Robert Burnell

Robert Burnell (c. 1239 – 25 October 1292) was an English bishop who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1274 to 1292. He was twice elected Archbishop of Canterbury, but his personal life included a long-term mistress who was rumoured to have borne him four sons. One historian has suggested that Burnell may have been the most important royal official of the 13th century. He died of natural causes in 1292, and was buried at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

About Robert Burnell in brief

Robert Burnell (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. In 1275 Burnell was elected Bishop of Bath and Wells, after Edward had appointed him Lord Chancellor in 1274. 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. One historian has suggested that Burnell may have been the most important royal official of the 13th century. Burnell had three brothers, two of whom died fighting the Welsh at the Battle of Moel-y-don in 1282; the third, Hugh, died in 1286. Hugh’s son Philip was Robert’s eventual heir. He had a final attempt to promote his friend John Peckham to become Bishop of Winchester in early 1280, but the election was quashed by Pope Nicholas III. The pope named three cardinals as investigators, and then appointed Peckham as the new archbishop of Winchester. He died of natural causes in 1292, and was buried at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. He is buried in the Burnell family crypt in Shroppingworth, near the town of Acton, in the county of Shrewsbury, where he was born in about 1239.

His family had bestowed its name on Acton Burnell in 1239, as he was close in age to King Edward. He served as the prince’s clerk in 1264, and later as chancellor from 1265 until 1270, when Edward left on crusade. He tried to have Burnell elected to the Archbishopric of Canterbury in 1270 but was frustrated by the Canterbury cathedral chapter’s members. Eventually Pope Gregory X set Chillenden aside and installed his own choice in the see, Robert Kilwardby. Three years later Edward once more sent Burnell to Canterbury for his coronation as archbishop. He received the temporalities of the see on March 7 April 1275 and was consecrated on March 19, 1275. He also served as regent after the death of King Henry III of England while Edward was still on crusade, until 1272. During the regency Burnell supervised a parliament, dealt with raids on the Welsh Marches and resolved a trade conflict with Flanders. After the king’s return to England Burnell became chancellor. The historian Richard Huscroft considers Burnell gained valuable experience governing England during Edward’s absence, ensuring Burnell’s dominance in the English government after Edward’s return.

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