MORTON, ,JOHN (1420?-1500). Arellhi-Jrnp of Canterbury and cardinal. Ile was born in Dorset, and at Verne Abbey, a Benedic tine foundation• and at BAUM' College. oxford. Having studied law, he took orders and began to practiee in the Court of Amite., the ecelesiastieal tribunal of the Archbishop of Canterbury. here he attracted the attention of Arelibishop Bour ehiw•. who presented him to lhmry VI., and the latter made him a member of the Privy Connell about 14511, and also gave him valuable eeelesi astieal benefices. he had followed for a time the fortunes of the Lancastrians, Ed ward IV. took him into favor, made him Master of the Rolls in 1173. and in 1179 Bishop of Ely. 11. was not in favor with Richard TIT., who ar rested him and eminnit tell him to the custody of the Duke of Buckingham. from whom he escaped and fled to the Earl of Richmond (m the Continent. Ile is said to have suggested the
union of the houses of Yo•k and Lancaster lw the of Richmond with the dal of Edward IV. Henry VII. on his accession made Morton a member of the Privy Council, and on the death of Cardinal Bonrehier, in 1486, he was promoted to the See of Canterbury. In 1487 he was appointed Lord Chancellor, and in 141,3 Pope Alexander VI. made Min a cardi nal. Morton was the chief of Itenry VII_ and hence has been held responsible, per haps unjustly. for Henry's avarice. (See Mon TON'S FonE.) He died October 12, 1500. The history. of Richiu•d III, which bears the name of Sir Thomas More was probably written in Latin by Morton. At Ely he drained the fens by Mor ton's Dyke. Consult llook, Lines of tht. Arch bishops of Canterbury, vol. v. (London, 1867).