John Crakehall

John Crakehall (or John of Crakehall; died September 1260) was an English clergyman and Treasurer of England from 1258 to 1260.

Crakehall was from Crakehall in the North Riding of Yorkshire and may have been a younger son of Ellis of Crakehall. Ellis was a sub-tenant who held lands in the lordship of Richmond.[1]

Crakehall first appears in records when he was the attorney at Westminster for Hugh of Wells, the Bishop of Lincoln, over Easter in 1231. On 9 April 1231 he was installed as the rector of Somerton in Oxfordshire. Hugh named Crakehall as an executor of his estate in June 1233.[1]

Crakehell served Robert Grosseteste, who was the Bishop of Lincoln, from around 1235 to 1250,[2] as the chief steward of the Diocese of Lincoln. As steward he was involved in a number of disputes, including one in 1240 over the rights of the bishop to visit and inspect the activities of the dean and cathedral chapter of Lincoln Cathedral. In 1241 Crakehall was Grosseteste's agent in negotiations with King Henry III of England over the prebend of Thame. In 1250 he went with Grosseteste to Lyons to meet with Pope Innocent IV. After leaving the steward's office, Crakehall remained close to the bishop, and in 1251 was appointed by Grosseteste to review the bishopric's finances, which had suffered under Crakehall's successor as steward.[1]

When Grossteste died in late 1253 Crakehall was present at the deathbed and his account of the event was the basis for Matthew Paris' account in the Chronica majora. Crakehall served as Grosseteste's executor. Besides his service to the bishops of Lincoln, Crakehall corresponded with Adam Marsh and was one of Marsh's close friends.[1]

Crakehall was a canon of Lincoln Cathedral sometime after 1233 or 1234. He was ordained a subdeacon sometime before April 1235. He also acquired a number of minor ecclesiastical offices by 1240 and in 1247 he was named rector of Eddlesborough in Bedfordshire[1] (now in Buckinghamshire, although the parish church of St Mary remains in Bedfordshire). He was Archdeacon of Bedford by 18 November 1254 when he was named as such.[3] He was also a prebendary of Rugmere in the Diocese of London, where he was installed sometime in February 1259. He was ousted from the Rugmere prebend when the papacy appointed another clergyman to the prebendary.[4]

Crakehall was appointed Treasurer of England on 2 November 1258.[2] He owed his appointment to the baronial council that was formed under Simon de Montfort, which had recently taken power from the king's hands. As treasurer Crakehall worked to implement the reforms laid out in the Provisions of Westminster of 1259, including revamping the records of the exchequer. He also worked to improve the stability of the royal revenues and during his time in office there was a small increase in the proceeds paid into the treasury.[1]

Crakehall died between 8 and 10 September 1260,[2] in London. He was buried at Waltham Abbey.[1] His death was commemorated at Lincoln Cathedral on 5 September.[3] Although Crakehall was ordained in major orders, which normally required celibacy,[5] he had a daughter, Petronilla. Petronilla was married to Alan of Kingthrope. Petronilla and her husband inherited part of Crakehall's estate while the other part went to Crakehall's nephew, William of Cadeby.[1]