{"id":29398,"date":"2020-09-22T15:35:42","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T15:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=29398"},"modified":"2026-06-24T16:05:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T16:05:55","slug":"thomas-rotherham-archbishop-of-york","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/british-history\/wars-of-the-roses\/thomas-rotherham-archbishop-of-york\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Rotherham was a very important figure during the reign of <a href=\"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/british-history\/plantagenets\/edward-iv\/\">Edward IV<\/a>. He had been Edward\u2019s chaplain before progressing through ecclesiastical ranks to hold first the bishipric of Rochester and, from 1480 was the Archbishop of York. As well has his significant church role, Rotherham held important administrative positions. In May 1474 he was appointed as Chancellor of England. When King Edward died, Rotherham took a leading part in the funeral. However, when the young <a href=\"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/british-history\/plantagenets\/edward-v\/\">King Edward V<\/a> was taken to the Tower, it appears that Rotherham was suspicious of Richard\u2019s intentions. Thomas More wrote that he handed the Great Seal to Elizabeth Woodville for safekeeping, though no other source corroborates this claim. True or not, it was clear that Richard III viewed Rotherham with suspicion. He was removed from his office as Chancellor on 13th May 1483. On June 10th he was arrested and sent to the Tower, leading to protests from some quarters. He was released and played a role in some aspects of Richard IIIs administration, though Russell retained the Chancellorship.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/british-history\/wars-of-the-roses\/\">Wars of the Roses<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Rotherham was a very important figure during the reign of Edward IV. He had been Edward\u2019s chaplain before progressing through ecclesiastical ranks to hold first the bishipric of Rochester and, from 1480 was the Archbishop of York. As well has his significant church role, Rotherham held important administrative positions. In May 1474 he was&hellip;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":306,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29398","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.1.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the story of Thomas Rotherham, a key figure during Edward IV&#039;s reign and his complex role in the Wars of the Roses.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" 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the story of Thomas Rotherham, a key figure during Edward IV's reign and his complex role in the Wars of the Roses.","Learn how Thomas Rotherham, once Chancellor and Archbishop of York, navigated political intrigue and suspicion during Richard III's rule.","Uncover the fascinating history of Thomas Rotherham's influence in medieval England and his involvement in royal funerals and political power.","Explore how Thomas Rotherham\u2019s positions and actions made him a significant yet suspicious figure during the turbulent times of the Wars of the Roses.","Dive into the life of Thomas Rotherham, from church leadership to political struggles amid England's medieval conflict and royal upheaval."],"socialPosts":{"email":[],"linkedin":[],"twitter":[],"facebook":[],"instagram":[]}},"created":"2022-03-10 18:31:49","updated":"2026-07-01 09:34:38","seo_analyzer_scan_date":null,"focus_keyword":"rotherham","additional_keywords":null,"truseo_locale":null},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"<div 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