Richard Poore - Bishop of Salisbury

Bishop of Salisbury

Poore's brother, Herbert Poore, died in 1217, and Richard succeeded to his position as Bishop of Salisbury by 27 June. He owed his move to the see of Salisbury to the papal legate, Cardinal Guala Bicchieri. It was during this time that he oversaw and helped plan the construction of the new Salisbury Cathedral as a replacement for the old cathedral at Old Sarum. He also laid out the town of Salisbury in 1219, to allow the workers building the cathedral a less cramped town than the old garrison town at Old Sarum. The cathedral, however, was not dedicated until 1258.

It was while Poore was at Salisbury that he issued his Statutes of Durham, which derived their name from the fact that he reissued them after being moved to the see of Durham. These statutes were influential on many other episcopal legislation. He also welcomed the first Franciscan friars to Salisbury around 1225. He also served as a royal justice in 1218 and 1219. In 1223, with the fall from power of Peter des Roches bishop of Winchester, Ranulph earl of Chester, and Falkes de Breauté, Richard helped Hubert de Burgh take over the government, along with Stephen Langton and Jocelin of Wells bishop of Bath and Wells. The four men worked together to govern England for the next five years.

While Poore was at Salisbury, he took part in the translation of St Wulfstan's in 1218, and in the translation of Saint Thomas Becket's relics in 1220. At the later event, he was the only other bishop besides Stephen Langton to actually examine Becket's body. Richard also petitioned Pope Gregory IX to have the first bishop of Salisbury, Osmund de Sees canonized, but was unsuccessful. Osmund was eventually made a saint in 1457.