LONGCHAMP, WILLIAM (d. 1197), chancellor of Eng land and bishop of Ely, entered public life at the close of Henry II.'s reign as official to the king's son Geoffrey, for the arch deaconry of Rouen. Henry II., who disliked him, called him the "son of two traitors." He soon deserted Geoffrey for Richard, who made him chancellor of the duchy of Aquitaine. As Rich ard's envoy, in Paris, he defeated Henry II.'s attempt to make peace with Philip Augustus (1189). On Richard's accession Will iam became chancellor of the kingdom and bishop of Ely. When Richard left England (Dec. 1189), he put the tower of London in his hands and chose him to share with Hugh de Puiset, the great bishop of Durham, the office of chief justiciar. William imme diately quarrelled with Hugh, and by April 1190 had ousted him from office. In June 1190 he received a commission as legate from Pope Celestine.
John returned to England in 1191; he and his adherents were immediately involved in disputes with William. At last (June 1190 Geoffrey, archbishop of York and William's earliest bene factor, was violently arrested by William's subordinates on land ing at Dover. They exceeded their orders, which were to prevent
the archbishop from entering England until he had sworn fealty to Richard. This outrage was made a pretext for a general rising against William, whose legatine commission had now expired, and whose power was balanced by the presence of the archbishop of Rouen, Walter Coutances, with a commission from the king. William shut himself up in the Tower, but he was forced to sur render his castles and expelled from the kingdom. In 1193 he joined Richard in Germany. Richard employed Longchamp in confidential and diplomatic missions in Germany, in France and at Rome. He died in Jan. 1197.