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Bishop Peter Courtenay

Bishop Peter Courtenay

Male - 1492    Has more than 100 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.

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  • Name Peter Courtenay 
    Prefix Bishop 
    Gender Male 
    Burial Abt 1492  Powderham Castle, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Death 22 Sep 1492 
    Siblings 9 Siblings 
    Person ID I21152  Geneagraphie
    Last Modified 7 Jul 2019 

    Father Philipp Courtenay, Knight,   b. 1404, Powderham, Starcross, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Dec 1463, Powderham, Starcross, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 59 years) 
    Mother Elizabeth Hungerford,   b. Abt 1400, Hungerford, Somersetshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 14 Dec 1476 (Age 76 years) 
    Marriage Abt 1425  Powderham, Starcross, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F8911  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Bishop of Exeter & Winchester, 3rd son Studied at Oxford and in Italy, where it is said he became a doctor of both laws at Padua. At Oxford he became a member of the local foundation of Exeter College. After other appointments he was made dean of Windsor (14767), in 1477 dean of Exeter and in 1478 he was appointed by papal provision bishop of Exeter. He completed the north tower of the Exeter Cathedral at his own expense and put in it a great bell, still called Peter's bell, and a curious clock showing the state of the moon and the day of the month. He also built the tower of the Honiton church, besides greatly assisting in the erection of the church itself. Courtenay also took considerable part in politics. Of a Yorkist family and in the service of Edward IV, he even acquiesced in the revolution which made Richard III king, and was present at the house of the Duchess of York when Richard gave the great seal to John, bishop of Lincoln. He joined, however, the party of Buckingham, and in conjuction with his kinsmen, Edward Courtenay of Boconnock and Walter Courtenay of Exeter, and many other western gentry, endeavouring in vain to excite a rising in Devonshire and Cornwall (Edward is erroneously sometimes called Peter's brother). On their failure they escaped to Brittany to share the exile of Henry of Richmond. His life was spared but he was condemned in Richard III's parliament to lose his temporalities and estates. They returned to England with Henry VII,and were present at Bosworth, near Leichester, on the 22 Aug. 1485 when King Richard was slain and the crown was put on the head of King Henry. He received from that monarch great favors to compensate for his sufferings in his cause.(Edward Courtenay was made Earl of Devon). Peter was put on the commission which was to perform the duties of seneschal at Henry's coronation. He served in many important functions until his death on Sept. 23, 1492 and was probably buried at Winchester, though the exact spot is uncertain, and local writers have conjectured his tomb to be at Powderham. (From Dictionary of National Biography 1908). It was he who built the north tower of the Cathedral of Exeter and placed in it a great bell weighing 12,500 pounds, called Peter's Bell, and he added a clock with a dial of very curious invention of that day. It shows the changes of the moon, day of the month and hour of the day. He was also a great benefactor of the Church at Honiton and others. His many accomplishments and honors are dealt with in detail on pp. 283-286 of Cleaveland's book.



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