Richard Northalis (died 20 July 1397) was an English-born cleric and judge who spent much of his life in Ireland. He held the offices of Bishop of Ossory, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland. For the last decade of his life, he was one of the English Crown's most trusted advisers on Irish affairs. Early life He was born in Middlesex, the son of John Northales (died 1349), also known as John Clarke, who was Sheriff of London in 1335-6. He entered the Carmelite order in London. He gained a reputation as a preacher of great eloquence, and was appointed a royal chaplain. He was Bishop of Ossory from 1386 to 1396, probably as a reward for his long service to the Crown, and was then briefly Archbishop of Dublin. Crown servant He was a diplomat and statesman of considerable repute. He was envoy to the Holy See in 1388 and was a trusted adviser to King Richard II in his dealings with the Holy See and in Irish affairs. As a mark of royal favour he was given an export licence for a wide variety of items, including hawks, falcons, gold and silver. Affairs of state kept him out of Ireland for much of the years 1388-90, during which time there were serious disturbances in his diocese; he later complained of his inability to collect the diocesan revenues, and the unhelpful attitude of the Royal Government, which he accused of withholding two-thirds of the revenue which was due to him, in contravention of a royal order of 1389 that he continue to enjoy the temporalities of the See. In 1390 he was given a royal commission to inquire into corruption, maladministration and abuse of office by Irish officials. The powers granted to him by the commission (which was a familiar medieval response to complaints about the misgovernment of Ireland) were very wide, no doubt an indication of the high degree of trust placed in him by the Crown. He was entitled to examine all official records and summon any official for questioning. All Crown servants, even the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, were required to co-operate with the Bishop. The King, in 1391, referred to Richard as a man on whom he greatly relied for his "circumspection, prudence and fidelity". He was given special permission to travel at will for three years. He spent much of the spring