11 Facts About Thomas Arundel

Thomas Arundel was an English clergyman who served as Lord Chancellor and Archbishop of York during the reign of Richard II, as well as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards.

Thomas Arundel was instrumental in the usurpation of Richard by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, who became Henry IV.

Thomas Arundel served twice as Lord Chancellor during the reign of King Richard II, first from 1386 to 1389, and again from 1391 to 1396.

Thomas Arundel spent his exile in Florence, where in 1398, at Richard II's request, the Roman Pope Boniface IX translated him to become Bishop of St Andrews, a cruel, empty fate because Scotland during the Western Schism recognised the pope in Avignon, already had a bishop in place and would probably never have accepted him anyway, even in peaceful times.

Formally, under Henry IV, Thomas Arundel served twice as Lord Chancellor, first in 1399 and again from 1407 to 1410.

Thomas Arundel was a vehement opponent of the Lollards, the followers of John Wycliffe, who in his 1379 treatise De Eucharistia had opposed the dogma of Transubstantiation and whose theology of denied the legitimacy of any secular and clerical authorities concluded to be in mortal sin.

Thomas Arundel had previously abjured but had relapsed, and he now refused to declare his belief in transubstantiation or to recognise the authority of the Church.

In 1407, Thomas Arundel presided at a synod at Oxford, which passed a number of constitutions to regulate preaching, the translation and use of the Scriptures, and the theological education at schools and the university.

Thomas Arundel had a stroke which left him unable to speak shortly afterwards.

Henry V, who had had uneasy relations with Thomas Arundel, installed Henry Chichele in his place.

Thomas Arundel appears as the antagonist in the 2014 Doctor Who audio drama The Doctor's Tale played by John Banks.