king Edger builded the Abbie of Tauestoke and king Edgar calleth home all the Monkes of S. Peters which were dispersed and without anie Abbat and made Sydemanuus Abbot who was afterwards Bishop This Alfwoldus after sixtéene yeares that he was consecrated died and was buried in his owne church ALwolfus as Dicetus affirmeth was consecrated Bishop anno 969. and after nine yeares died and was buried in his owne church SYdemannus of an Abbat was made a Bishop anno 978. in this mans time the Danes ouerranne and spoiled the whole contries of Deuon and Cornewall burned the towne of Bodmen and the cathedrall church of S. Petrokes with the Bishops house Wherevpon the Bishops sea was remooued from thence to S. Germans where the same continued vntill the remoouing and vniting thereof vnto Crediton Sydemannus in the twelfe yeare after his consecration died and was buried at Crediton in his owne church 990. ALphredus whom Dicetus calleth Alfricus Abbat of Malmesburie was consecrated Bishop and installed at Crediton he was taken for a learned man bicause he wrote two bookes the one intituled De rebus coenobij sui and the other De rerum naturis In this Bishops time king Etheldred endowed the Bishoprike of S. Germanes with lands liberties and priuiledges The Danes made a fresh inuasion in and vpon all Deuon and Cornewall burned and spoiled the Abbie of Ordolphus at Tauestoke they beséeged Excester and being remooued from thence were fought withall at Pinneho about thrée miles from the citie and ouerthrowne Alphredus after he had béene Bishop about nine yeares died anno 999. and was buried in his owne church ALwolfus as Dicetus writeth was the next Bishop In his time Sweno king of Denmarke by intisement of one Hew then Earle of Deuon came with a great hoste and besieged the citie of Excester tooke it and burned it and with great crueltie vsed the people vntill in the end Almarus then Earle of Deuon and the gentlemen did yéeld and submit themselues and so obteined peace This Alwolfus about the fiftéenth yeare of his Bishoprike anno 1014. died and was buried in his owne church ALnoldus by the report of the Archdeacon of London succéeded Alwolfus and was installed at Crediton In this mans time king Canutus gaue to Athelwode Abbat of S. Peters of this citie great gifts and sundrie priuiledges in recompense of his fathers great iniuries Arnoldus in the fiftéene yeare of his Bishoprike 1030. died and was buried in his owne church LEuigus or Leuingus Abbat of Tauistoke and nephew to Brythewaldus Bishop of Cornewall was chosen the next Bishop and according to the orders then vsed consecrated and installed He was in great fauour and credit with king Canutus vpon whome he attended in pilgrimage vnto Rome And after his vncle the Bishop of S. Germans being dead obteined of the king that the Bishops sea was remooued from S. Germanes vnto Crediton and both were thereby reduced and vnited into one Bishoprike and so hath euer sithence continued he was after the death of Brythegus Bishop of Worcester remooued to that church and there died and was buried as some suppose but some affirme that in the time of Hardicamitus the king at the accusation of Alfredus then Archbishop of Yorke for that he should be consenting to the death of Alfredus the sonne of Etheldred that he should be deposed of his Bishoprike there and so did returne vnto Tauestoke where be died but Dicetus affirmeth that he purged himselfe of this crime and by that meanes was restored both to the fauour of the king and to his Bishoprike againe and died Bishop of Worcester It is recorded that he was Bishop of Crediton fiftéene yeares LEofricus a man descended of the blood and line of Brutus but brought vp in the land of Lothoringia or Loreine was so well commended for his nobilitie wisedome and learning that king Edward the confessor had him in great fauour and made him first one of his priuie Councell and then Lord Chamberlaine of all England and lastlie the Bishoprike of this prouince being void he was made consecrated and installed Bishop of the same By him and by his meanes the Bishops sea was remooued from Crediton to this citie of Excester for at his request king Edward togither with Quéene Edith his wife came to Excester and remoouing the moonks from hence to Westminster did also remooue the Bishops sea from Crediton to his citie and did put the Bishop in the possession for he conducting the Bishop on the right hand and the Quéene on the left hand brought him to the high altar of his new church and there placed him in a seat appointed for him He suppressed sundrie houses or cels of religion within his sanctuarie and appropriated and vnited them to his owne church as also by the good liberalitie of the king obteined great reuenues possessions priuiledges and liberties to be giuen vnto the church In this mans time William Duke of Normandie made a conquest of this whole realme as also in the yeare 1068. besieged this citie of Excester which after by composition he restored to his former estate againe Also in his time Richard de Brion a noble man of Normandie the sonne of Baldwin of Brion and of Albred the néece to the conqueror was made Baron of Okehampton warden of the castell of Excester and Vicount of Deuon This Leofricus after that he had well and worthilie ruled his church and Diocesse by the space of xxiij yeares he ended his daies in peace and died anno 1073. and was buried in the cemitorie or churchyard of his owne church vnder a simple and a broken Marble stone which place by the sithens enlarging of his church is now within the south tower of the same where of late anno 1568. a new monument was erected in the memorie of so good worthie and noble a personage by the industrie of the writer hereof but at the charges of the Deane and chapter OSbertus or Osbernus a Normaine borne and brother to an Earle named William was preferred to this Bishoprike and in the yeare 1074. was consecrated and installed to the same Polydorus writeth that one Galfrid who ioined with Odo Earle of Kent and Bishop of Boion against William Rufus should be Bishop of Exon but it was not nor could not so be In this mans time William the conqueror and William Rufus his sonne died This Osbertus or Osbernus after he had béene Bishop thirtie yeares was blind and died and lieth buried in his owne church WIlliam VVarewest a Normaine borne and chaplaine both to the conqueror and his two sonnes William and Henrie was a verie graue and a wiseman and for the same was preferred by Henrie the king to this Bishoprike anno 1107. and was consecrated by Anselmus Archbishop of Canturburie in the moneth of August the same yeare He first began to enlarge his church which at that time was no bigger than that which is now called the Ladie chappell He founded and builded
was therein blinded and waxed so farre in loue with Aristotle that he preferred him before Moses and Christ. And behold Gods iust iudgement for suddenlie his memorie failed him and he waxed so forgetfull that he could neither call to remembrance anie thing that he had doone neither could he discerne read or know a letter of the booke This Henrie after that he had spent and liued twelue yeares in his Bishoprike he died and lieth buried in the North side of the Chauncell of his church in a verie faire toombe of Marble anno 1206. SImon de Apulia anno 1206. was installed Bishop of this sea of him there remaineth no memoriall at all In his time were famous Ioseph Iscanius and Alexander Neckam the one was verie well learned in the Latine and Gréeke toong and in the liberall sciences the other was Prior of S. Nicholas and was an vniuersall man being a profound philosopher an eloquent orator a pleasant Poet and a déepe diuine In this Bishops time the doctrine of eleuation adoration reseruation and praieng for the dead being established by Pope Honorius the third the parish churches within this citie were limitted anno 1222. In this mans time anno 1212. one Iohannes Deuonius so surnamed bicause he was borne in Deuon being well bent to good studies was much commended for his learning and modestie He was familiar and of great acquaintance with Baldwin Bishop of Canturburie and being made Abbat of Forde was in such fauour with king Iohn that he chose him to be his confessor and chapline he was a writer and compiled diuers bookes which were then accounted of Being dead he was buried in his Abbie the people much lamenting the want of so good a man This Bishop hauing spent xviij yeares died anno 1224. and was buried in his owne church WIlliam Brewer verie shortlie after the death of the foresaid Simon was elected Bishop and consecrated by Stephan Langton Archbishop of Canturburie anno 1224. he was borne and descended of a noble house and parentage being brother to Sir William Brewer knight the husband of the eldest daughter and one of the heires to William de Verona Earle of Deuon and who also was founder of the Abbeis of Tor and of Hartland and of other Monasteries This Bishop so wiselie and so discréetlie behaued himselfe that he was had in great reputation among all men and in speciall fauour with the king for king Henrie hauing giuen his sister Ladie Isabell to wife vnto Frederike the emperour did commend and betake hir to this Bishop to be conueighed and conducted to the emperor And such was the fame and good report spred of him that as he passed through the countries they were from place to place receiued with great honour and being come to the citie of Coleine the Archbishop there did not onelie verie honourablie receiue and entertaine them but also accompanied them vnto the citie of Wormes where the marriage was solemnized When this Bishop had séene the marriage althings performed he tooke his leaue and was dismissed with great presents and honourablie accompanied homewards by the Archbishop and others At his returne he was ioifullie receiued of all the noblemen about the king and most thankfullie by the king himselfe and whom the king vsed as his speciall and most trustie councellor in all his weightie causes This Bishop being come home to his owne house and minding as his predecessors had doone to leaue some good memoriall behind him he made a Deane and constituted xxiiij prebendaries within his church to the one he impropriated Brampton Coliton Rawley for the others he purchased so much land as out whereof he assigned to euerie prebendarie iiij pound by the yeare of these he ordeined his chapter Also in this mans time anno 1240. Gilbert Long and Robert his brother citizens of this citie builded and founded the hospitall of S. Iohns within the East gate of this citie for the sustenance of certeine poore folks called afterwards the poore children of S. Iohns gaue all their lands tenements to the same which was sufficient The yeare following the cell of S. Alexus was remooued and adioined to S. Iohns and then the founders being dead the charge and gouernment of that house was by those founders commended to the Maior of this citie and they thensefoorth were founders patrones thereof Anno 1244. there grew a contention concerning the poore lazer sicke people of the Magdalen without the south gate of this citie whose maner and vsage was then with a clapdish vpon euerie market daie to resort and come to the markets and there to beg euerie mans deuotion but by reason of their sicknesse which was lothsome and abhorred the peoples deuotion waxed short and scant against them as also euerie man murmured against their going and begging at large wherevpon the matter being brought into question betwéene the Bishop and this citie it was concluded that a permutation should be made and that therefore the Bishops should be patrones and haue the gouernment of S. Iohns and the Maior and his successors to be gardians and founders of the hospitall of the Magdalen with a prouiso that the proctor of the Magdalen should on one daie in euerie moneth come with his box to S. Peters Church at the time of seruice and there receiue and gather the deuotion of the canons which is vsed at these presents This poore house remaineth still but the other for want of good fréends was suppressed and dissolued This Bishop after that he had continued in his Church about xix yeares he died anno 1244. and lieth buried in the middle of his owne Church vnder a plaine Marble stone RIchard Blondie 1245. was consecrated and installed Bishop Bonifacius then being Archbishop of Canturburie This Richard was a man of a mild spirit but verie stout against such as in his time did offer anie iniurie to the church and in his old yeares being but a weake man he was much carried and ruled by such as were his officers and about him who taking the oportunitie of the time vsed all the meanes they might to inrich themselues his chéefest officers were one Lodesewell his chancellor Sutton his register Fitzherbert his officiall and Ermestow the kéeper of his seale These with other of the chiefe seruants of the houshold compacted amongst themselues that whilest the Bishop was yet liuing who then laie sicke and verie weake in his bed to make and conuaie vnto themselues conueiances of such liuelihoods as then laie in the Bishops disposition and accordinglie made out aduousons and other such conueiances as to them séemed best all which were foorthwith sealed and deliuered according to the orders among them concluded but these their subtill dealings were not so closelie conueied but that the next Bishop following boulted and found the same out and did not onelie reuerse all their dooings but also did excommunicate them and who were not absolued vntill they had doone their penance for
the same Which was doone at S. Peters Church openlie vpon Palme sundaie being the xix of March 1267. This Bishop Richard in the twelfe yeare of his Bishoprike died and was buried in his owne Church WAlter Bronescome Archdeacon of Surreie was consecrated Bishop of Canturburie vpon passion sundaie anno 1286 vnder Bonifacius then Archbishop he was borne in this citie of Exon and was the sonne of poore parents but he being of a verie towardnesse and good disposition and verie apt to learning they partlie of themselues and partlie by helpe of their friends did put him to schoole and kept him to his booke wherein he prooued and prospered so well that he was verie well learned At the time of his election he was no préest and therefore not capeable of anie such dignitie but immediatlie he tooke that order vpon him and foorthwith was consecrated Bishop all which being doone within fiftéene daies it was counted as for a miracle namelie that he should be elected Bishop then made préest and at last to be consecrated within that space For so manie dignities as they termed it to be cast vpon one man in so short a time had not béene lightlie séene He founded the colledge of Glascin in Perin in Cornewall and endowed the same with faire possessions and reuenewes He purchased the the Barton of Rokesdone and Clist and gaue it to the hospitall of S. Iohns within the Eastgate of the citie of Excester He instituted in his owne Church the feast called Gabrils feast and gaue a péece of land for the maintenance thereof he also did by a policie purchase the Lordship and house of Clist Sachisfield and by a deuise did inlarge the Barton thereof by gaining of Cornish wood from his Deane and chapter and builded then a verie faire and a sumptuous house and called it Bishops Clist which he left to his successors Likewise he got the patronage of Clist Fomeson now called Sowton and annexed the same to his new Lordship which as it was said was in this order He had a frier to be his chapline and confessour which died in his said house of Clist and should haue béene buried at the parish church of Faringdon bicause the said house was and is in that parish but bicause the parish church was somewhat farre of the waies foule and the weather rainie or for some other causes the Bishop willed and commanded the corps to be carried to the parish church of Sowton then called Clist Fomeson which is verie néere and bordereth vpon the Bishops Lordship the two parishes there being diuided by a little lake called Clist At this time one Fomeson a Gentleman was Lord and patron of Clist Fomeson and he being aduertised of such a buriall towards in his parish and a léech waie to be made ouer his land without his leaue or consent required therein calleth his tenants togither and goeth to the bridge ouer the lake betwéene the Bishops land and his and there méeteth the Bishops men bringing the said corps and forbiddeth them to come ouer the water But the Bishops men nothing regarding the same doo presse forthwards to come ouer the water and the others doo withstand and fall at strife about the matter so long that in the end my Lords Frier is fallen into the water The Bishop taketh this matter in such gréefe that a holie Frier a religious man and his owne chaplaine and confessor should so vnreuerentlie be cast into the water that he falleth out with the Gentleman and vpon what occasion I know not he sueth him in the lawe and so vexeth and tormenteth him that in the end he was faine to yéeld himselfe to the Bishops deuotion and séeketh all waies he could to currie the Bishops good will which he could not obteine vntill for his redemption he had giuen and surrendred vp his patronage of Sowton with a péece of land all which the said Bishop annexeth to his new Lordship Thus by policie he purchased the manor of Bishops Clist by a deuise gaineth Cornish wood and by power wresteth the patronage of Sowton This Bishop after he had occupied this sea about xxiij yeares died and was buried in his owne church in a sumptuous toombe of Alablaster PEter Quiuill anno 1281. was consecrated Bishop of this church vnder Iohn Archbishop of Canturburie He first instituted a Chaunter and a Subdeane in his church To the one he impropriated Painton and Chidleigh to the other the rectorie of Egloschaile in Cornewall he was a liberall and a speciall benefactor to the hospitall of S. Iohns in Excester as well in goods as in liuelihoods he first began to enlarge and increase his church from the chauncell downewards and laid the foundation thereof In his time anno 1285. Walter Lichelade the first Chaunter was slaine in a morning as he came from the morning seruice then called the Mattines which was then woont to be said shortlie after midnight Vpon which occasion the king came vnto this citie and kept his christmas in the same and therevpon a composition was made betwéene the Bishop and the citie for inclosing of the churchyard and building of certeine gates there as appéereth by the said composition bearing date in Festo annunciationis beatae Mariae 1286. The king at the sute of the Earle of Hereford who at his being here was lodged in the house of the Graie Friers which then was néere the house of S. Nicholas obteined of the Bishop that they should be remooued from thence to a more wholesome place which was to the place without Southgate whereof after the kings departure grew some controuersie bicause the Bishop refused to performe his promise made to the king This man also impropriated the parish of S. Newleine and the parish of Stoke Gabrell and vnited the same to the office of the Chauncellor of the Cathedrall church and vnder condition that the said chauncellor should continuallie read a lecture within the said citie of diuinitie or of the decretalls and if he should faile to doo this that then it might and should be lawfull to the Bishop to resigne the said parsonages impropriated and to bestowe it at his pleasure as appéereth by the said grant vnder the seales of the said Bishop Deane and Chapter dated the twelfe of the Calends of Maie 1283. This Bishop not long after and in the eleuenth yeare of his Bishoprike died being choaked in drinking of a sirrop anno 1292. and was buried in his owne church The Franciscans or Graie Friers of this citie imputed his death to his hard dealing with them for whereas he had promised the king to prouide a conuenient place for them to build their house in and had willed their warden named Deoditus to séeke out and make inquirie for the same yet notwithstanding when he had so doone bicause the same was in his fée he did swarue from his said promise and did vtterlie denie to performe the same by the persuasion of one Peter Kenefeld a Dominican
nobilitie of England was bent to haue him to be their King came from thence to Paris and sought vnto Charles then king of France for aid and helpe in which the Earle his sutes this Fox was a speciall traueller and counseller and in the end God giuing the successe the Earle obteined the crowne and hauing had the triall of the fidelitie wisedome and trust of this Bishop he made him Lord priuie seale and kept and vsed him and his aduise in all his weightie matters as well at home as abroad He being Embassador sundrie times to the K. of France and Scotland and of a verie hartie good will and loue the King made him godfather to his second sonne K. Henrie the eight There was a kind of emulation betwéene this Bishop and the Earle of Surreie both of them being verie wise and of great seruice to the King and common-wealth Howbeit in some diuersitie of respects the one hauing no issue to care for did deale without anie priuate affection or singular gaine and the other hauing issue was desirous to aduance his house and honor These affections did bréed some dislike betwéene them two yet the king finding a faith vnto himselfe and a commoditie to the common-wealth misliked it not if the same excéeded his measure and they more warme than commendable for their calling estates The king then or the councell would deale betwéene them for the appeasing and pacifieng of them and to them he was both fréendlie louing and liberall The one he deliuered out of the tower pardoned him of his offenses restored him to his lands receiued him into speciall fauour made him of his priuie councell as also Lord Treasurer of England and his generall into Scotland and augmented his liuelihoods The other he first made Bishop to this church then remooued him vnto Bathe and from thence vnto Durham and lastlie vnto Winchester Erasmus in his booke intituled the Preacher or Ecclesiastes declareth how that the king vpon a time wanting some péece of monie was to borowe the same of the commons and of the clergie And for the dealings with the clergie the matter was by commission committed to this Bishop Who when they came before him vsed all the excuses that they could to shift themselues from lending of anie money some came verie séemelie and well apparrelled and awaited vpon by their men according to their liuelihoods and these alledged that they were greatlie charged in hospitalitie and house kéeping with other charges incident to the same so that they had no money and therfore could paie none Some came poorelie and barelie apparrelled and they alledged that their liueliehoods were but small and yet their charges great and by that means the world was so hard with them that they had it not to spare This bishop hauing heard all these excuses vsed this dilemme to the ritcher sort he said For as much as you are so well and séemlie apparrelled and doo kéepe so great houses and haue all things necessarie about you it is a manifest argument that you haue some store about you or els you would not doo as ye doo and therefore ye must néeds lend To the others who pretend excuse of their pouertie he thus replied vnto them that For as much as they were so bare in their apparrell and so sparing of their expenses It must néeds be that they saued their pursses and had money and therefore they must néeds paie and so adiudgeth them to lend vnto the prince As he rose by learning so he was a great fauorer and furtherer of learning and for the good increase of the same he builded and founded Corporis christi colledge in Oxenford In his latter daies he waxed and was blind and dieng in Winchester he was there buried in his owne church after that he had béene Bishop of Excester sixe yeares he was remooued to Bathe anno 1492. OLiuer King immediatlie vpon the transferring of Bishop Fox was consecrated Bishop of this church in Februarie 1492. Iohn Morton then Archbishop of Canturburie This Oliuer was chaplaine to king Henrie the seauenth and Deane of Windesor and register of the order of the Garter In his time were the rebellions of Ioseph the Blacke-smith in Cornewall and of Perken Warebeke This Bishop after that he had occupied this sea about fiue yeares he died anno 1497. and as some suppose he was buried at Windsor RIchard Redman immediatlie vpon the death of Bishop Oliuer King was translated from his Bishoprike in Wales vnto this citie but after fiue yeares he was remooued vnto the Bishoprike of Elie and installed there in September anno 1501. He was a Gentleman borne and descended of a verie worshipfull house which ioined with his wisedome and learning did much increase his credit and good report IOhn Arundell next after the translation of Bishop Redman was remooued from Couentrie and Lichféeld vnto this citie and was installed the xv of March 1501. Wherein he sought not the preferment for anie liuelihoods but rather desirous to be a dweller and resiant in his countrie where he was borne for he was descended of the Arundels of Lanherne in Cornewall a house of great antiquitie and worship He long enioied not his new Bishoprike for after two yeares after his installing he had occasion to ride vnto London and there died and was buried in Saint Clements church without Templebarre anno 1503. HEw Oldham vpon the death of Arundell by the preferment of the Countisse of Richmond and Darbie vnto whom he was Chaplaine was preferred vnto this Bishoprike and installed in the same He was a man hauing more zeale than knowledge and more deuotion than learning somewhat roughe in spéeches but fréendlie in dooings He was carefull in the sauing and defending of his liberties for which continuall sutes was betwéene him and the Abbat of Tauestoke he was liberall to the vicars chorall of his church and reduced them to the kéeping of commons and towards the maintenance thereof he gaue them certeine reuenewes and impropriated vnto them the rectorie of Cornwood he albeit of himselfe he were not learned yet a great fauourer and a furtherer of learning and of learned men Notwithstanding he was somtime crossed in his honest attempt therein He first was minded to haue inlarged Excester colledge in Oxford as well in buildings as in fellowships But after being a requester to the fellowes for one Atkins to be a fellowe in whose fauour he had written his letters and was denied he changed his mind and his good will was alienated About the same time Doctor Smith Bishop of Lincolne was building of the colledge named Brasen nose and was verie willing and desirous to ioine with him but being denied to haue the nomination of a founder his mind was changed Not long after being aduertised that Bishop Fox of Winchester was minded to erect and found a new colledge ioined with him and contributed vnto him a great masse of monie and so a colledge was builded for