiently well off to lend the Mayor of Dublin 40 marks in 1402. On the other hand there is no doubt that Crown revenue in Ireland was at a very low ebb, which contributed to the weakening of English rule in Ireland through the early fifteenth century.

The pressure of official business, combined with the effects of ill health and old age, made Cranley increasingly unfit to perform his duties, and in his later years the functions of the Chancellor were usually carried out by his deputies, first Thomas de Everdon, then Laurence Merbury, and then Roger Hawkenshaw. Cranley resigned as Chancellor in 1410, but in 1413 the new King Henry V reappointed him to that office, with a part payment of two-thirds of the annual salary of £500. This is a tribute to the high regard in which the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Earl of Shrewsbury, held him. He also became Justiciar of Ireland, following the sudden death of Sir John Stanley in January 1414, although in view of his age and ill health it was understood that this was only a temporary appointment. He recalled the Irish Parliament which Stanley had summoned in Dublin the previous November. It reconvened in February, but refused to grant the taxes he requested.As Justiciar he was assisted by a military council, made up of such noted soldiers as the Gascony-born knight Sir Jenico d'Artois. Despite their expertise, in 1414 the Anglo-Irish suffered one of their worst military defeats of the era, when they were crushed by O'Connor Fahy and his army in County Offaly.

He became prebendary of Clonmethan in north County Dublin in 1410: in 1414 he was sued by the Crown for recovery of the profits of the prebend for the previous two years, on the grounds that he had been an absentee prebend, but the lawsuit was dismissed when Cranley produced the King's letters patent authorising his absence.

Death

In 1417 he was asked to present a memorial on the state of Ireland, which was highly critical of Lord Shrewsbury's record as Lord Lieutenant, to the English Crown. He reached England, but he was an old man even by modern standards, and in frail health. The journey proved to be too much for his constitution, and he died at Faringdon in Oxfordshire on 25 May. He was buried in New College, Oxford: his memorial brass survives, and the inscription on his tomb hails him as "the flower of prelates".

Appearance and character

Early historians praised Cranley for both his mental and physical qualities: "thou art fair beyond the children of men, grace is diffused through thy lips because of thine eloquence" wrote one particularly eloquent admirer. He was described as tall and commanding in appearance, with fair hair and a ruddy complexion; his personality was witty, eloquent and learned. As a cleric, he was described as charitable to the poor, a notable preacher and a great builder of churches. The Parliament of Ireland in 1421 praised him as the model of what a good chief governor should be.

References

1. Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1988). "Appendix 5: Chancellors of the University". The Encyclopaedia of Oxford. Macmillan. pp. 521–522. ISBN 0-333-39917-X.
2. Salter, H. E.; Lobel, Mary D., eds. (1954). "New College". A History of the County of Oxford. Vol. 3: The University of Oxford. Victoria County History. pp. 144–162.
3. ^ Ball, F. Elrington (1926). The Judges in Ireland 1221–1921. London: John Murray.
4. Wood, Anthony (1790). "Fasti Oxonienses". The History and Antiquities of the Colleges and Halls in the University of Oxford. p. 33 – via Internet Archive.
5. ^ O'Flanagan, J. Roderick (1870). Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal in Ireland. Vol. Two volumes. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
6. Calendar of Irish Chancery letters c.1244-1509 20 November 1402
7. ^ Otway-Ruthven, A.J. History of Medieval Ireland New York Barnes and Noble reissue 1993 pp.343-8
8. ^ Jones, Ranulph Lost and found: a missing Exchequer issue Roll of 1414 rediscovered Published by the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland
9. John D'Alton History of the County of Dublin 1838 Hodges and Smith
10. Beresford, David "Cranley, Thomas" Dictionary of Irish Biography Cambridge University Press

v t e Chancellors of the University of Oxford
1224–1400 Robert Grosseteste Ralph Cole Ralph de Maidstone Richard Batchden Ralph Cole Simon de Bovill John de Rygater Richard of Chichester Ralph de Heyham Simon de Bovill Gilbert de Biham Ralph de Sempringham William de Lodelawe Richard de S. Agatha Thomas de Cantilupe Henry de Cicestre Nicholas de Ewelme Thomas Bek William de Bosco Eustace de Normanville John de Pontissara Henry de Stanton William de Montfort Roger de Rowell William Pikerell Hervey de Saham Robert Winchelsey William de Kingescote John de Ludlow John of Monmouth Simon of Ghent Henry Swayne Roger de Martival Peter de Medburn Roger Weseham Richard de Clyve James de Cobeham Walter de Wetheringsete Simon de Faversham Walter Burdun William de Bosco Henry de Maunsfeld Walter Giffard Henry de Maunsfeld Henry Harclay Richard de Nottingham John Lutterell Henry Gower William de Alburwyke Thomas Hotham Ralph of Shrewsbury Roger de Streton Nigel de Wavere Ralph Radyn Hugh de Willoughby Robert de Stratford Robert Paynink John Leech William de Skelton Walter de Scauren William de Bergeveney John de Northwode William de Hawkesworth William de Palmorna Humphrey de Cherlton Lewis Charlton John de Hotham John Renham John de Hotham Richard FitzRalph Nicholas de Aston John de Renham John de Echingham Adam de Toneworth William Courtenay Adam de Toneworth William de Heytisbury William de Remmyngton John Turke Adam de Toneworth Robert Aylesham Robert Rygge William Berton Robert Rygge Nicholas Hereford William Rugg Robert Rygge Thomas Brightwell Thomas Cranley Robert Rygge Ralph Redruth Thomas Prestbury Robert Arlyngton Thomas Hyndeman Philip Repyngdon Henry Beaufort Thomas Hyndeman
1400–1500 Philip Repyngdon Robert Hallam Richard Courtenay Richard Ullerston William Clynt Thomas Prestbury William Sulburge Richard Courtenay William Sulburge Richard Courtenay William Sulburge William Barrow Richard Snetisham William Barrow Thomas Clare William Barrow Thomas Clare Walter Trengof Robert Colman Walter Trengof Thomas Rodborne Walter Trengof John Castell Thomas Chase Gilbert Kymer Thomas Bourchier John Carpenter Richard Praty John Norton Richard Roderham William Grey Thomas Gascoigne Henry Sever Thomas Gascoigne Robert Thwaits Gilbert Kymer George Neville Thomas Chaundler George Neville Lionel Woodville William Dudley John Russell John Morton
1500 onwards William Smyth Richard Mayew William Warham John Longland Richard Cox John Mason Reginald Pole Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel John Mason Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester Thomas Bromley Christopher Hatton Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset Richard Bancroft Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke Vacant Oliver Cromwell Richard Cromwell William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon Gilbert Sheldon James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland George Lee, 3rd Earl of Lichfield Frederick North, Lord North William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury George Goschen, 1st Viscount Goschen George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton Roy Jenkins, Lord Jenkins of Hillhead Chris Patten, Lord Patten of Barnes
University of Oxford portal

• 1337 births
• 1417 deaths
• Carmelites
• Archbishops of Dublin
• Fellows of Merton College, Oxford
• Wardens of New College, Oxford
• Chancellors of the University of Oxford
• 14th-century English people
• 15th-century English people
• Lord chancellors of Ireland
• Lords Lieutenant of Ireland
• 15th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland
• Wardens of Winchester College
• 14th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland