# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Strickland, William

1904 Errata appended.
​STRICKLAND, WILLIAM (d. 1419), bishop of Carlisle, is perhaps the William de Strickland who was rector of Ousby in Cumberland in 1366 and parson of Rothbury, Northumberland, in 1380 (cf. Hist. MSS. Comm. 9th Rep. App. p. 195; Cal. Pat. Rolls, Richard II, i. 589; Cal. Doc. relating to Scotland, iv. 77). He may have been a member of the Strickland family of Sizergh. In 1388 he was chaplain to Thomas Appleby, bishop of Carlisle, by whom he was presented to the church of Horncastle. He was elected to the bishopric of Carlisle in 1396, but the pope quashed the election in favour of Robert Reade [q. v.] In 1400, after Henry IV had deprived Thomas Merke [q. v.] of the see, Strickland's promotion was favoured both by the king and chapter. The pope on his part, without waiting for election or the royal assent, provided Strickland to the bishopric. Though custody of the temporalities had been granted to Strickland on 18 Feb., Henry was very indignant (Nicolas, Proc. Privy Council, i. 115–17), and would not acknowledge Strickland as bishop until he had been elected by the chapter and confirmed by himself. Strickland was consecrated by the archbishop of York at Cawood on 24 Aug. 1400, but he did not receive formal restitution of the temporalities till 15 Nov. following (Fœdera, viii. 106, misdated 1399). Strickland was a commissioner to negotiate peace with Scotland on 20 Sept. 1401 (Nicolas, Proc. Privy Council, i. 168), and on 9 May 1402 was directed to arrest persons suspected of asserting that Richard II was still alive (Fœdera, viii. 255). On 9 May 1404 he was present at the translation of St. John of Bridlington (Walsingham, Hist. Angl. ii. 262). In the same year he had a grant of the office of constable of Rose Castle. Strickland was one of the witnesses of the act declaring the succession to the crown in 1406. He is said to have built the tower and belfry of the cathedral at Carlisle, and the tower at Rose Castle which bears his name. He provided the town of Penrith with water, and founded the chantry of St. Andrew at that place. Strickland died on 30 Aug. 1419, and was buried in the north aisle of Carlisle Cathedral as desired in his will, dated 25 May 1419 and proved 7 Sept. following. The monument shown as his appears, however, to be of much earlier date.
It would seem that before he took orders Strickland was married, for Robert de Louther (d. 1430) married a Margaret Strickland whom the visitations of Yorkshire, 1612, and of Cumberland, 1615, style ‘daughter and heir of William Strickland, bishop of Carlisle.’ The descendants of this marriage (the Earl of Lonsdale and others) quarter Margaret Strickland's arms, which are the same as those of the Sizergh Stricklands, with the addition of a border engrailed.
Strickland appears to have had lands in and about Penrith. In 20 Richard II he had a license to crenellate ‘quamdam cameram suam in villa de Penreth,’ and in 22 Richard II like license for ‘unam mantellatam suam in Penreth’ (Taylor, Manorial Halls, &c.). Margaret also had lands in Penrith, and Robert de Louther was one of the executors of the bishop's will.
C. L. K.
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.261 N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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