Editing Roger Walden (section)

==Life==

Little is now known of Walden's birth nor of his early years.  He had some connection with the [[Channel Islands]], and resided for some time in [[Jersey]] where he was [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] of the [[Parish Church of St Helier]] from 1371 to 1378.  He then held livings in [[Yorkshire]] and in [[Leicestershire]] before he became [[Archdeacon of Bournemouth|Archdeacon of Winchester]] in 1387. His days, however, were by no means fully occupied with his ecclesiastical duties, and in 1387 also he was appointed [[Treasurer of Calais]], holding about the same time other positions in this neighbourhood.

In 1395, after having served [[Richard II of England|Richard II]] as secretary, Walden became [[Lord Treasurer|treasurer]] of England,<ref name=Handbook106>Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 106</ref> adding the [[Dean of York|deanery of York]] to his numerous other [[benefice]]s. On 8 November 1397 he was chosen [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] in succession to [[Thomas Arundel]],<ref name=Handbook233>Fryde ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 233</ref> who had just been banished from the realm, but he lost this position when the new king [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]] restored Arundel in 1399, and after a short imprisonment he passed into retirement, being, as he himself says, "in the dust and under feet of men."

On 10 December 1405, through Arundel's influence, Walden was elected [[Bishop of London]], and he died at [[Much Hadham]] in [[Hertfordshire]] on 6 January 1406.<ref name=Handbook258>Fryde ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 258</ref> He was buried in [[St. Paul's Cathedral]].<ref>[[s:Walden, Roger (DNB00)|DNB: Roger Walden]]</ref> An ''Historia Mundi'', the manuscript of which is in the [[British Museum]], is sometimes regarded as the work of Walden; but this was doubtless written by an earlier writer.