Roches, Peter des

views updated May 17 2018

Roches, Peter des (c.1175–1238). A cleric from the Touraine, he entered royal service in the 1190s and was rewarded with the bishopric of Winchester in 1205. He remained loyal to the king throughout John's quarrel with the papacy and was appointed justiciar in 1213 and then guardian of the young Henry III in 1216. He was a key figure in the minority government, his military skill helping to win the 1217 battle of Lincoln. Ousted by his rival Hubert de Burgh in 1227, he went on crusade—and did much to enhance his reputation—before returning to England and, for a while (1232–4), regaining his dominant position at court. Although certainly not indifferent to religion, his career priorities laid him open to criticism—‘sharp at accounting, slack at scripture’ said one satirist. The most prominent of the foreigners active in English politics, labelled ‘the Poitevins’ by their opponents, Peter was an easy target.

John Gillingham