Biography of Bishop Thomas Merke -1409

1399 Richard II's Last Will

1399 Richard II's Third Trip to Ireland

In 1397 Bishop Thomas Merke served King Richard II of England (age 29) as Ambassador to various German Princes.

Around 23 Apr 1397 Bishop Thomas Merke was consecrated Bishop of Carlisle.

Richard II's Last Will

On 16 Apr 1399 King Richard II of England (age 32) wrote his Last Will from which the following extracts are taken … Also we bequeath to our beloved nephew Thomas Holland 1st Duke Surrey (age 25) ten thousand marks and to our beloved brother Edward York 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle (age 26) two thousand marks and to our beloved brother John Holland 1st Duke Exeter (age 47) three thousand marks and to our faithful and beloved William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire (age 49) two thousand marks ... we ordain and set aside for the fulfilment of all and singular the premises the sum of ninety-one thousand marks, of which sixty-five thousand marks are in the keeping of Sir John Ikelyngton and twenty-four thousand marks in the hands and keeping of our dear nephew Thomas Holland 1st Duke Surrey (age 25).

Of this our royal testament we nominate make and depute executors the venerable fathers in Christ Bishop Richard Mitford, Bishop Edmund Stafford (age 55), Bishop Robert Tideman of Winchcombe, Bishop Thomas Merke and Bishop Guy Mone Aka Mohun; our beloved brother Edward York 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle (age 26), our nephew Thomas Holland 1st Duke Surrey (age 25), our brother John Holland 1st Duke Exeter (age 47) and William Scrope 1st Earl Wiltshire (age 49) to each of whom we bequeath a gold cup of the value of twenty pounds and our beloved and faithful clerks Master Bishop Richard Boteville Keeper of our Privy Seal, Master Richard Maudeleyn, Master William Fereby and Master John Painter Ikelyngton clerks and John Lufwyk and William Serle laymen, to each of whom we will shall be paid their expenses and necessary costs while it shall happen that they or any of them are employed about the execution of our present last will, but according to the discretion of their said co-executors ...

Whom all and singular we have charged and charge that they shall do as much as in them is for the due execution and fulfilment of this our last will as they shall wish to answer before God. We create ordain depute and make overseers of this our will the reverend fathers in Christ Archbishop Roger Walden and Archbishop Richard Scrope (age 49), William bishop of Winchester and William abbot of the monastery of Westminster Edward York 2nd Duke of York 1st Duke Albemarle (age 26) our uncle and Henry Percy 1st Earl of Northumberland (age 57) our cousin.

Richard II's Third Trip to Ireland

In May 1399 King Richard II of England (age 32) travelled to Ireland with Bishop Thomas Merke, Rhys ap Tudor and Gwilym ap Tudor Tudor.

In 1400 Bishop Thomas Merke was imprisoned in the Tower of London [Map] and deprived of his Bishopric.

In 1409 Bishop Thomas Merke died.