Bishop William de la Corner - Salisbury Cathedral

William de la Corner (d1291) was bishop of Salsibury from 1289 until his death whilst on his second mission abroad as an ambassador for Edward I. This tomb is just 1.1 metres in length and is sometimes described as the tomb of a boy bishop. However, small tombs like this were often built when just the heart of the deceased was buried, in this case it was the bones that were returned to Salisbury.

By 1269 William de Corner was one of the clerks to Henry III and sent on diplomatic missions to the French Court in 1272-1273. From 1278-1280 he was clerk to the archbishop of Canterbury John Pecham. When the Bishop of Salisbury Henry of Braunstone died Walter de Corner was one of three candidates to replace him. The vote of the canons went to Laurence of Hagbourne. However, he died shortly after the election before being consecrated, and in the subsequent election Walter was elected as bishop and took up the post in 1289.

In 1290 he was sent to Perpignan in France on a diplomatic mission by Edward I where he became ill, and complained of 'recent various illnesses and exhaustion'. In June 1291 he was sent abroad again where he died in about early October.