ended death_date consecration other_post article_title birth_date alma_mater death_place imagesize title image diocese name caption enthroned predecessor parents successor religion ordination
1406 -lrb- death -rrb- 23 august 1406 20 april 1370 archdeacon canon of salisbury -lrb- ? -- 1370 -rrb- of llandaff -lrb- around 1364 -- ? -rrb- henry le despenser
 about 1341 oxford university elmham , norfolk 200px bishop of norwich henry le despenser 2.jpg diocese of norwich henry le despenser a 14th-century carving of henry le despenser 12 july 1370 thomas percy edward le despenser & anne ferrers alexander tottington roman catholic 17 december 1362
henry le despenser

henry le despenser -lrb- `` c. '' 1341 -- 1406 -rrb- was a 14th-century english nobleman and bishop of norwich whose reputation as the ` fighting bishop ' was gained for his part in suppressing the peasants ' revolt in east anglia and in defeating the peasants at the battle of north walsham in the summer of 1381 .
as a young man he studied at oxford university and held numerous positions in the english church .
he fought in italy before being consecrated as a bishop in 1370 .
parliament agreed to allow despenser to lead a crusade to flanders in 1383 , which was directed against louis ii of flanders , a supporter of the antipope clement vii .
the crusade was in defence of english economic and political interests .
although well funded , the expedition was poorly equipped and lacked proper military leadership .
after initial successes , a disastrous attempt to besiege the city of ypres forced despenser to return to england .
upon his return he was impeached in parliament .
his temporalities were confiscated by richard ii of england , but were returned in 1385 , the year he accompanied the king northward to repel a potential french invasion of scotland .
despenser was an energetic and able administrator who staunchly defended his diocese against lollardy .
in 1399 , he was among those who stood by richard , following the landing of henry bolingbroke in yorkshire towards the end of june .
he was arrested for refusing to come to terms with bolingbroke .
the following year , he was implicated in the epiphany rising , but was pardoned .
