The administration of the See of London under Bishops Roger Walden (1405-1406) and Nicholas Bubwith (1406-1407) with a transcript of their registers

311 Pages·039.844 MB·English

by  Hannam, Una Constance

THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SEE OF LONDON
UNDER BISHOPS ROGER WALDEN (1405-1406)
AND NICHOLAS^ BUBWITH (1406-140?) WITH A
TRANSCRIPT OF THEIR REGISTERS
by
Una Constance Hannam
Thesis presented for the M.A. Degree
of the University of London
in May 1951
lOKDIN
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The administration of the see of London under Roger Walden
(hisliop of london 14^ and Nicholas jubwitn (bishop '
of London l4O6-l407) vhth a tranacript of their register‘d
Although many registers of the medieval English
bishops are now in print, very few of those of the
important diocese of London have been published. No
London registers of the fifteenth century, (the period
preceding the reformation) have been printed. This
study provides the complete text of two short registers
of the early fifteenth century, those of Roger V/alden
(bishop of London 1405-1406) and of Nicholas Bubwith
(bishop of London 1406-1407) with the necessary notes
and comments. These registers contain four main classes
of material; records of admissions to benefices,
ordination lists, archiépiscopal mandates and royal writs.
An attempt is made to assess the significance of the
material found in the registers as providing a detailed
picture of the administration of a particular see at
a particular time.
C O N T E N T S
page
Abbreviations
Chapter I. Introductory
Chapter II. Collations, Institutions
and Exchanges XXX 11
Chapter III. The Bishops » Ordinations Ivi
Chapter IV. The External Re lations
of the See Ixxvii
The Register of vValden 1
The Register of Nicholas Bubwith 64
Appendix of Biographical Notes 165
Bibliography 203
TABLE OP ABBREVIATION
The following abbreviations have been used in different
parts of this study. In addition, episcopal registers are
referred to under the names of the bishops concerned (see
bibliography). In one case there is danger of ambiguity
since both the Canterbury and London registers of Sudbury have
been used. Here, the London register is always cited as
*Sudbury*, the Canterbury one being referred to as *Sudbury
(Canterbury).*
ac. acoli te .
archd. archdeacon.
Blomefield Blomefield, F. History of Norfolk.
bp. bishop.
C.C.R. Calendar of Close Rolls.
G .D.C .L. Hennessy, C., Chichester Diocese Clergy Lists
chap. chaplain.
cl. clerk.
0 .F.L. Calendar of Papal Letters.
C.P.R. Calendar of Patent Rolls.
d. deacon.
dis pen. dispensation.
D.N.B. Dictionary of National Biography.
E .D .R . Ely Diocesan Remembrancer.
ex • exchange.
Fag tl.Dun. Fasti Dunelmenses (Surtees Society, CXXXIX).
Hennessy Hennessy, G., Novum Repetorium.
Hist.MSS.Rept. Historical Manuscripts Report.
Jones Jones, W .H .R ., Fasti Bcclesie Sarisheriens is .
kg. king.
Le Neve Le Neve, J., Fas tl.
Manning Manning, 0., The History and Antiquities of
Surrey.
MS. Manus cripts.
Newcourt Repetorium Eccles lasticum.
P.C .C . Prerogative Court of Canterbury (Wills ).
pr. pries t.
prov. papal provision
.
rec rector.
Rec. Roch. Fielding, C.H., The Records of Rochester.
Reg.Sed.Vac. Wore The Register of the Diocese of Worcester
during the vacancy of the See , ed . J .W ..-V . Bund .
res . resigned.
sd . 8ubdeacon.
V.C .H. Victoria County History,
vie . vicar.
Wilkins Wilkins, D., Concilia.
Y.A.3. Rec Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series.
CHAPTER I .
INTRODUCTORY
Although in the aouthern province the dioceae of
London ia second only in importance to that of Canterbury,
few of its episcopal registers have yet been published.
The object of the present study is to provide the text of
two short London registers of the early fifteenth century,
those of Roger Walden, bishop of London 1405 to 1406, and
Nicholas Bubwith, bishop of London 1406 to 1407. These
registers have been selected because they are of manageable
size, while the editing of two registers makes comparison
pofls ible •
i The Manuscripts
The original registers are preserved at the bishop
2
of London*s registry. They are contained in a large book
1. The date of the beginning of Walden's tenure of the see
of London is given as 1405, not 1404, as in many lists,
since although he was provided to the see in 1404, he
did not obtain possession until tbe following summer
and his administrationdid not therefore begin until
1405.
2. A microfilm of the registers is also available at the
Institute of Historical Research, University of London.
11
3ize ten and a quarter by thirteen and three quarter Inches.
This is bound in leather over a material resembling cardboard
and the covers are much worn, especially at the edges. On
the binding a conventional geometrical pattern is still
discernible. The front cover is loose and is only attached
to the rest of the volume by a thick leather strap which Is
passed round the book. The spine, which is strengthened
with six ribs, bears an inscription in Roman capitals
WALDJSN
A ; 1404
AD: 1431
The inside of the front cover contains a modern pencilled
Inscription noting the contents of the register. The volume
contains two hundred and sixty-eight folios plus four blank
fly leaves, three at the beginning and one at the end of
the book. The fly leaves are of paper, though the normal
material of the rest of the register is parchment. The
book contains five episcopal registers of the first half of
the fifteenth century, those of Roger -dalden, Nicholas
Bubwith, Richard Clifford, John Kemp and Robert Pitzhu^.
Each is foliated separately and they were originally separate
works, being bound together later. Only the registers of
Walden and Bubwith will be described here in detail.
Ill
The register of Roger Walden.
This register Is written on parchment. It Is marked
by damp In some places and the edges are sometimes dark and
dirty. It consists of fourteen folios plus an Index section.
Tne contents are as follows
fo.l Title page
1^-2 Institutions
2^ Collations
3-6 Exchanges
5^ Blank
Then follows an index section consisting of
three folios of which the last three sides are
blank (apart from the heading Walden on the
recto) plus a stubb.
6-8^ Archiépiscopal mandates
9-9^ Blank (apart from the heading Walden
on the recto).
10-11^ Ordinations
12-13^ Blank (apart from the heading Walden
on the recto)•
14-14^ Royal Writs
The pages are not absolutely regular In size and vary from
approximately nine and a half to nine and three quarter
inches (Index nine and seven eighths) by thirteen to
thirteen and a quarter Inches. Ihe number of lines to a
Iv
page varies, but the lines are approximately a quarter of
an inch apart. Ruling is only used to provide a framework
for the text. It is in faint ink. There is a margin of
approximately one and a quarter inches at the top, two
and threequarters at the bottom and from two to two and a
quarter at the side. The ink is of a dull brownish shade
and is substantially the same throu^out, though the foliation
and the date 1405 found at the top of folio four are paler
and may be later additions.
The register is written in a neat smallish court hand
typical of the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries .
The index section is clearly not part of the original
register. It is in quite a different hand and of a later
date •
Latin is used throughout the register except when
two royal writs written in French are copied.
The register of Nicholas Bubwith.
This register is written on parchment, except the
index section which is on thick paper. It is marked by
damp, and the edges of many pages are dark and dirty, often
brittle and badly curled. Some pages appear to have been
cut, probably because they were so unmanageable. Several
pages are badly creased. The register consists of fourteen
folios plus an index section of two folios. The contents
are as follows :-