Editing William of Wykeham (section)

==State administrator under Edward III==

William's career took a turn by 1361, when he became a royal secretary, part of the administration of the royal finances, and by 1363 he was a royal councillor.  He was present when the [[Treaty of Brétigny]] was agreed in Calais in 1360.  In January 1361, Edward III and [[John II of France]] jointly to petitioned [[Pope Innocent VI]], to make William a [[canon (priest)|canon]] at [[Lincoln Cathedral]]. He was appointed [[Justice in Eyre]] south of the [[River Trent|Trent]] along with [[Peter Atte Wode]] in 1361, a position he held until about 1367. William was ordained in 1362 and paid for his services by being given the incomes of various churches. For instance, in April 1363, Edward III presented him to the [[Archdeacon of Lincoln|archdeaconry of Lincoln]], a move that was approved by [[Pope Urban V]] in November 1363 only after representations from [[Sir Nicholas de Loveyne]], the king's ambassador to the papal court.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Davis|first = Virginia|title=William Wykeham|location=London|year=2007|page=46}}</ref> By 1366, William held two [[benefice]]s and eleven [[prebend]]s, with an annual income exceeding £800.

William had shown considerable talent as an administrator and in June 1363 was appointed [[Lord Privy Seal]]<ref name=Handbook94>{{harvnb|Fryde|Greenway|Porter|Roy|1996|p=94}}</ref> and then in October 1366 he was elected [[Bishop of Winchester]],<ref name=Handbook277>{{harvnb|Fryde|Greenway|Porter|Roy|1996|p=277}}</ref> Pope Urban V approved his appointment in July 1367, and he was consecrated at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 10 October 1367<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/William-of-Wykeham-in-1393-The-Only-Surviving-Household-Expenses-Account-Roll-An-Introduction.pdf|title=William-of-Wykeham-in-1393-The-Only-Surviving-Household-Expenses-Account-Roll|website=Winchester Cathedral|access-date=25 November 2019}}</ref> and enthroned at Winchester Cathedral in July 1368.  In 1367 he was appointed [[Chancellor of England]].<ref name=Handbook86>{{harvnb|Fryde|Greenway|Porter|Roy|1996|p=86}}</ref> He struggled to find the funds necessary to pay the army fighting against France after conflict resumed in 1369.  He lost the favour of the king, who turned to [[William Latimer, 4th Baron Latimer]], and he resigned as Chancellor in 1371.<ref name=Handbook86/>

As Edward III aged and weakened, William maintained good relationships with [[Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March]], [[John of Gaunt]] and [[Edward, the Black Prince]].  He remained politically important, and was one of four bishops appointed to the new royal council in May 1376 after Latimer was [[Impeachment in the United Kingdom|impeached]] during the [[Good Parliament]].  His friendship with the Earl of March led to a long conflict with [[John of Gaunt]], who supported Latimer.  Latimer was pardoned by king in October 1376, and William found himself charged with financial irregularities and mismanagement towards the end of the year.  He was banished from court and the income from his church properties was seized in late 1376, but he was pardoned by the new king [[Richard II of England|Richard II]] in July 1377, weeks after Edward III died.  (Richard was the son of Edward, the Black Prince, who had died in June 1376, a year before his father.)