John Gilbert
JOHN GILBERT
Dominican theologian, bishop, treasurer of England;d. London, July 28, 1397. Without family influence, he rose to high administrative office by his ability, in Church and state, becoming bishop of Bangor (1372–75), Hereford (1375–89), and Saint David's (1389–97) and serving as treasurer of England from October 1386 to May 1389 and August 1389 to 1391. He proved himself to be an efficient and conscientious official. He studied at Oxford before 1366 and later at Paris. In 1378 he was chancellor of the University of Oxford. As friar and theologian he opposed John wyclif both at Oxford and at the 1382 synod of Blackfriars. One of the ablest diplomats in the royal service, he took part in important embassies on both ecclesiastical and secular business from 1373 to 1395. He was occupied with administrative reforms between 1380 and 1388. Though at times associated with John of Gaunt, he appears to have been trusted by both Richard II and the opposing baronial factions.
Bibliography: Registrum Johannis Gilbert, Episcopi Herefordensis, ed. j. h. parry (Canterbury and York Society; London 1915) 1375–89. t. f. tout, Chapters in the Administrative History of Mediaeval England, 6 v. (Manchester 1923–35) 3:413, 454–460. É. perroy, L'Angleterre et le Grand Schisme d'Occident (Paris 1933). a. b. emden, A Biographical Register of the University of Oxford to A.D. 1500, 3 v. (Oxford 1957–59) 1:765–766.
[m. m. chibnall]