| Walter Giffard |
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FAMILY Gifford was the son of Hugh Giffard, of Boyton in Wiltshire ; his mother was Sibyl, the daughter and co-heiress of Walter de Cormeilles. In 1256 Giffard and his mother received the King's license to live in Boyton castle. At around this time Adam de Marisco a Franciscan, wrote to the chancellor of Oxford university, recommending Giffard in terms implying that he was a scholar of some repute. Contemporary reports state that Giffard was a handsome, happy and genial man who was fond of luxury - as a result of this in later life he grew fat which affected both his health and his temper. He was noted at the time as being a man of high character who was able and industrious. Giffard's brother was Bishop Godfrey Giffard - the Bishop Of Worcester and himself also Lord Chancellor of England; his sister Mabel was the Abbess of Shaftesbury . IN THE CHURCH Giffard took holy orders and became a canon and archdeacon of Wells as well one of the Pope's chaplains. On the 22nd May 1264 he was elected to the See of Bath and Wells and duly received his temporalities on the 1 September. As primate Boniface was in France Giffard travelled to Paris for the consecration, which he received at Notre-Dame on 4 January. The service was taken by Peter D'Acquablanca , the Bishop Of Hereford , having first sworn that he would not take part against Henry III. However, the barons angered that he had ventured abroad against their will ravaged nearly all his manors; then by the Primate's order, he excommunicated the Earl Of Leicester and his party on his return to England. GIFFARD BECOMES CHANCELLOR Following the battle of Evesham . on the 10 August 1265 the King made him Chancellor and awarded him a stipend of five hundred marks a year. In the August of the following year he was appointed one of the arbitrators for drawing up the award of Kenilworth which the agreement under which the disinherited lords were allowed to recover their estates. GIFFARD MADE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK On the 15 October he was appointed by Pope Clement IV to the Archbishopric of York - as part of this elevation he resigned the chancellorship and was enthroned on the 1 November, receiving his temporalities on Boxing day. Soon after his enthronement he became involved in a dispute with Archbishop Boniface of Canterbury about the right to carry his cross erect in the southern province, and ended up making an appeal to Rome. DEBT PROBLEMS Although he had family wealth and much money associated with his office, he could not keep clear of debt. In the years since his appointment he paid:
Despite his own financial problems he seems to have been kind to his relatives - paying for his newphew's education and giving his brother Godfrey the Archdeaconry of York. On the 13th October 1269 he officiated at the translation of St. Edward the Confessor. When leaving England, Edward (who was then heir to the throne) appointed him by will in 1270 as one of the tutors of his sons. He also assisted him in bringing Earl Warenne to justice for the murder of Alan la Zouche at Westminster. GIFFARD BECOMES CO-REGENT OF ENGLAND Upon the death of Henry III on the 20th November 1272 the Great Seal was delivered to the Archbishop as first Lord of the Council - in order for him, Roger Mortimer and Robert Burnell to be appointed to govern the Kingdom until the new King's return to the country. DEATH Gifford died at York on or about the 22nd April 1279, and he was buried in the Cathedral probably in the choir; his body was later removed by Archbishop Thoresby to a tomb which he had erected in the presbytery SOURCES |