The Nobility and Ecclesiastical Patronage in Thirteenth-Century England (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion, 40)

258 Pages·2013·3.05 MB·English

by  Elizabeth Gemmill

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‘While there has been work on the nobility as patrons of monasteries, this is the E THE OBILITY
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first real study of them as patrons of parish churches, and is thus the first study
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to tackle the subject as a whole. Illustrated with a wealth of detail, it will become E
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an indispensable work of reference for those interested in lay patronage and the I
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Church more generally in the middle ages.’ I
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PROFESSORDAVIDCARPENTER, DEPARTMENTOFHISTORY, KING'SCOLLEGELONDON Y P
ATRONAGE
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This book provides the first full-length, integrated study of the ecclesiastical D
patronage rights of the nobility in medieval England. It examines the nature and E
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extent of these rights, how they were used, why and for whom they were valuable,
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what challenges lay patrons faced, and how they looked to the future in making L
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gifts to the Church. It takes as its focus the thirteenth century, a critical period for S
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the survival and development of these rights, being a time of ambitious Church A
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reform, of great change in patterns of land ownership in the ranks of the higher T
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nobility, and of bold assertion by the English Crown of its claims to control C
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Church property. The thirteenth century also saw a proliferation of record keeping
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on the part of kings, bishops and nobility, and the author uses new evidence from
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a range of documentary sources to explore the nature of the relationships between A
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the English nobility, the Church and its clergy, a relationship in which patronage R
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was the essential feature.
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DR ELIZABETH GEMMILL is University Lecturer in Local History and Fellow of G
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Kellogg College, University of Oxford.
Cover image: Cloister Hailes Abbey E
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Series:Studies in the History of Medieval Religion E
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ELIZABETH GEMMILL
an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge IP12 3DF (GB) and
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY14620-2731 (US)
www.boydellandbrewer.com
Studies in the History of Medieval Religion
VOLUME XL
THE NOBILITY AND ECCLESIASTICAL PATRONAGE IN
THIRTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND
Studies in the History of Medieval Religion
ISSN 0955–2480
Founding Editor
Christopher Harper-Bill
Series Editor
Frances Andrews
Previously published titles in the series
are listed at the back of this volume
THE NOBILITY AND ECCLESIASTICAL
PATRONAGE IN THIRTEENTH-
CENTURY ENGLAND
ELIzABETH GEMMILL
THE BOYDELL PRESS
© Elizabeth Gemmill 2013
All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
The right of Elizabeth Gemmill to be identified
as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
First published 2013
The Boydell Press, Woodbridge
ISBN 978–1–84383–812–8
The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
668 Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620, USA
website: www.boydellandbrewer.com
The publisher has no responsibility for the continued existence or accuracy
of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is,
or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
Papers used by Boydell & Brewer Ltd are natural, recyclable products
made from wood grown in sustainable forests
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
For Margaret and James, with love.

Contents
Acknowledgements ix
List of Abbreviations x
Introduction 1
Part I
1 Ecclesiastical Patronage Rights in the Thirteenth Century 17
2 The Exercise and Defence of Patronage Rights 46
3 Jobs for the Boys? 68
Part II
4 Acquisitive Inquisitive Kings 101
5 Speaking With One Voice 129
6 Looking to the Future 149
Conclusion 174
Appendix of Documents 178
Appendix of Magnate Presentations 182
Bibliography 207
Index 223
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Acknowledgements
I am grateful to many people – scholars, family and friends – who have helped
and supported me in the writing of this book. I am especially indebted to my
parents and my husband for their faith in me. I will always be grateful to the
late Professor Jeffrey Denton, and to Mr Dennis Bradley and Professor Nicholas
Mayhew, for their support, guidance, friendship and advice. The encouragement
of Professor Paul Brand and the late Dr Diana Wood has been very much appre-
ciated; and I have drawn great inspiration from colleagues and my students in
the Department for Continuing Education at the University of Oxford. I am,
finally, delighted to acknowledge the generosity of the Department in providing
a contribution towards the cost of publishing this book.