Thomas Beckington
Thomas Beckington (c.
1390 –
January 14,
1465),
English statesman and
prelate, was born at Beckington in
Somerset, and was educated at
Winchester and
New College, Oxford.
Having entered the Church he held many ecclesiastical appointments, and became
dean of the Arches in 1423; then devoting his time to secular affairs he was sent on an embassy to
Calais in
1439, and to
John IV, count of Armagnac, in 1442.
At this time Beckington was acting as secretary to
Henry VI, and soon after his return in
1443 he was appointed
Lord Privy Seal and
bishop of Bath and Wells. The bishop erected many buildings in Wells, and died there on the 14th of January 1465. The most important results of Beckington's missions to France were one
Latin journal, written by himself, referring to the embassy to Calais; and another, written by one of his attendants, relating to the journey to
Armagnac.
Beckington's own journal is published in the
Proceedings of the Privy Council, vol. v., edited by NH Nicolas (1835); and the other journal in the
Official Correspondence of Thomas Bekynton, edited by G Williams for the Rolls Series (1872), which contains many interesting letters. This latter journal has been translated into English by NH Nicolas (1828). See GG Perry,
Bishop Beckington and Henry VI., in the
English Historical Review (1894).
