Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Norwich Part 8

The country had been placed under an interdict, and most of the bishops had left the country. John de Grey remained faithful to the king, and actually invaded France with a small force to attack the invading Philip, but soon was forced to retreat. In the end, John submitted, resigned his crown, which was restored to him, and was compelled to pay to the Church as damages 40,000 marks. John de Grey, who had been sent to Rome to arrange this, died on the return journey at S. Jean d'Angelo, near Poictiers, 18th October 1214.

#Pandulph Masca# (1222-1226) was consecrated Bishop of Norwich by Honorius, 29th May 1222. He is supposed to have been a member of a n.o.ble Pisan family, and in 1211 had been sent by Pope Innocent to humble King John, which he successfully did. He was again employed as Papal Legate during the young King Henry II.'s minority, and died in Italy, 16th September 1226, having played a prominent part as politician and mediator.

#Thomas de Blunville# (1226-1236), the nephew of Hubert de Burgh, Lord Chief-Justice of England, was consecrated in St. Catherine's Chapel at Westminster by Stephen, Archbishop of Canterbury. He died in 1236, and was succeeded by #Ralph de Norwich#, of whom but little is known; and is even supposed to have died before his consecration.

#William de Ralegh# was consecrated on the 25th September 1239 at St.

Paul's by Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury. He had been a chaplain of King Henry, and having received the education of a lawyer, from 1224-35 he visited various parts of the kingdom as a justiciary. On the death of Peter de Rupibus he was elected to the see at Winchester by the monks, in direct defiance of the king. The Pope's intervention in the end secured him his see. He died at Tours in 1250.

#Walter de Suffield# (1245-57) was elected bishop by the monks after Ralegh's translation. He chiefly busied himself in building and beautifying the cathedral, and there is no record that he took any prominent part in politics. He superintended a general inquisition (known as the Norwich taxation) into the value of the Church revenues throughout the whole of England. He died May 18, 1257, during a visit to Colchester.

#Simon de Walton# (1258-66) was consecrated by Boniface, Archbishop of Canterbury, on March 10, 1258. He held (in 1246) the office of justice-itinerant. Of his administration little is known. He was past seventy when he a.s.sumed the charge of the diocese. The barons under De Montfort had beaten the king's army at Lewes, in 1264, and in 1266, from their encampment in the Isle of Ely, attacked and sacked the city. Simon de Walton died January 2, 1266.

#Roger de Skerming# (1266-78) was elected by the monks, and was consecrated by Geoffrey Rages in St. Paul's Cathedral in April 1266. It was during his episcopate that the disturbance occurred between the monks and citizens over the annual fair held on Trinity Sunday, in Tombland. He died January 2, 1278.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Guildhall.]

#William de Middleton# (1278-88) was consecrated at Lambeth by the Archbishop of Canterbury on May 29, 1278, and was enthroned, and the Cathedral re-dedicated after the sacrilege and fire, on Advent Sunday, 1278, when Edward I. and his queen were present. He was appointed a guardian of the realm, 1279, during the king's absence in France; Archdeacon of Canterbury in 1276; and also steward of Bordeaux. He died September 1, 1288, at Terling, in Ess.e.x, and his remains were carried in state to Norwich, and there buried in the Lady Chapel.

#Ralph de Walpole# (1289-99) was of Norfolk extraction, and an archdeacon of Ely. He was consecrated to the see on Mid-lent Sunday, 1289, at Canterbury, by John Peckham archbishop. His election, however, was displeasing to the diocese. He was translated to Ely in 1299.

#John Salmon# (1299-1325), prior of Ely, had been elected bishop by the monks, but was appointed to the see at Norwich at the same time that Walpole was translated to Ely. He was consecrated by Archbishop Winchelsey October 3, at Canterbury, and was one of the envoys sent to the Court of Philip the Fair King of France, to arrange the marriage of the young king Edward II. (1307). He was appointed chancellor of the realm in 1320. He also went to France again in 1325; and it was on his return that he died July 6, 1325.

#William de Ayerminne# (1325-36) was elected to the see by papal bull in 1325, and this overruled the election by the monks of Robert de Baldock.

Ayerminne was consecrated to the see September 15, 1325. He had held a prebendal stall at St. Paul's in 1313 and in the next year at Lincoln.

In 1324 he was sent as amba.s.sador to Robert Bruce to treat for peace. He died at Charing, March 27, 1336; and was buried in the cathedral before the high altar. He appears to have been cunning and crafty, and not above changing his political views when occasion demanded.

#Anthony de Beck# (1337-43) was nominated by the Pope, the monks having chosen Thomas de Hemenhale, who however, went to Worcester. Both were consecrated to their respective dioceses by the Pope at Avignon March 30, 1337. He had been Dean of Lincoln. In 1342 he resisted the Archbishop Stratford's visitation; this must have been a foretaste to the monks of his imperious temper. In 1343 he was poisoned by his own servants.

#William Bateman# (1344-54), of a Norwich family, had been archdeacon of Norwich, chaplain to the Pope, and dean of Lincoln. He was consecrated by the Pope at Avignon, 23rd May 1344. During his episcopate in (Edward III.'s reign) 1349, Norwich was visited by "Black Death"; over 51,000 are supposed to have fallen victims to the dread plague. He founded Trinity Hall at Cambridge, 1350; was sent to Rome on an emba.s.sy there.

He died January 6, 1354. He was buried at the church of St. Mary of Avignon.

#Thomas Percy# (1355-69), brother of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, against the wishes of the monks, was elected to the see. He was consecrated January 3, 1355, at Waverly, in Surrey, by the Bishops of Winchester, Sarum, and Chichester. The n.o.bility at this time were securing church preferments for their families to keep pace with the formation of the professions and general advance of learning. He died August 8, 1369, and was buried in the cathedral, before the rood loft.

#Henry le Dispencer# (1370-1406) was consecrated at Rome, 21st April 1370. He was hated by the monks, who had no share in his election. He was of martial feeling, and took a prominent part in quelling the local disturbance incident on Wat Tyler's rebellion, 1381. He was employed by Urban VI. against his rival, Pope Clement VII.; was arrested for treason in 1399, and pardoned by Henry IV. He died 1406.

#Alexander de Totington# (1407-13), prior of Norwich, was elected by the monks in September 1406. This election found no favour at the Court, and he was imprisoned at Windsor for nearly a year. He was then released, and consecrated at Gloucester by the Archbishop October 23, 1407. He died April 28, 1413, and was buried in the Lady Chapel.

#Richard Courtenay# (1412-15) was nominated by Henry V., and consecrated by the Archbishop at Windsor 17th September 1413. He was Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 1407-11-13. He died at Harfleur in 1415, while on attendance to the king during the siege of that town. His body was brought to England, and buried in Westminster Abbey.

#John Wakering# (1416-25), who was elected by the monks, had become keeper of the privy seal in 1415. He was consecrated at St. Paul's by the Archbishop May 31, 1416. He persecuted the Lollards strongly, and during his episcopate many were burned at the stake. Yet his character apparently was far from being harsh. He died at Thorpe in 1435, and was buried in the presbytery.

#Alnwick# (1426-36) was confessor to Henry VI., and in 1420 archdeacon of Salisbury. He was appointed by a papal bull, and consecrated August 18, 1426. He was translated by papal bull in 1436 to Lincoln.

#Thomas Browne's# (1436-45) appointment was contained in the same bull that translated Alnwick. He had been previously Dean of Salisbury in 1431, and Bishop of Rochester in 1435. During his episcopate the citizens again laid the priory under siege over a question of dues due to them, and the liberties of the city were, as a consequence, seized by the king. Browne died in 1445, and was buried in the nave, in the front and to the west side of rood.

#Walter Lyhart# (1446-72) was nominated by the Pope, and consecrated February 1446, at Lambeth, by the Archbishop Stafford. He had been confessor to Henry VI.'s wife, Margaret of Anjou. He died May 17, 1472.

#James Goldwell# (1472-99) had been amba.s.sador of Edward IV. at Rome. He was nominated by the Pope, and consecrated at Rome, October 4, 1472. He died February 15, 1499.

#Thomas Jane# (1499-1500) had been Canon of Windsor and Dean of Chapel Royal in 1497; was consecrated on October 20, 1499. He died in September 1500.

#Richard Nykke# was consecrated in 1501. He was of infamous character, and no doubt stimulated the zeal of the reformers, who may well have contended that the Church which had such prelates surely needed reformation. He persecuted those opposed to him, and burned many at the stake. He was imprisoned in 1535, for appealing to Rome touching the king's prerogative. He died January 14, 1536.

#William Rugg# (1536-50) was the last Bishop of Norwich before the dissolution of the monasteries. Wolsey's downfall had occurred in 1529, and in 1536 the smaller monasteries were dissolved, and in 1538 the larger ones shared the same fate, Norwich being among the number, the last prior, #William Castleton#, becoming dean. William Rugg resigned the see in 1550.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Monument of Bishop Goldwell.]

On the foundation of the cathedral after the Dissolution the establishment was as follows:--

One dean. Six poor men or bedesmen.

Six prebendaries. One sacrist.

Six minor canons. Two sub-sacrists.

One deacon reader of the Gospel. One beadle of the poor men.

One deacon reader of the Epistle. One high steward.

Eight lay clerks to be expert in singing. And clerks, porters, One organist, eight choristers. auditors, and a coroner.

One precentor.

And such const.i.tution, with but few changes, has held down to this day, the prebendaries have become resident canons, and the precentor is also a minor canon.

#Thomas Thirley# (1550-54) owed his preferment to Norwich from Westminster to Edward VI. Queen Mary, in September 1554, promoted him to Ely. He was the first and only bishop Westminster has had.

#John Hopton# (1554-58) was chaplain to Queen Mary, and aided in the persecution of the Protestants.

#John Parkhurst# (1560-75) is credited with having "beautified and repaired" the bishop's palace.

#Edmund Freke# (1575-78) was translated from Rochester, and again to Worcester in 1578.

#Edmund Scambler# (1585-94) was translated to Norwich from Peterborough.

#William Redman# (1594-1602).

#John Jegon# (1602-1617) was master of Benedict College for twelve years.

#John Overall# (1618-19) was translated from Lichfield and Coventry; he enjoyed the reputation of being the "best scholastic divine in the English nation."

#Samuel Harsnet# (1619-28); translated to York in 1628.

#Francis White# (1628-31); translated to Ely in 1631.

#Richard Corbet# (1632) was translated from Oxford. Of him it was said "he was a distinguished wit in an age of wits, and a liberal man amongst a race of intolerant partisans."

#Matthew Wren# (1635-38); translated to Ely in 1638.

#Richard Montague# (1638-41); translated from Chichester.

#Joseph Hall# (1641-56); translated from Exeter. We have quoted in the notes on nave from his "Hard Measure."

#Edward Reynolds# (1661-76).