Robert Burnell

Robert Burnell
Bishop of Bath and Wells
ProvinceCanterbury
Elected23 January 1275
Term ended25 October 1292
PredecessorWilliam of Bitton II
SuccessorWilliam of March
Other post(s)Lord Chancellor, Archbishop-elect of Canterbury, Bishop-elect of Winchester
Orders
Consecration7 April 1275
by Archbishop Robert Kilwardby, O.P.
Personal details
Bornc. 1239
Died25 October 1292 (age c. 53)
Berwick-upon-Tweed
BuriedWells Cathedral
ParentsRoger Burnell (probably)
Lord Chancellor
In office
1274–1292
MonarchEdward I
Preceded byWalter de Merton
Succeeded byJohn Langton

Robert Burnell (sometimes spelled Robert Burnel;[1] c. 1239 – 25 October 1292) was an English bishop who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1274 to 1292. A native of Shropshire, he served as a minor royal official before entering into the service of Prince Edward, the future King Edward I of England. When Edward went on the Eighth Crusade in 1270, Burnell stayed in England to secure the prince's interests. He served as regent after the death of King Henry III of England while Edward was still on crusade. He was twice elected Archbishop of Canterbury, but his personal life—which included a long-term mistress who was rumoured to have borne him four sons—prevented his confirmation by the papacy. In 1275 Burnell was elected Bishop of Bath and Wells, after Edward had appointed him Lord Chancellor in 1274.

Burnell was behind the efforts of the royal officials to enforce royal rights during his term of office as chancellor, including the implementation of the Quo warranto procedures. He also helped with the legislative and legal reforms of Edward's reign. During Burnell's tenure the chancellor's office and records became fixed in London rather than travelling with the king. Burnell went abroad on diplomatic missions for Edward, and for a time governed Gascony. He continued to enjoy the king's trust until his death in 1292; one historian has suggested that Burnell may have been the most important royal official of the 13th century.

  1. ^ Harding England in the Thirteenth Century p. 159