or a blacke Frier and confessor vnto the said Bishop for he enuieng the good successe of the Franciscanes persuadeth with the Bishop that in no wise he should permit them to enioie the place which they had gotten nor to build therein bicause it was within his fée for saith he as vnder colour of simplicitie they créepe in to the hearts of the people and hinder vs poore preachers from our gaines and liuings so be ye sure that if the canons put foote within your liberties they will in time so incroch vpon the same as that they will be cleane exempted from out of your libertie and iurisdiction The Bishop being soone persuaded and contented contrarie to his promise to yéeld therevnto denieth the Franciscans and vtterlie forbiddeth them to build or to do anie thing within his fée or libertie About two yeares after the Bishop kept a great feast vpon the sundaie next before Saint Francis daie and among others was present with him one Walter Winborne one of the kings chéefe iustices of the bench and who was present when the Bishop at the request of the king made promise to further and to helpe the Franciscans and who in their behalfe did now put the Bishop in mind thereof and requested him to haue consideration both of his owne promise and of their distresse The Bishop misliking these spéeches waxed somewhat warme and offended and in open termes did not onelie denie to yéeld héerevnto but wished himselfe to be choaked what daie so euer he did consent or yéeld vnto it It fortuned that the same wéeke and vpon the daie of S. Francis Eue the Bishop tooke a certeine sirop to drinke and in too hastie swallowing thereof his breath was stopped and he foorthwith died The Franciscans héering thereof made no little a doo about this matter but blased it abroad that S. Francis wrought this miracle vpon the Bishop bicause he was so hard against them THomas Bitton the yeare following was elected Bishop and the sea of Canturburie was void he was consecrated by Iohn Roman Archbishop of Yorke he left no memoriall of anie great things doone by him sauing that he continued in the building of his church as also was a fauourer of such learned men as were in his Dioces in his time namelie Robert Plimton a regular Canon of Plimpton and a professour of diuinitie and who wrote two books Walter of Exon a Franciscane Frier of Carocus in Cornewall who at the request of one Baldwin of Excester wrote the historie of Guie of Warwike William of Excester Doctor of diuinitie and warden of the Franciscan Friers in this citie Godfrey surnamed Cornewall a subtill schooleman and a reader of diuinitie sometimes in Paris This Bishop after xiiij yeares that he had occupied this sea died anno 1306. and was buried in his owne church WAlter Stapledon anno 1507. being elected Bishop of this citie was consecrated by Robert Wincelsey Archbishop of Canturburie he descended of a most noble parentage which ioined with his learning wisdome politike hed did get him great credit fauour with the King who had him not only one of his priuie counsell but also made him Lord Treasurer of England At his inthronization or installing he kept a solemne obseruation For being come first to the citie immediatlie after his consecration as soone as he came to the Eastgate he alighted from his horse and went in on foote all the streate being couered and laied with blacke cloth he was led on both sides with two men of worship and Sir Hew Courtneie Knight who claimed to be steward of his feast went next before him The feast it selfe was verie sumptuous and liberall a controuersie was betwéene him and the said Sir Hew Courtneie concerning his challenge to be his steward but it was compounded and ended This Bishop as he grew and increased in wealth so he was carefull in the well disposing of part thereof for the increase of learning he builded erected two houses in Oxford the one named Stabledons inne but sithens Excester colledge the other Harthall he was also a speciall benefactor vnto the hospitall of S. Iohns in Excester vnto the which for the reléeuing of certeine poore children therein he impropriated the rectorie or personage of Ernescome In the controuersie betwéene his maister King Edward the second and Charles the French king he was sent Embassadour to the French king and ioined in commission with the Quéene for the treatie of a peace and reconciliation which though it were obteined yet he ioining with the Spensers who fauoured not the Quéene he returned into England leauing the Quéene behind him And whereas they practised what they could to put enmitie betwéene the King and hir and to set hir besides the cushion they themselues fell into the same snares which they had laied for others For not long after the Quéene by the helpe of the Earle of Henaulde and of S. Iohn his brother came into England with a great armie whereof the King and the Spensers being afraid departed from London to Bristowe leauing this Bishop at London and made him custos of the same who requiring the keies of the gates of the citie of the Maior the commoners tooke him and beheaded him as also his brother Sir Richard Stapledon in cheapeside and carried his bodie to his house without templebarre and there buried it in a sand-hill namelie the xv of October anno 1329. But the Quéene forgetting all discourtesies and reuerencing his calling commanded his corps to some more honourable buriall wherevpon the same was taken vp and brought to this citie and with great solemnitie was buried in his owne church vpon the 28. of March where his epitaph by the writer thereof is set Thus after that he had béene Bishop about xx yeares he ended his daies IAmes Barkeleie vpon the xxvj of March anno 1327. before the buriall of his predecessor in his owne Church was consecrated Bishop of this citie he descended of the noble house of the Lorde Barkeleie and albeit he were reputed to be a verie godlie and a wise man yet he had no time to yéeld the triall thereof For he died in the fourth moneth after his consecration vpon the xxiiij of Iulie anno 1327. and was buried in his owne church as some saie but some thinke he neuer came hither at all IOhn Grandesson being in Italie with Pope Iohn the xxij after the death of Iames Barkeleie the King presented him vnto the Pope who accepted the presentation and consecrated him Bishop of this diocesse the eight of October anno 1327. he was borne and descended of the ancient house of the Grandessons Dukes of Burgundie his father was named Gilbert the brother of Otho the great Lord Grandesson which Gilbert comming into this land was well interteined by the king and nobilitie and had a good liking of the countrie that by meanes of Henrie Earle of Lancaster with whom he came into England he married ladie Sibill daughier and
A Catalog of the Bishops of Excester with the description of the antiquitie and first foundation of the Cathedrall Church of the same Collected by Iohn Vowell alias Hoker Gentleman Ezec. 3. Act. 20. I haue made thee watch-man ouer the house of Israel to giue them warning from me Take heed therefore to your selues and to the flocke whereof the holie Ghost hath made you ouerseers Imprinted at London by Henrie Denham 1584. POST MORTEM VITA To the Right Honourable and Reuerend Father in God John by the sufferance of God Bishop of Excester and to the Right worshipfull and Reuerend the Deane and Chapter of the same Iohn Vowell alias Hoker wisheth grace mercie and peace ABout a few yeares past right Honorable reuerend and worshipfull I was requested to giue out the description of the citie of Excester some one then liuing pretending and minding after the order of Ministers to set foorth a generall description of the whole realme of England and also a Topographicall and a particular discourse of euerie prouince citie and towne in the same This request tending to so good an end liked me so well that albeit I were and am verie vnfit and of small knowledge to wade into such a matter yet when I sawe no man would take it in hand I was contented to yeeld therevnto And finding no such thing before doone my paines were the greater and I driuen to make the more diligent search and inquirie for such old and ancient presidents records and writings as might be found and had for my best furtherance herein In which my trauels it was my hap among other things to haue the sight of a certaine table within your Cathedrall church which cheefelie conteined a certeine Catalog of a few Bishops thereof I did not so much reioise at the sight thereof at the first but when I had throughlie perused and considered the same I was sorie that no one man in the course of manie yeares had continued it At length considering with my selfe that there is such a sympathie and affinitie betweene this citie and the church both which are inclosed and inuironed within one wall and be as it were one bodie though in certeine priuiledges distinguished and that in the search for the one I might the better doo the like in the other I did resolue my selfe to bestowe my trauels in both alike and yet greatlie was I herein discouraged for being an earnest sutor to some of your owne companie for some helpe out of your auncient records I had small furtherance some being more suspicious than needed some if I may speake it vnder your patience not vnlike Aesops dogge who would neither eate haie himselfe nor yet suffer the oxe to doo it by meanes whereof I was driuen to picke out els where what I could which I doo persuade my selfe to be so much the more imperfect Well what I haue doone for the citie I haue presented it to the Maior and magistrates of the same and what I haue doone concerning your church I doo here most humblie offer vnto you the effect whereof is The antiquitie and first foundation of your cathedrall church when and by whom the same was doone and then the Catalog of all the Bishops that I can find which haue beene of this prouince as well before as sithence the sea was stablished in this church and citie And for as much as the Bishops were alwaies accompted to be the fathers of Gods people for the direction of them in all holines vertue and religion I will by way of a little introduction set downe the beginning of christian religion within this realme and of the first placing and appointing of Bishops ouer this prouince and countrie of Deuon and Cornewall It is recorded in sundrie histories that immediatlie vpon the death of Christ the Gospell was preached in this land of England Some write that Simon Zelotes one of the apostles was here and preached some write that S. Paule was here and did the like some saie that Ioseph of Arimathia did come into this land when king Aruiragus reigned did both preach and baptize the king and his people some saie that it was some one of the apostles but they name him not but whosoeuer was the preacher true it is that Christ was preached and his Gospell receiued euen with the first notwithstanding the seed was cast among the thornes and high waies and brought foorth no fruit but as a candle vnder the bushell and as fire raked vp in the imbers it seemed to be hidden and buried vntill the time of king Lucius the sonne of king Coyleo who about the yeare of the Lord 187. was by the goodnes of God called to the knowledge of the Gospell and he foorthwith expelled all the Archiflamines and Flamines and constituted in their places Archbishops and Bishops which were in number three of the one and xxviij of the other and at this time the prouinces of Deuon and Cornewall were vnder the Archbishop of London for of anie other particular Bishop there is no mention made And notwithstanding the Gospell had his free passage for the time yet clouds couered the sunne and through persecutions the godlie were put to silence and the true religion seemed to be extinguished for almost about foure hundred yeares vntill the time of king Vlphus then king of West sex or West Saxonie who about the yeare of our Lord 636. was conuerted vnto christian religion by the good and godlie man Birinus and the sea for West sex was appointed to be at Dorchester and then vnder the same were the prouinces of Deuon and Cornewall about twentie yeares vntill the time of Kinwalchus who builded the church of Winchester about the yeare 654. and he remooued the sea from Dorchester vnto Winchester and thencefoorth was all Deuon and Cornewall vnder the Bishop of Winchester for and about fiftie yeares vntill the time of king Iewe. In whose time about the yeare of our Lord 705. there was a synod or a prouinciall councell holden vnder Brithewaldus Archbishop of Canturburie in which it was ordeined that the Bishoprike of Winchester should be diuided into two Bishoprikes or diocesses that is Winchester and Shereborne and then vnder the Bishop of Shereborne and in his Diocesse was Deuon and Cornewall and so thenceforth did this constitution hold and continue about two hundred yeares vntill the time of king Edward the elder the sonne of king Alphred who making a progresse through out his kingdome of Westsex came to this citie of Excester and found both it and the whole countrie cleane destituted of Bishop or preacher and so had beene for sundrie yeares wherevpon by the aduise of Pleymundus Archbishop of Canturburie a synod or a prouinciall councell was kept in Westsex and therein it was ordeined and concluded that in euerie particular prouince or shiere within Westsex there should be a particular Bishop and then one Bishop was appointed for Deuonshire and an other for Cornewall Werstanus was
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
scholers and great liueliehoods prouided for them and then the house was named Corporis christi colledge Whereof the one of them bare the name of a founder and the other of a benefactor Howbeit some diuersitie was betwéene these two Bishops at the first to what vse this colledge should be imploied for the founder was of the minde that he would haue made it for a house of moonks but the benefactor was of the contrarie mind and would haue it for scholers alledging that moonks were but a sort of bussing flées and whose state could not long indure whereas scholers brought vp in learning would be profitable members to the common wealth and good ornaments to the church of God and continue for euer The founder being a wise man and of a déepe iudgement when he had well pawsed and considered hereof yéeldeth herevnto and so it was concluded betwéene them to make and build a colledge for scholers And foorthwith for the good direction guiding and gouernment of the said colledge and scholers such wise good and politike statutes and ordinances were by good aduise and counsell deuised stablished and ordeined as wherby the said colledge hath béene and yet continueth one of the best nurseries for training and instructing of good scholers in learning within that vniuersitie This bishop and the abbat of Tauestoke did still contend and continue in lawe during their liues and during which sute this bishop died being excommunicated at Roome and who could not be suffered to be buried vntill an absolution from Rome was procured for him after that he had béene Bishop about xvj yéeres he died the xxv of Iune 1519. and was buried in his owne church IOhn Voiseie otherwise Harman succéeded Oldham by the preferment of K. Henrie the eight whose chapleine he then was and Deane of his chappell as also of this church he was Doctor of the lawes verie well learned and wise and in great fauour with the king who sent him sundrie times in embassages to forreine princes he was Lord president of wales and had the gouernment of the kings onelie daughter Ladie Marie princesse of Wales Of all the Bishops in the land he was accompted the courtlikest and the best courtier and although he were well reported for his learning yet better liked for his courtlike behauiour which in the end turned not so much to his credit as to the vtter ruine and spoile of the Church for of xxij Lordships and mannors which his predecessors had and left vnto him of a goodlie yéerelie reuenewe he left but thrée and them also leased out And where he found xiiij houses well furnished he left onelie one house bare and without furniture and yet charged with sundrie fées and annuities and by these meanes this Bishopprike which sometimes was counted one of the best is now become in temporall lands one of the meanest and according to the fore-prophesieng of Bishop Grandisson a place â—arse left for the Bishop to laie and rest his hed in and yet neuerthelesse he was a great fauorer of learned men and especiallie of Diuines whom he preferred in his church aboue others He was verie bountious and liberall vnto all men but especiallie vnto courtiers vnto his owne kindred and contriemen Vpon manie he bestowed much vnto the confusion of some of them and vpon the other he spent much by building of a towne named Sutton Colshull where he was borne which he procured to be incorporated made a market towne and set vp therein making of kearsies but all which in the end came to small effect in his time after the death of King Henrie the eight there was an alteration of religion by King Edward the sixt whereof insued rebellion and a commotion in this diocesse which in some part was imputed to this Bishop bicause he laie farre from it and dwelled in his owne countrie Wherevpon he resigned the Bishoprike into the kings hands after that he had béen Bishop about xxx yéeres and liued by the rents of the temporaltie of the Bishoprike which when he alienated and discontinued he did receiue vnto him for tearme of his owne life MIles Couerdale after the resignation of Voisie was by king Edward made Bishop of this citie and consecrated at Lambeth by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canturburie anno 1550. He was borne in the North countrie and from his childhood giuen to learning wherein he profited verie much he was one of the first which professed the Gospell in this land in the time of king Henrie the eight he translated the Bible out of the Hebrue into English and wrote sundrie bookes vpon the scriptures which doctrine being verie new and strange in those daies and he verie straightlie pursued by the Bishops made his escape and passed ouer into lowe Germanie where he printed the Bibles of his translation and sent them ouer into England and thereof made his gaine whereby he liued but the Bishops namelie Doctor Stokesley Bishop of London when he heard hereof and minding to preuent that no such bibles should be dispersed within this realme made inquirie where they were to be sold and bought them all vp supposing that by this means no more Bibles would be had but contrarie to his expectation it fell out otherwise for the same monie which the Bishop gaue for these bookes was sent ouer by the merchant vnto this Couerdale and by that meanes he was of that wealth and abilitie that he imprinted as manie more and sent them ouer into England but he was then so narrowlie sought for that he was driuen to remooue himselfe out of Flanders into Germanie and dwelled vnder the Palsgraue of Rhene where he found much fauour first he taught yoong children and hauing learned the dutch â—oong the prince Palatine gaue him a benefice named Burghâ—aber where he continued and liued verie well partlie by that benefice and partlie by the liberalitie of the Lord Cromewell who was his good Lord and reléeued him verie much At length when the religion was altered in England and the Gospell had a frée passage he returned and did verie much good in preaching of the same And when the commotion in Deuon was for religion he was appointed to attend the Lord Russell when he came to suppresse the same and verie shortlie for his learning and godlie life was made Bishop of this sea who most worthilie did performe the office committed vnto him he preached continuallie vpon euerie holie daie and did read most commonlie twise in the wéeke in some one church or other within this citie He was after the rate of his liuings a great kéeper of hospitalitie verie sober in diet godlie in life fréendlie to the godly liberall to the poore and curteous to all men void of pride full of humilitie abhorring couetousnes and an enimie to all wickednesse and wicked men whose companies he shunned and and whom he would in no wise shrowd or haue in his house and companie His wife a most sober chast and godlie