William of Wrotham

Who is William of Wrotham?

William of Wrotham or William de Wrotham was a medieval English royal administrator and clergyman. Although a 13th-century source says that William held a royal office under King Henry II of England, the first contemporary reference to William is in 1197, when he was put in charge of the royal tin mines, along with a few other offices. He also held ecclesiastical office, eventually occupying the office of Archdeacon of Taunton. William was also placed in charge of the royal fleet in the south of England in 1205, and was one of those responsible for the development of Portsmouth as a naval dockyard.