Background
Woodville was a fourth son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. His siblings included Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Consort from 1464 to 1483.
Career
In the late 1470s, Woodville became the first person in recorded history to receive an honorary degree, from the University of Oxford. He was Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1479–1483. After a number of more minor clerical positions, Woodville was elected Dean of Exeter in November of 1478, and held the position until 1482, when he became Bishop of Salisbury.
He was nominated to Salisbury on 7 January 1482 and consecrated on 21 April 1482.
Woodville died about 23 June 1484.
