Thomas Minot

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Thomas Minot, also spelt Mynot or Mynyot (died 10 July 1375) was an English-born

Archbishop of Dublin from 1363 to 1375. He is chiefly remembered for his extensive restoration works to St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
, and in particular for rebuilding the Cathedral's tower, which is still called Minot's Tower.

Early career

He came from a north of England family which had a tradition of service to the

English Crown. He may have been a cousin of Laurence Minot, the poet, although almost nothing is known for certain of Laurence's life.[1]
Richard Mynot, who came to Ireland with Thomas and accompanied him on his final journey back to England, was probably his nephew.

All Hallows Church, Seaton, Rutland; Minot was the parish priest of Seaton in the early 1350s

He was presented to the living of

Close Rolls for 1358 show that he was kept busy dealing with a flood of queries about the state of the Crown lands.[2]

Unlike many of the medieval Irish Barons of the Exchequer, who were laymen (a fact which gave rise to frequent complaints about their ignorance of the law) Thomas had studied law at

Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, the King's second son, as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.[4]

Archbishop of Dublin

Minot was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin on

contempt of Parliament in failing to attend the meeting with Sweetman.[5] No further action seems to have been taken, and the controversy lapsed for some decades, only to be revived in the 1420s.[4]

In 1366 Minot summoned a Provincial Council at Kilkenny, to supplement the work of the Parliament of Ireland which in that session passed the celebrated Statutes of Kilkenny. The Council decreed that all priests should be ordained by English or Anglo-Irish bishops, should be politically reliable, should keep the peace among their congregations and should themselves refrain from any form of political agitation.[3]

Building works

St Patrick's Cathedral, which Archbishop Minot extensively rebuilt, present day. The tower is still called Minot's Tower.

Minot was most usefully occupied with restoring St Patrick's Cathedral, which had been seriously damaged by fire in 1362. The works, which were completed in 1370, involved rebuilding the west

vagabonds", and who despite their good work on the Cathedral were banished from Dublin by Minot's successor as Archbishop, Robert Wikeford, in 1376.[4]

Last years

In 1372 through what was described as "obtuse bureaucratic mismanagement" on the part of the English Exchequer, he was fined for non-payment of debts he did not owe, but he subsequently received a

royal pardon in the matter.[3] In 1373 he was asked to advise Sir William de Windsor, the new Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, on the imposition of customs and other taxes. In the same year, he was summoned to attend a Great Council in Dublin. In 1375 he was summoned to attend another Council to consider the threat to the Pale from the O'Brien clan of Thomond. He died in July of the same year while on a visit to London.[4] The Dean and Chapter of St Patrick's were given the requisite royal licence to elect a successor the following month.[6]

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Archbishop of Dublin

1363–1375 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ a b c d Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 John Murray London 1926 Vol.1 p.81
  2. ^ Close Roll 32 Edward III
  3. ^ a b c Mackay, Ronan "Minot ((Minyot, Mynot, Mynyot), Thomas" Dictionary of Irish Biography Cambridge University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f D'Alton, John, Memoirs of the Archbishops of Dublin Hodges and Smith Dublin 1838, p.138
  5. ^ a b c Lee, Sidney, ed. (1898). "Sweetman, Milo" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 55. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 198.
  6. ^ Patent Roll 49 Edward III


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