Thomas Minot

Thomas Minot, also spelt Mynot or Mynyot (died 10 July 1375) was an English-born judge and cleric in fourteenth-century Ireland. He was Archbishop of Dublin from 1363 to 1375. He is chiefly remembered for his extensive restoration works to St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and in particular for rebuilding the Cathedral's tower, which is still called Minot's Tower.

Early career

He came from a north of England family which had a tradition of service to the English Crown. He may have been a cousin of Laurence Minot, the poet, although almost nothing is known for certain of Laurence's life. Richard Mynot, who came to Ireland with Thomas and accompanied him on his final journey back to England, was probably his nephew.

He was presented to the living of Nothorpe, Lincolnshire in 1349, and to that of Seaton, Rutland in 1351. He was sent to Ireland in 1354 as Chancellor of St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick, and in 1356 he was appointed Third Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) to "supervise and hasten the interests of the King". He also served as Chief Escheator of Ireland in the late 1350s, and numerous entries in the Close Rolls for 1358 show that he was kept busy dealing with a flood of queries about the state of the Crown lands.

Unlike many of the medieval Irish Barons of the Exchequer, who were laymen (a fact which gave rise to frequent complaints about their ignorance of the law) Thomas had studied law at Oxford University (receiving the title "magister" in about 1349) and was an accomplished ecclesiastical lawyer.