Biography

Robert Peche
Robert Peche
Bishop of Lichfield
Appointed	before April 1161
Term ended	resigned 1182
Predecessor	Walter Durdent
Successor	Gerard la Pucelle
Orders
Consecration	about 18 April 1161
Personal details
Died	6 October 1182
Denomination	Catholic

Richard Peche (died 1182) was a medieval Bishop of Lichfield.

Peche was probably the son of Robert Peche who was Bishop of Lichfield from 1121 to 1128. He was definitely the son of a priest, as Ralph de Diceto wrote about him and justified the elevation of a son of a priest to the episcopacy. He was Archdeacon of Coventry, and may have been given that office by his father, although the first record of him as an archdeacon is from about 1140.^[1]

Peche was consecrated as bishop about 18 April 1161,^[2] either by Archbishop Theobald of Canterbury or by Walter, Bishop of Rochester.^[1] Richard probably assisted Roger de Pont L'Evêque the Archbishop of York in the coronation of Henry the Young King in 1170.^[3] After Becket's death, Richard, along with Bartholomew Iscanus the Bishop of Exeter reconciled Canterbury Cathedral so it might be once more used for the liturgy.^[4] While bishop, Richard worked to restore the finances of the diocese, and ten charters he issued are still extant.^[1] He was also briefly joint viceroy of Ireland with John, Constable of Chester.^[5]

Peche resigned the see in 1182, died on 6 October 1182 and was buried at St Thomas' church, Stafford.^[2] After his resignation, he took the habit of an Augustinian canon at Stafford,^[6] although the story that he founded the house he retired has since been proven to be not the case.^[1]

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Franklin "Peche, Richard" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
^ ^a ^b Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 253
^ Barlow Thomas Becket p. 206
^ Barlow Thomas Becket p. 264
^ O'Mahony Viceroys of Ireland p. 16
^ Knowles Monastic Order p. 478 footnote 1

References

Barlow, Frank (1986). Thomas Becket. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-07175-1.
Franklin, M. J. (2004). "Peche, Richard". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21733. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
Knowles, David (1976). The Monastic Order in England: A History of its Development from the Times of St. Dunstan to the Fourth Lateran Council, 940–1216 (Second reprint ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-05479-6.
O'Mahony, Charles (1912). The Viceroys of Ireland.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Walter Durdent	Bishop of Coventry 1161–1182	Succeeded by Gerard la Pucelle

[DNB-1] Franklin "Peche, Richard" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

[Handbook253-2] Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 253

[Becket206-3] Barlow Thomas Becket p. 206

[Becket264-4] Barlow Thomas Becket p. 264

[5] O'Mahony Viceroys of Ireland p. 16

[Monastic478-6] Knowles Monastic Order p. 478 footnote 1

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Bishops of Lichfield (including precursor offices)
Mercia	Diuma Ceollach Trumhere Jaruman Chad, Bishop of the Mercians & the Lindisfaras
Lichfield	Winfrith Seaxwulf Headda Aldwine Witta Hemele Cuthfrith Berhthun Hygeberht (Archbishop of Lichfield) Ealdwulf Herewine Æthelwold Hunberght Cynefrith Tunberht Wulfsige Burgheard Eadberht Wulfred Wilferth Ælfwine Wulfgar Cynesige Wynsige Elphege Godwin Leofgar Brihtmær Wulfsige Leofwin Peter (became Bishop of Chester) Peter, Bishop of Chester
Coventry	Robert de Limesey, Bishop of Chester Robert de Limesey (previously Bishop of Chester) Robert Peche Roger de Clinton Walter Durdent Richard Peche Gerard la Pucelle Hugh Nonant Geoffrey de Muschamp William de Cornhill Alexander de Stavenby
Coventry & Lichfield	Alexander de Stavenby Hugh de Pateshull Roger Weseham Roger de Meyland Walter Langton Roger Northburgh Robert de Stretton Walter Skirlaw Richard le Scrope John Burghill John Catterick James Cary William Heyworth William Booth Nicholas Close Reginald Boulers John Hales William Smyth John Arundel Geoffrey Blythe Rowland Lee
Lichfield & Coventry	Rowland Lee Richard Sampson Ralph Baines Thomas Bentham William Overton George Abbot Richard Neile John Overall Thomas Morton Robert Wright Accepted Frewen Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) Accepted Frewen John Hacket Thomas Wood William Lloyd John Hough Edward Chandler Richard Smalbroke Frederick Cornwallis John Egerton Brownlow North Richard Hurd James Cornwallis Henry Ryder Samuel Butler
Lichfield	Samuel Butler James Bowstead John Lonsdale George Selwyn William Maclagan Augustus Legge John Kempthorne Edward Woods Stretton Reeve Kenneth Skelton Keith Sutton Jonathan Gledhill Clive Gregory (acting) Michael Ipgrave

Archdeacons of Coventry and Archdeacons Pastor
High Medieval	Richard Peche Edmund Nicholas Richard Brito (I) Richard de Leghes Robert de Bosco Richard of Gloucester Alexander of Hales Adam de Hoo Lawrence of St Martin William of Kilkenny John Kirkby Richard Brito (II) Robert Stafford Peter de Insula
Late Medieval	Gregory Giudice de Alatri Richard Riccardi de Urbe John Cardinal Gaetani de Urbe Humphrey de Hastanges Hugh de Marisco William de Sallowe William Cross Richard Boule William de Driffield John de Pipe Richard de Birmingham William Lombe Robert de Stretton Robert de Oxton John Heyworth Robert Esple Roger Wall Thomas Mills
Early modern	George Strangeways Ralph Colyngwood John Blythe Henry Comberford Thomas Lever William James William Hinton Samuel Brooke Ralph Brownrigg Francis Walsall John Riland George Downing Lancelot Addison Richard Davies William Wilson Thomas Smallbrook Norman Fotheringham
Late modern	William Vyse Charles Buckeridge William Spooner John Sandford Charles Holbech William Bree George Arbuthnot Claude Blagden Joseph Hunkin Richard Brook Richard Howard Leonard Stanford Eric Buchan Peter Bridges Alan Morgan Ian Russell Mark Bryant Ian Watson John Green (Acting) John Green, "Archdeacon Pastor" Clive Hogger (Acting) Sue Field, "Archdeacon Pastor"