Church Catholic Predecessor John de Stratford Term ended 18 July 1345 Consecration May 22, 1317 | Name Adam Orleton Appointed December 1, 1333 Successor William Edington | |
Died July 18, 1345, Farnham, United Kingdom Previous post Bishop of Hereford, Bishop of Worcester | ||
Adam Orleton (died 1345) was an English churchman and royal administrator.
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Life
Orleton was born into a Monmouthshire family. His nephews were John Trilleck, Bishop of Hereford and Thomas Trilleck, Bishop of Rochester.
Orleton was nominated bishop of Hereford on 15 May 1317, and consecrated on 22 May 1317. He was translated to be bishop of Worcester on 25 September 1327, and lastly to be bishop of Winchester on 1 December 1333. He was responsible for the building of the great central tower at Hereford, a wonder of its day.
Orleton was a supporter of Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer against Edward II of England, playing a significant role in the events of 1326.
British historian Ian Mortimer has recently argued that Orleton's sodomy accusations against Edward II in 1326-1327 may have been false, and that they may have been related to contemporary smear campaigns against one's political adversaries, such as previous similar aspersions cast against Pope Boniface VIII by Guillaume de Nogaret, Chancellor to King Philip IV of France, as well as those involved in dispossession of the Knights Templar, during which Orleton was a primary antagonist of the order
One assessment stated that:
Bishop Adam, wary, unscrupulous, but at the same time vigorous and of unusual ability, played a great part in politics to the end of the wretched King's life. Some historians still believe that he recommended the murder; he certainly supported the deposition in Parliament, and went to Kenilworth as one of the commissioners to force the King's resignation. If thus interested in secular politics, he was no less watchful and vigilant in the affairs of his bishopric and the cathedral.
In 1327 Orleton briefly held the office of Lord High Treasurer, from January to March.
Orleton died on 18 July 1345.
In literature
In Christopher Marlowe's play Edward II, Orleton is given a role in Edward's death. This traditional story is not given credence by contemporary historians.
Orleton is a supporting character in Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings), a series of French historical novels by Maurice Druon. He was portrayed by Jean Lanier in the 1972 French miniseries adaptation of the series, and by Serge Maillat in the 2005 adaptation.