Peter des Roches, bishop of Winchester (d.1238)
- Biography
- Peter des Roches (or de Rupibus) was from Touraine, France, and was related to Guillaume des Roches (d.' 1222), seneschal of Anjou. Peter first appears in 1197 as a witness and was also prior of Loches, dean of St Martin?s, Angers, and treasurer of the collegiate church of St Hilaire, Poitiers. He held the benefices of Cave, Hales, Kirby Misperton and perhaps Dartford, as well as a prebend in Lincoln Cathedral. He was also precentor of Lincoln and vicar of Bamburgh. He was elected to the see of Winchester in 1204 and consecrated by the pope on 25 September 1205, being enthroned on 26 March 1206 in Winchester Cathedral. He was given the custody of Prince Henry of England from 1212. He was de facto royal chancellor in 1213 and from February 1214 until June 1215 he was the king's chief justiciar. In either June or July 1227 he travelled to the Holy Land and remained in Europe, spending much of two years at the papal curia, until July 1231, at which point he returned to England. He had a nephew, Peter de Rivallis, who served as royal treasurer from 1233 to 1234. Des Roches was out of the kingdom again from the spring of 1235 to September 1236. He founded Hales Abbey (Worcestershire), Titchfield Abbey (Hampshire), Selborn Priory, and the houses of Netley (Hampshire) and Clarté Dieu, near Touraine. He died at Farnham on 9 June 1238. He was buried in Winchester Cathedral, while his heart was removed and buried at Waverley Abbey. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/22014
- Floruits
- 1212 × 1220
- Related Place
- Winchester