Eiltsbire 3321:0111 émzietp (formerly thc Rccords Branch of thc Wiltshirc Archaeological and Natural History Society) VOLUME XXXIX FOR THE YEAR 1983 Impression of 550 copies THE REGISTER OF JOHN CHANDLER DEAN OF SALISBURY 1404-17 EDITED BY T.C.B. TIMMINS DEVIZLS 1984 © Wiltshire Record Society ISBN: U 901333 16 6 THIS VOLUME IS PUBLISHED WITH THE HELP OF A GRANT FROM THE BRITISH ACADEMY Produced for the Society by Alan Sutton Publishing, Gloucester Set in Bembo 10/11 pt. Printed in Great Britain CONTENTS pages Preface ix Bibliographical Abbreviations xi INTRODUCTION Dean Chandler xiii The Dean’s jurisdiction xiii The Content of the Register xv Visitation Proceedings xvi Complaints about the Clergy xviii Parish Clerks xxi Complaints about Lay People xxii Church Buildings and Parsonages xxv Action against those Presented xxvii The Inventories xxxi Instance Procedure in the Dean’s Consistory Court xxxiii Corrections of Vicars-Choral and others in the Close xxxiv Wills xxxvi The Manuscript xxxvii Editorial Method xxxvii Abbreviations and Definitions xxxix THE REGISTER The Visitation of 1405 1 Inventories 50 The Visitation of 1408-9 72 The Visitation of 1412 107 Consistories, 1404, 1406 129 Business Inside and Outside the Close, 1404-17 133 Glossary 170 INDEX OF PERSONS AND PLACES 174 INDEX OF SUBJECTS 225 List of Members 241 Publications of the Society 247 PREFACE At the Annual General Meeting in June 1983 Mr Christopher Elrington was elected President of the Society. Mr Elrington, General Editor of the Victoria County History, was the Soeiety’s Honorary General Editor from 1962 to 1972; and the Society is very fortunate to have secured the guidance of so distinguished a scholar. Mr Timmins wishes to thank the archivists and librarians who have afforded him such courteous and helpful service, especially Miss S. M. Eward, Miss P. Rundle, the staffs of the London Library, Manchester Central Library, and the john Rylands Library. He is also grateful to Mrs H. Bonncy, Mrs M. Bowker, Dr. R. W. Brunskill, Monsignor]. D. Crichton, Dr. J. H. Harvey, Mr A. D. Mills, Mrs D. M. Owen, Mr K. H. Rogers, Miss K. P. Stewart, and Mr A. Watson for particular assistance and advice and to Mrs D. M. Callis who cheerfully and efficiently typed the MS. Above all, he is indebted to the late Dr. K. L. Wood-Legh for initial encouragement to edit the register; to the late Professor R. B. Pugh whose editorial guidance, personal interest, and kindness he so much valued. ].L. Kmuv BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS A.C. Salisbury Diocesan Registry: Salisbury Cathedral Chapter Act books (cited with names of chapter clerks). BR UC A. B. Emden, A Biographical Register ofthe University of Cambridge to 1500 (1963). BR UO A. B. Emden, A Biographical Register ofthe University of Oxford to 1500, 3 vols., (1957-9). CCR Calendar of Close Rolls. CPR Calendar of Pine Rolls. C. M. Salisbury Diocesan Registry: Chapter Muniments. Councils and Synods Councils and Synods with other documents relating to the English Church, II: A.D. 1205-1313, ed. F. M. Powicke and C. R. Cheney (1964), parts i and ii. CPL Calendar of Papal Letters. CPR Calendar of Patent Rolls. D.D.R. Salisbury Cathedral Library: MS. 189 (Dean Davy- son’s Register). Jones, Fasti W. H. Jones, Fasti Ecclesiae Sarisberiensis (1879). Le Neve, Pasti J. Le Neve, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300-1541, new edn. iii, Salisbury Diocese, comp. M. Horn (1962). Lyndwood W. Lyndwood, Provinciale, seu Constitutiones Angliae (1679) P.R.O. Public Record Office. Reg. Wiltshire Record Office, Trowbridge (unless other- wise stated), Register [Of bishop named]. Salisbury Statutes Statutes and Customs ofthe Cathedral Church ofthe Blessed Virgin Mary of Salisbury, ed. C. Wordsworth and D. Macleane (1915). V. C. I-I. Victoria County History. INTRODUCTION Dean Chandler When he was elected dean of Salisbury in 1404 Master John Chandler was probably in his mid fifties. The facts about his parentage, upbringing, and education are unknown but he had been a residentiary canon since 1383.‘ He had gained experience in the affairs of the cathedral when acting as the dean’s deputy, and had taken part in visiting churches and religious houses, and for short periods had been vicar-general in the diocese?’ His experience was not confined to the cathedral and diocese. As early as 1383 he was in contact with Princess Joan, Richard II’s mother, and later worked for the king whilst at Rome on chapter business. As a royal clerk he continued to enjoy the king’s favour after his return to Salisbury.’ In March 1402 Henry IV appointed him treasurer of the household of Princess Blanche, the king’s ten-year-old daughter, who was then preparing to depart to Cologne for her marriage. Soon after returning to England he was appointed treasurer of the household of Queen Joan, whom he escorted on her journey from Brittany. As dean he continued the work of his immediate predecessor, Master Thomas Montagu, a reformer and the first dean for nearly a century to keep residence.‘ Chandler was able and conscientious but did not risk offending the great or members of the court.‘ In 1417 he was elected bishop of Salisbury, which he remained until his death in 1426. The Dean’s jurisdiction The dean presided over a cathedral chapter whose members he admitted though they were appointed by the bishop. Besides the dean there were 51 prebendaries, most of whom received their supplies (prebenda) or revenues from lands and churches assigned to their particular stalls. The prebendaries, who could hold other benefices, were expected to reside at Salisbury for three months each year, but not all did so and absentees without reasonable excuse were fined.“ Every prebendary had a vicar—choral who took part in the daily services of the cathedral. Those with prebendal churches appointed parochial vicars, most of whom were presented to the dean for institution and induction. The dean had immediate ordinary jurisdiction in the cathedral ‘ C.M. Press IV, Litere (dated from internal evidence). For his career see BR UO i. 397-8; iii, p. xviii. His relationship to the Salisbury citizen, John Chandler, senior, is unknown. 2 A.C. Dunham, p. 15-89; A.C. Holmes, 13-41; A.C. Draper, pp. 21-5; A.C. Holmes, pp. 29, 31, 72; Reg. Medford, ff. 4lv., 4 v., 43v. 3 C.M. Press'IV, Litere; CCR 1392-6, 544; CPR 1391-6, 566. ‘ V.C.H. Wilts. iii. 176. 5 Whereas Bishop Hallum provoked the court by sequestrating Upavon church: Reg. Hallum (Cant. 84 York Soc.), pp. 203-4. ° K. Edwards, English Secular Cathedrals (1967), 53. For medieval chapter see V.C.H. Wilts. iii. 156-83. xiv THE REGISTER or JOHN CHANDLER close, in his own prebend of Heytesbury, in the peculiars of Mere and Sonning and in St. John's hospital, Wilton, and Longleat priory.’ Over most prebends in the diocese, each possessing its own court, he was the superior ordinary with authority to visit judicially whenever there was need and to hear causes of first instance and appeal at any time.“ He also exercised archidiaconaljurisdiction in Salisbury and the suburbs” when the subdeanery was vacant. The places under the dean’s authority were scattered throughout the diocese. To the west lay the prebend ofChardstock in Devon and Wambrook chapelry in Somerset, both formerly in Dorset, the prebend of Warminster and the dean's peculiars of Mere and Heytesbury in Wiltshire, and the sixteen Dorset prebends of Alton Australis, Alton Borealis, Beminster Prima, Beminster Secunda, Charminster and Bere, Fordington and Writhlington, Grimston and Yetminster, Lyme and Halstoek, Netherbury in Ecclesia, Netherbury in Terra, Preston, Sherborne, Slape, Stratton, Yetminster Prima, and Yetminster Secunda. Within about 12 miles of Salisbury lay six Wiltshire prebends: Coombe and Harnham, Durnford, Netheravon, Ratfyn, Stratford, and Wilsford and Woodford. In north and north-east Wiltshire were another ten prebends: Axford, Bedwyn, Bishopstone, Calne, Chisenbury and Chute, Highworth, Hurstbourne and Burbage, Ogbourne, Ramsbury, and Yatesbury. Further east were the four Berkshire prebends of Blewbury, Faringdon, Ruscombe Northbury, and Ruscombe Southbury and the chapels of Hungerford and Wantage which formed part of the large prebend of Ogbourne. Near the eastern borders of the diocese lay Sonning with its seven dependent and free chapels. From east to west the dean’s jurisdiction stretched about 100 miles. In 1408-9, when almost all places were visited, the visitation took about 39 days, including periods for rest and travelling, and required three separate progresses. The dean was largely independent of the bishop, who in 1392 with difficulty established his right to visit the cathedral and close; the dean’s exclusive right to visit prebends remained intact.'“ Heresy, simony, and apostasy were theoretically reserved for the bishop’s judgment, though in practice this restriction on decanal competence was partly ignored.“ The bishop’s right to punish abuses which the dean after due warning had left uncorrected and to hear appeals and complaints from within thejurisdiction“ was asserted by Bishop Robert Hallum (1407-17) on several occasions.“ I Salisbury Statutes, 208; Le Neve, Fasti, 58; 424, 427. “ Salisbury Statutes, 53, 384. Triennial visitation by the dean, customary by the late 17th century, was not obli atory. The dean did not visit extra-diocesan prebends or the prebends of Loders, Potteme, an% Upavon. 9 Cf. Salisbury Statues, 30. "‘ Salisbury Statutes, 282-306. " Ibid. 304; 31, 190; A.C. Newton, p. 145. '2 Salisbury Statutes, 302, 304. '3 Bfln, 22n, 247n, 249n, 277n. For a common-form monition to correct abuses in a prebend see Reg. Hallum, p. 112; cf. 297m, 306n. INTRODUCTION xv The Content of the Register The register is the official record of the legal business which Chandler transacted as dean, personally or by deputy, mainly in the cathedral close, the prebendal parishes, and his own peculiar.