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
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
time of K. Edgar for he making a progresse into those west parts to visit his father in lawe Ordogarus whose daughter he had married then Earle of Deuon and founder of the abbeie of Tauestocke came to this citie Anno 986. and he pittieng the distressed state of the said Church caused the Moonks to be sought out and to be assembled togither whom he then restored to their house and liueliehoods and appointed Sydemannus who afterwards was Bishop to be their Abbat And thencefoorth they continued togither although in great troubles vntill the time of K. Swanus the Dane for he with a great troope and armie of his Danes came to this citie anno 1019. who besieged it and at length hauing taken the same he spoiled destroied and burnt both citie and monasterie but yet shortlie after it was againe restored for K. Cahutus or Canutus being aduertised of the great cruelties doone by his father Swanus did at the request of one of his dukes named Atheldredus make restitution vnto Atheluoldus then Abbat both of lands liuings and priuiledges as appéereth by his chapter dated anno 1019. After this néere about xxx yeares K. Edward the confessor came to the citie and he by the aduise and counsell of Leophricus then Bishop of Crediton and sometimes Lord Chancellor of England and of the priuie Councell with the said King partlie for the better safetie of the Bishop and his successors and partlie to prouide a more apt place for the Moonks did remooue the Bishops sea from Crediton to this citie and sent the Moonks to westmonaster and did himselfe in his owne person togither with Quéene Edeth his wife place and install Bishop Leophricus in possession of his new Church and sea The Bishop then thus remooued from the old and placed in the new indoweth his new sea and Church with the lands and liueliehoods of his former Church and to make his sanctuarie to his mind pulleth downe the two monasteries néere adioining the one of Nunnes the other of Moonks and addeth them to his owne Church and then hauing thus brought his deuise to effect maketh ordinances lawes and orders for the good gouernment of his Church and cleargie After Leophricus death his successors following his example did euerie of them for the most part procure the augmentation increase of their church some in liueliehoods some in liberties and priuiledges and some in buildings and some in one thing or other William Warewest the third Bishop after the conquest being sometimes chapleine to the conqueror and to William and Henrie his sonnes obteined of the conqueror such grace and fauour that he gaue to this Church Plimton Brampton and S. Steeuens in Excester which his gift his foresaied two sâ—nnes by their charters did also confirme and then the said Bishop hauing the ordering and distribution thereof giueth Plimton to the regular Cannons for whom he had erected a monasterie there and where he himselfe shortlie after leauing his Bishoprike became a Cannon Bramton was reserued to the Cathedrall Church and afterwards was annexed to the Deanerie but S. Steeuens with the fée to the same he reserued to himselfe and to his successors whereby they are Barrons and Lords in the parliament Anno 1112 the said Bishop Warewest began to inlarge his Caâ—hedrall Church which at that time was no bigger than that part which is now the Ladie chappell and laid the foundation of that which is now the chore or quier Anno 1235. or there about William Brewer Bishop established and made a Deanes chapter of xxiiij prebendaries for the Deane whom he then appointed and whose name was Serlo and for his successors he appropriated gaue Brampton and Coliton Rawleigh for the prebendaries he purchased lands allotting to euerie of them the like portion of foure pound by the yéere Anno 1284. Peter Quiuill Bishop finding the chancell of his Church to be builded and finished to his hands beginneth and foundeth the lower part or bodie of his church from the quéere westwards he also appointed a chanter and a subdeane in the Church to the one he impropriated Painton and Chudleigh and to the other the personage of Egloshale in Cornewall he also impropriated the personage of S. Newlin in Cornewall of the Stokegabrill in Deuon to the Chancellor of the Church for reading of a Diuinitie lecture in his Cathedrall Church Anno 1340. Iohn Grandisson Bishop did increase the length of his Church from the foote westwards he vaulted the roofe of the whole Church and fullie ended and absolued the same and albeit from the time of K. Athelstan the first founder anno 932. vntill the death of this Grandisson which was anno 1369. there were 437. yéeres distant and in the meane time this Church builded by sundrie and diuerse men yet so vniformelie the same is compact as though it were builded at one instant Anno 1456. George Neuill then Bishop of this Church but shortlie after Archbishop of Yorke began to build the chapter house which was ended finished and absolued by his next successor Bishop Edmond Lacie but the cloister and librarie was builded by the Deane and chapter And thus much concerning the first foundation and building of this Church and the full ending of the same and now to the Catalog of the Bishops and of so manie as I can find who haue béene particular Bishops in this prouince of Deuon sithens the time of Edward the elder the sonne of K. Alphred A Catalog of the Bishops of Excester WErstanus at a prouinciall synod holden in west sex anno 905. was consecrated Bishop of Deuon and had his sea at Bishops Tawton and in the yeare following 906. he died and was buried in his owne church PVtta after the death of Werstanus was elected and consecrated Bishop and had his sea at Tawton and taking his iorneie towards Crediton to sée and visit the king or as some saie Vffa the kings lieutenant was by the said Vffas men slaine and then vpon his death the sea was remooued to Crediton EAdulphus brother to Alpsius duke of Deuon and Cornewall and founder of Launceston was consecrated Bishop of Deuon but installed at Crediton where he had his sea and continued Bishop xxij yeares and then dieng about the yeare 932. he was buried in his owne church EThelgarus anno 932. succéeded Eadulphus and in his time king Athelstane subdued the Cornish people reedified this citie and compassed the same with a stone wall he founded the monasterie of S. Peters for monkes of S. Benets order This Ethelgarus after he had béene Bishop ten yeares died and was buried in his owne church ALgarus anno 942. after Ethelgarus was constituted and installed Bishop at Crediton and hauing béene Bishop about ten yeares died and was buried in his owne church ALfwoldus as Mathew of Westminster writeth was next Bishop after Algarus and consecrated by the aduise of Dunstane anno 952. In this time Odogarus Earle of Deuon and father in lawe to
tooke the other and was consecrated Bishop of Excester vpon the tenth of March 1370. being the feast daie of Nereus and Achilles William of Worcester then Archbishop of Canturburie This Thomas was a man verie well learned and experted both in ecclesiasticall matters and in politike gouernment and in both these respects greatlie reuerenced and estéemed and for that cause at the parliament holden at Westminster in the tenth yéere of K. Richard the second he was chosen to be one of the twelue péeres of the realme vnder the King he was a benefactor to the Calenderhaie of the vicars chorall of his own church and performed and supplied in buildings and otherwise what his predecessors had left vndoone and hauing béene Bishop xxiiij yéeres he died the third of December anno 1394. and was buried in the North side of the bodie of his owne church EDmond Stafford vpon the xx daie of Iune anno 1395. was consecrated at Lambhith by William Courtwaie Archbishop of Canturburie he was borne and descended of noble parentage being brother to Ralph Lord Stafford created Earle of Stafford by K. Edward the third he was both wise and learned for his wisedome he grewe into great credit with the king and was both of his priuie counsell as also Lord Chancellor of England At the parliament holden at westminster the xxj yéere of K. Richard the second he being then speaker of the higher house made a verie learned and pithie oration to prooue the absolute authoritie of a King his theme was Rex vnus erit omnibus and hauing discoursed at large of the authoritie of a king did conclude Quod potestas regis esset sibi sola vnita annexa solida and whosoeuer did by anie meanes impeach the same Paena legis meritò esset plectendus And for the furtherance of good letters he did increase two fellowships in the colledge of Stapledons inne in Oxford reformed the statutes of the house and altered the name of it and called it Excester colledge After that he had continued Bishop in much honour about xxiij yéeres he died the fourth of September being the seuenth yéere of King Henrie the fift and lieth buried in his owne church in a verie aire tombe of Alablaster IAmes Carye Bishop of Chester being at Florence when newes was brought to Pope Martin the fift of Bishop Staffords death was then and there made Bishop of this church anno 1419. and also consecrated but long he enioied not his office for there he died and was buried EDmond Lacie Bishop of Hereford was translated from thence vnto this church in the feast of Easter and in the eight yéere of king Henrie the fift anno 1420. he was a man verie deuout and religious but subiect to flatterers who carried him to their pleasure he was a liberall benefactor to the vicar of Calenderhaie great contentions were betwéene him and the citie for liberties which by arbitriment were compounded he founded the chapter house in his owne church He was a professor of diuinitie and very well learned for in the second yéere of his Bishoprike being the ix yeare of the kings reigne there was a parliment holden at Westminster in which great complaints were made against the loose and dissolute life of the religious men and especiall the blacke moonks And this matter being brought to the conuocation house this Bishop as chéefe prolocutor of that assemblie did make a verie learned and a pithie oration before the king then of purpose present and the whole cleargie much lamenting that the religious men were so far straied from the rules of their professions and the holinesse of their predecessors And when he had at large discoursed the same he deliuered vp certeine articles in writing praieng for reformation which his spéeches were so effectuallie vttered and his articles so effectuallie penned that both the king and the clergie did not onelie with great liking and allowance praise and commend the same but also tooke order that there should be a prouinciall Councell called out of hand for a reformation which was then promised but not performed by reason of the kings death which not long after followed but yet in the waie of good spéed it was then concluded and agréed that euerie third benefice being of the gift of anie of the prelats or of anie monasterie should from thencefoorth for seauen yeres be giuen to some scholar of Oxenford or Cambridge This Bishop after he had liued xxxv yeares in this Bishoprike died and was buried in the North wall of the quier in his owne church After whose death manie miracles were said and deuised to be doone at his toombe wherevpon great pilgrimages were made by the common people to the same GEorge Neuell succéeded Edmond Lacie and was consecrated in the feast of S. Katharine anno 1455. he was of a noble parentage being the second sonne of Richard Neuell Earle of Sarisburie he finished and ended the chapter house which his predecessor had begonne And after that he had béene Bishop about ten yeares he was remooued to Yorke and made Archbishop there anno 1465. IOhn Bothe after the translation of George Neuell to Yorke was consecrated Bishop vnder Thomas Burscher Archbishop of Canturburie vpon the xxij of Februarie anno 1466. He was by profession a Ciuillian and a Batcheler of the same he gouerned his church verie well and builded as some suppose the Bishops sea in the quier but being wearie of the great troubles which were in this contrie betwéene king Edward the fourth and the Earle of Warwike he remooued from hence to his house of Horsleigh in Hamshire where in the twelfe yeare of his Bishoprike he died vpon the fift daie of Aprill anno 1478. and lieth buried at S. Clements in London PEter Courtnaie immediatlie after the death of Bothe was presented to this Bishopricke and consecrated by Thomas Archbishop of Canturburie in Nouember anno 1477. at S. Stephens in Westminster he was the sonne of Sir Phillip Courtnaie of Powderham his mother was named Elizabeth daughter to Walter Lord Hungerford he for his wisedome and good behauiour was in great credit and fauour with king Henrie the seauenth by whose meanes he was translated from this church vnto Winchester in the ninth yeare of his being Bishop here and in the fift yeare of his being there he died vpon the xx of December anno 1491. and lieth buried in his owne church He finished the North tower of S. Peters and gaue the clocke bell which is in the same and which beareth the name Peter RIchard Fox vpon the remoouing of Peter Courtnaie was consecrated Bishop of this church vnder Thomas Archbishop of Canturburie 1466. he was a verie wise man and in great credit and estimation with king Henrie the seauenth vnto whom he was a faithfull counsellour and of his priuie Councell with whom he acquainted himselfe at Paris when he was there a student For king Henrie then Earle of Richemond being at Venice and aduertised how the