Henry Despencer

Henry Despencer was the fourth son of an English noble, and thus marked for a profitable clerical career. In 1370 he became bishop of Norwich, a rapid promotion at an early age as a result of his background rather than qualifications.

Despencer was known as a warrior-churchman. In the late 1360s he spent some time in Italy fighting for the pope and in 1377 he quarreled with the town of King's Lynn and was attacked and wounded by townsmen. He resumed his military career when the peasants' revolt of 1381 broke out in Norfolk. Fully clad in helmet, chain mail and with sword in hand, he attacked a camp of rebel peasants in 1381, and executed the ringleader. He also led crusade to Flanders in 1383, which led to his impeachment, subsequent imprisonment and the seizure of his lands. However, he was released in 1385 to accompany Richard II (r. 1377-1399) to Scotland and on a naval expedition to Flanders in 1386.

At its peak, Despencer’s wealth would have been around £10,000 or some £3.6bn in 2010's terms.