John de Sandford

Who was John de Sandford?

John de Sandford was Archbishop of Dublin.

He was brother of Fulk Basset, archbishop of Dublin, and hence nephew of Sir Philip Basset, the justiciar, and of Fulk Basset, Bishop of London from 1241 until his death in 1259, a prelate who was prominent during the troubles of Henry III's reign.

He first appears as an official of Henry III in Ireland and of Edward I in both England and Ireland; he came to Ireland as his brother's vicar general and was made rector of Maynooth. He was appointed Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, in 1275. In 1284 he was chosen archbishop of Dublin in succession to John of Darlington; some, however, objected to this choice and Sandford resigned his claim; but was elected a second time while he was in Rome, and returning to Ireland was allowed to take up the office. In 1288, during a time of great confusion, the archbishop acted as governor of Ireland.

In 1290 he resigned and returned to England. Sandford served Edward I in the great case over the succession to the Scottish throne in 1292 and also as an envoy to the German king, Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg, and the princes of the Empire.