Sweteman, Milo (d. 1380), archbishop of Armagh, belonged to an Anglo-Norman family which had interests in Co. Kilkenny, especially in the barony of Shillelogher, where they held the manor of Earlstown. It does not appear that the Swetemans had especially close connections with the church, but surviving records show that at least two family members, after Milo, held ecclesiastical office in the archdiocese of Armagh. While there is little to suggest that Milo was a confirmed nepotist, he probably did advance the career of his nephew Maurice, who was rector of Kilcurly from c.1367, served as the archbishop's proctor in 1378, and was archdeacon of Armagh, at least by 1381. Robert Sweteman, who as a young man was vicar of Dunleer in 1412 and held the rectory of Drakestown in 1450, was most likely a collateral descendant.
Milo Sweteman's appointment to Armagh came about in unusual circumstances. He had first come to notice in 1341, when he was designated as one of two attorneys in Ireland for Richard Ledrede (qv), bishop of Ossory, during the latter's absence in England. Subsequently, he was chosen as treasurer of Ossory, a position which he held before 1360. In that year Bishop Ledred died, and Milo was elected to succeed him. He travelled to Rome for confirmation of his appointment, only to find his election quashed by Pope Innocent VI in favour of John Tatenhall, an English Dominican. Then, in a curious turn of events, he was provided to the archbishopric of Armagh as successor to Richard FitzRalph (qv), who had died in November 1360.
Milo was consecrated the following November, and received custody of his temporalities in February 1362. For long, the archdiocese had in effect been divided between the native Irish and the English colonists, with the southern part lying ‘inter Anglicos’ and the north ‘inter Hibernicos’. As is clear from his register, Milo spent most of his time in the south – at his manors of Termonfeckin, near Drogheda, and Dromiskin, near Dundalk – leaving day-to-day management of the more northerly deaneries to the Irish cathedral chapter at Armagh. However, he made at least seven recorded visits to his see, while doubtless there were others which are undocumented.
He faced strong challenges to his authority from the Armagh chapter which (November 1363) persuaded the new pope, Urban V, that the see was vacant. At the request of the dean, the translation was authorised of the bishop of Raphoe, Gilla-Pátraic Mac Maonghail, to Armagh – although it appears that this did not take effect. In 1376 some clergy of the diocese falsely reported that Milo had been excommunicated at the Roman curia, obliging him to produce documentation to convince the king of the Ulster Irish, Niall Mór Ó Néill (qv), of his innocence.
By the same token, Milo was opposed by certain Irish suffragans, especially by the recalcitrant Riocard Ó Raghallaigh (qv) (O'Reilly), bishop of Kilmore. He also experienced problems with the church ‘inter Anglicos’ – which included a protracted dispute with the archbishopric of Dublin, on the matter of ecclesiastical primacy. Further difficulties were posed by the bishopric of Down, where a vacancy between 1365 and 1368 found Milo acting as metropolitical custodian of the diocese; on one occasion, the prior of the Benedictine monastery of Down seized and tortured one of the archbishop's messengers.
It appears that Milo was willing to compromise where circumstances permitted. In spite (or perhaps because) of the dispute with Dublin, he appointed John Colton (qv), treasurer of St Patrick's, as his chamberlain sometime before 1373. He was also willing to engage with the more traditional elements within the Irish church, when it was expedient to do so. On at least one occasion (1365) he appealed to the spiritual authority claimed by Ó Maolchalainn, keeper of the shrine of St Patrick's bell, persuading him to fast against those who harassed the archbishop's subjects; at the same time, he forbade him to extend protection to excommunicates.
However, Milo's most enduring legacy as archbishop lay in the diplomatic arena: having inherited a province blighted by pestilence and by almost constant warfare, he actively promoted the cause of peace between English and Irish. He strove to maintain relations with Ó Néill, despite the latter's threats to seize his estates around Armagh, and with Ó hAnluain, sub-king of Oirthir (baronies of Upper and Lower Orior, Co. Armagh), who on more than one occasion attacked his servants. In 1373 he helped secure agreements between Niallán Mac Aonghasa, sub-king of Uíb Eachdach (baronies of Upper and Lower Iveagh, Co. Down), Mac Domhnaill, captain of the Scots in Ulster, and various prominent English officials including the justiciar and the sheriff of Louth. Of greater significance was the fact that he issued conciliar decrees, binding his suffragans to preserve the peace wherever possible, and prescribing suspension and excommunication for any bishop guilty of promoting discord between the ‘two nations’. His ordinances on these matters were considered to be sufficiently important to be repeated by several of his successors in the century that followed.
Archbishop Milo died on 11 August 1380, at his manor of Dromiskin. On 14 January 1381 an Irish Franciscan, Tomás Ó Calmáin, was provided as his successor by Pope Clement VII, but this did not take effect. Shortly afterwards, John Colton, by this time dean of St Patrick's, was appointed to the see by papal provision.