55 Facts About Hubert Walter

Hubert Walter was not noted for his holiness in life or learning, but historians have judged him one of the most outstanding government ministers in English history.

Hubert Walter owed his early advancement to his uncle Ranulf de Glanvill, who helped him become a clerk of the Exchequer.

Hubert Walter served King Henry II of England in many ways, not just in financial administration, but including diplomatic and judicial efforts.

Hubert Walter accompanied Richard on the Third Crusade, and was one of the principals involved in raising Richard's ransom after the king was captured in Germany on his return from the Holy Land.

Hubert Walter served as Richard's justiciar until 1198, in which role he was responsible for raising the money Richard needed to prosecute his wars in France.

Hubert Walter set up a system that was the precursor for the modern justices of the peace, based on selecting four knights in each hundred to administer justice.

Hubert Walter revived his predecessor's dispute over setting up a church to rival Christ Church Priory in Canterbury, which was only settled when the pope ordered him to abandon the plan.

Hubert Walter served John as a diplomat, undertaking several missions to France.

Hubert Walter was the son of Hervey Walter and his wife Maud de Valoignes, one of the daughters of Theobald de Valoignes, who was lord of Parham in Suffolk.

Hubert Walter's family was from West Dereham in Norfolk, which is probably where Hubert Walter was born.

The medieval chronicler Gervase of Canterbury said that during Henry II's reign, Hubert Walter "ruled England because Glanvill sought his counsel".

Documents show that Hubert Walter was active in the administration of the diocese of York.

Hubert Walter was probably elevated to a bishopric even though his uncle had lost some of his power because of political manoeuvring over the elevation of King Richard's illegitimate half-brother Geoffrey to the see of York, which Hubert Walter had at first opposed.

Hubert Walter subsequently led the English army back to England after Richard's departure from Palestine, but in Sicily he heard of the king's capture, and diverted to Germany.

Hubert Walter was chosen as archbishop without consultation from the bishops, who normally claimed the right to help decide the new archbishop.

Hubert Walter remained in England, raising money for the king's wars and overseeing the administration of the kingdom.

The constant warfare forced Hubert Walter to find new means of raising money through taxation.

Hubert Walter was responsible for choosing royal justices, and many of his choices were connected with, or had previously worked with, the archbishop in the royal administration.

All that Hubert Walter needed to do was keep Richard's monetary needs satisfied.

Hubert Walter's letters ordering the preparations were intercepted and John was deprived of his lands.

When John showed no signs of submitting, Hubert Walter called an ecclesiastical council at Westminster for the purposes of excommunicating John unless he submitted.

Hubert Walter employed his brother Theobald in similar actions in Lancaster, and rewarded him with the office of sheriff of Lancaster.

Hubert Walter worked to introduce order into the lending of money by Jewish moneylenders, and organised a system where the royal officials worked to combat fraud by both parties in the business of Jewish money lending.

Hubert Walter was probably the originator of the custom of keeping an archival copy of all charters, letters, patents and feet of fines, or record of agreements reached in the royal courts, in the chancery.

Hubert Walter helped with the creation of a more professional group of royal justices.

In 1195 Hubert Walter issued an ordinance by which four knights were appointed in every hundred to act as guardians of the peace, a precursor to the office of Justice of the Peace.

In 1198, Hubert Walter requested a carucage, or plough-tax, of five shillings on every plough-land, or carucate, under cultivation.

In foreign affairs, Hubert Walter negotiated with Scotland in 1195 and with the Welsh in 1197.

In 1196, Hubert Walter quickly suppressed a popular uprising in London led by William Fitz Osbern.

Hubert Walter's oratory provoked a riot in London, and he was apprehended and hanged on Walter's orders.

Hubert Walter held a legateship from Pope Celestine III from 1195 to 1198, which enabled him to act with the pope's delegated authority within the English Church.

Hubert Walter actively investigated ecclesiastical misconduct, and deposed several abbots, including Robert of Thorney Abbey in 1195 and an abbot of St Mary's in the province of the Archbishop of York.

Hubert Walter revived the scheme of his predecessor, Baldwin of Forde, to found a church in Canterbury that would be secular and not monastic.

Hubert Walter promised that the new foundation's canons would not be allowed to vote in archiepiscopal elections nor would the body of Saint Thomas Becket ever be moved to the new church, but the monks of his cathedral chapter were suspicious and appealed to the papacy.

Finally, Pope Innocent III ruled for the monks and ordered Hubert Walter to destroy what had been built.

At the request of the papacy, Hubert Walter led inquiries into the canonisations of Gilbert of Sempringham and Wulfstan of Worcester.

Hubert Walter refused to acquiesce in the election of Gerald of Wales to the see of St David's in Wales and opposed the efforts of Gerald and others to elevate St David's to an archbishopric.

Marshal's choice was John, but Hubert Walter initially leaned towards John's young nephew Arthur of Brittany.

Hubert Walter continued to innovate in local government, as the earliest record of the coroner's rolls, or county records, being used to cross-check oral testimony in the county courts date from 1202 and 1203, during Hubert Walter's chancellorship.

In 1201 Hubert Walter went on a diplomatic mission to Philip II of France, which was unsuccessful, and in 1202 he returned to England as regent while John was abroad.

John upheld the right of the archbishop to mint coins, which Hubert Walter held until his death in 1205.

Hubert Walter interceded with Pope Innocent III in 1200, mediating between the pope and the king over a royal dispute with the Cistercians.

Hubert Walter's intercession prevented the dispute from escalating, and kept the pope from imposing sanctions on the king for his threats to the Cistercians.

Hubert Walter was buried in the Trinity Chapel in Canterbury Cathedral, next to Thomas Becket, where his tomb can still be seen.

The tomb occupied a highly visible spot in the Trinity Chapel, and Hubert Walter was the first archbishop to be buried there since the 1170s, when all of the tombs but Becket's had been relocated to focus attention on Becket's shrine.

Hubert Walter remained the only ecclesiastic to be buried there until the 14th century.

Roger reports that Hubert Walter distributed clothing to those attending his Christmas feast, which angered King John.

The chronicler says that Hubert Walter "wished to put himself on a par with the king".

Hubert Walter was not a holy man, although he was, as John Gillingham, a historian and biographer of Richard I, says, "one of the most outstanding government ministers in English History".

Hubert Walter was very innovative in his approach to government.

Hubert Walter continued to enjoy the support of Richard's brother John, and it was during John's reign that a number of Hubert Walter's administrative reforms took place, although how much royal initiative was behind the innovations is unknown, given John's interest in government and administration.

Hubert Walter was the butt of jokes about his lack of learning, and was the target of a series of tales from the pen of the chronicler Gerald of Wales.

Hubert Walter employed several canon lawyers who had been educated at Bologna in his household, including John of Tynemouth, Simon of Southwell, and Honorius of Kent.

Hubert Walter employed the architect Elias of Dereham, who was one of Walter's executors.

Chrimes agrees that Glanvill was probably not the author, and feels that Hubert Walter likely was, although he could not be certain.