Fromund Le Brun
Fromund le Brun (died 1283) was a cleric and judge in thirteenth century Ireland who became Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He lost a long battle to become Archbishop of Dublin, due to his notorious pluralism (i.e his holding of multiple benefices). He also clashed bitterly with the Archbishop of Cashel, David Mac Cerbaill. Early career. He may have been a descendant of Sir William le Brun, who came to Ireland during the Norman Invasion of Ireland, and he was probably related to a later William le Brun, who was also a royal clerk. He is said to  have been illegitimate. He is first heard of in 1248 as a clerk to the Justiciar of Ireland, Sir John Fitzgeoffrey, and apparently gained considerable judicial experience in this way: Fitzgeoffrey was a strong and capable viceroy, who reorganised the government of Ulster, and Le Brun must have learnt a good deal from him. His duties included administrative tasks: his first recorded assignment was to deliver treasure to the King's Wardrobe at Marlborough. He was appointed Lord Chancellor in 1259 and held the office with (possibly) one intermission until his death in 1283. He was a noted pluralist: he  was appointed Archdeacon of Waterford, while he also held livings in the dioceses of Dublin, Winchester and Salisbury. He became a papal chaplain in 1259. Failure to become Archbishop of Dublin. He was the choice of the monks of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (then called Holy Trinity Priory), to be Archbishop of Dublin in 1271, on the death of Fulk Basset, but he was opposed by another papal chaplain and proctor, William de la Corner, who was the choice of the Chapter of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. The matter dragged on for several years, and was in due course  referred to the Pope. Le Brun's record of pluralism destroyed his chances of becoming Archbishop, when it was found that he was unlawfully in possession of one of his benefices. Pope Nicholas III declared his election void, but also passed over William in favour of a compromise candidate, John de Derlington, who as a royal confessor also enjoyed the confidence of the English Crown (in the event Derlington, detained by official business in England, died without ever setting foot in Ireland). William de la Corner subsequently became Bishop of Salisbury. Quarrel with the Archbishop of Cashel. In 1275 Le  Brun, like the rest of the Dublin administration, became involved in a bitter quarrel with the formidable Archbishop of Cashel, David Mac Cerbaill (or MacCarwell). The actual issues - the building of a prison in Cashel, followed by a dispute over who should control it- seems trivial enough to modern eyes, but the Archbishop, then as throughout his career, showed himself to be an ambitious, quarrelsome and high-handed man, who in his 35 years as Archbishop of Cashel clashed with almost every other leading Irish figure. He took grave offence at the suggestion that he should not have exclusive possession  of the prison, arguing that Crown control of the gaol was prejudicial to his rights. He responded to the controversy by excommunicating his opponents. The outraged Le Brun wrote to Robert Burnell, the Lord Chancellor of England, complaining of the Archbishop's conduct in the strongest terms. The matter dragged on for several years, and the Archbishop was successful in obtaining control of the gaol, but in 1282 Le Brun was found to be blameless, and in recompense the English Crown ordered that he receive either a prebend or some other benefice. He died a few months later. Roebuck Castle . Fromund bought Roebuck Castle, in the south of County Dublin in 1261. It seems that the purchase was a bad bargain, since he was rumoured to be heavily in debt shortly before his death. Roebuck passed to Nigel le Brun, who seems to have been Fromund's nephew. Nigel and his wife Amicia also acquired Knocktopher Castle in County Kilkenny. He was living in 1309. The Le Brun family remained at Roebuck until the late fifteenth century, when it passed by marriage to the first Baron Trimlestown, who married Elizabeth le Brun, daughter of Christopher le Brun, the last male  representative of the family. It is now part of the campus of University College Dublin. Fromund also held lands at Tankardstown in County Meath, which he later granted to Theobald Butler. He was succeeded as Lord Chancellor by Walter de Fulburn.