Richard de Belmeis II

His success enable not only the younger Richard, but a considerable number of family members, to pursue lucrative ecclesiastical careers, while Philip de Belmeis, emerged as his main temporal heir.

[8] Richard Belmeis II seems initially to have held Caddington Major, an important prebend of St Paul's Cathedral.

They were of great importance to the chapter of St Paul's: it had very full rights of jurisdiction there and was to hold the manors until it was abolished at the end of the English Civil War in 1649.

[20] At some point in the episcopacy of Gilbert Universalis (1128–34), Richard sought the return of his archdeaconry, but the bishop allowed Hugh to retain it.

"[citation needed] However, Gilbert's death was followed by a bitter struggle over the succession, which gave Richard an opportunity to seek resolution to his own dispute.

[1] In 1138 Richard de Belmeis was sent to Rome as a representative of the dean's faction in an attempt to induce Pope Innocent II to reverse Anselm's appointment.

[17] Probably as a consequence of this victory, in December Alberic of Ostia, the Papal legate, who was in England to oversee a fresh election for the see of London, ordered that he be ordained a deacon.

[17] It covered four prebends of St Alkmund's collegiate church in Shrewsbury: Lilleshall, Atcham, Uckington and Preston Gubbals.

The Domesday survey had found that these were in the hands of a cleric called Godebold,[21] who seems, like Richard de Belmeis I, to have been close to Roger Mortimer,[22] and who gave his name to Preston Gubbals.

[25] Richard's brother, Philip, already had a record as a benefactor of religious houses, particularly Buildwas Abbey,[26] which was affiliated to the Congregation of Savigny (and later absorbed into the Cistercian Order).

As Lizard proved unviable, they moved first into Donnington Wood, near Wrockwardine, and then by 1148[25] to Lilleshall, where a substantial community was established.

Richard was probably elected to the see of London by the chapter of St Paul's, where he could rely on the votes of family members and friends,[6] in the spring of 1152.

Robert de Sigello, his predecessor had died as early as September 1150, so there was a significant delay, which seems to have been the result of royal obstruction.

[5] In the summer 1141 he is known have been in attendance on Matilda at Oxford, as he witnessed one of her charters confirming a grant of land to Haughmond Abbey, his name appearing next to that of the notorious Shropshire rebel William FitzAlan.

[36] One of those who rallied to his support was a relative:[6] Gilbert Foliot, then Bishop of Hereford, who wrote a series of letters on his behalf.

Bishop Henry of Winchester, the king's brother, who could not be present, wrote a letter to the Synod, praising Richard's elegance, courtesy, hard work and learning, with the wish that "the tree now planted in God's temple, with divine help, flourish and be fruitful."

His choice was John of Canterbury, who seems to have held the London prebend of St Pancras,[12] as well as serving as clerk to Archbishop Theobald.