WALTER
DE MERTON
WALTER
DE MERTON
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1200: Born the only son (but with seven sisters!) to William de Kuk and Christina Fitz-Oliver, freeholders of the Crown in Basingstoke (1).
c.1218: Sent to Merton Priory (2) in Surrey for his education, where he is known as Walter of Basingstoke.
1233: Becomes the parson at Cuddington, a small village not far from the priory. He is now known as William de Merton.
1241-1249: In the employ of Nicholas Farnham, Prince-Bishop of Durham (3). In an age when most people never leave their home village, Walter is much travelled. Meanwhile the disastrous reign of King Henry III (4) unfolds.
1249: Farnham retires and Walter becomes Chancellor to Henry III. This was an important post; the Chancellor sat behind the cancella or screen and worked out all the king's income. The calculations were done on a checkerboard, which is why today the post is still called Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was then separate from the post of Treasurer.
1259: Walter picks up the post of Canon of St. Paul's Cathedral, London. He goes on to collect further top Church jobs, including posts at Bath, Ely and Wells.
c.1260: Walter founds Merton Hospital (5) in Basingstoke in his late mother's memory. The building is long gone, but is remembered by Merton Road in which it lay. Its lands included the current Merton Infant and Junior Schools. In those days it was well outside the town walls, the townsfolk wanting to keep well clear of 'sick people'.
1263: The rising power of the barons forces Henry III to sack Walter from the chancellorship.
1264: Walter founds a small college named after him at Malden, not far from Merton Priory. Ten years later this will move to one of his estates near Oxford to become Merton College, part of Oxford University.
1272: After the death of Henry III, his son Edward I becomes king. Edward is away on a crusade and will not be back for two years. During that time the country is effectively run by - Walter! He holds the King's Great Seal, and is restored to the chancellorship.
1274: On Edward's return, Walter retires from government and is made Bishop of Rochester.
1277: Walter dies aged 77, very old for those days. Whilst crossing the River Medway on his way to Rochester, he falls from his horse and later dies from his injuries.
Notes:
(1) Basingstoke officially became a town when it gained its first charter in 1211, but it had problems keeping up the required payments to the king, and a new charter had to be issued in 1256.
(2) Founded 1114, one of the richest abbey houses in the country until, like all the others, it fell to the greed of Henry VIII in 1538.
(3) The Prince-Bishop of Durham was one of the most important posts in England. He ruled over his own court, had his own parliament, and was very important in securing good relations with the Scots. The post had been established by William I in 1071, and lasted until 1836.
(4) Ruled (just about) 1216-1264 and 1265-1272. Eldest son of the disastrous King John, and confounded his friends by proving even worse than his father. Henry's choice of Walter as his chancellor was a rare wise decision; the king's general incompetence led to the Barons' Wars (1264-5) and a long period of civil disorder.
(5) Records suggest it closed around 1700.
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