54 The Will of Thomas Polton, Bishop of Worcester, A.D. 1432. 
urgent letters of safeguard addressed not only to kings, princes, and 
dukes, but to all governors of forts, cities, and camps, and even to 
people of every rank and condition in every country through which 
he might pass.” That he contemplated the possibility of beg 
captured and forced to pay a ransom (exaccionatus) is evident from 
expressions in the will made before he started for Rome. “ He was 
allowed to carry out of the kingdom his silver plate and jewels to 
the value of £1000, and received permission to visit Rome for a 
year when the Council was dissolved, or, if it were prorogued, for 
more than a year. The Bishop met with an honourable reception 
at Basle, being escorted into the town by more than five hundred 
horsemen, including representatives of the principal bishops and 
abbots.” 
A copy of his will is preserved in the Library at Lambeth, in 
Archbishop Chichele’s collection, and seems to have been made some 
twelve or fourteen years after the will was proved. It contains so 
much of local interest that I print it here 7m extenso. There are 
evidently a few transcriber’s errors, but I have not ventured to 
correct them except in the translation. In that I have received 
assistance from various friends and antiquaries—among them from 
our lamented friend, Canon Jackson, who revised those portions 
which related to the parish of Mildenhall. A copy of the rest of 
the will was only obtained after his death. 
Witt or Tuomas Potton, Bishop oF WORCESTER. 
In Lambeth Palace Library, Chichele’s Register, f. 438 3. 
In Dei nomine Amen. Ego Thomas 
Polton Eeclie _Wygorn minister indig- 
nus condo testm meu in hune modum, 
In primis lego animam meam deo ac 
beate marie einsdem piisseme genitrici 
corpusque meu ecclesiastice sepulture 
vbi misericors Deus cuncta disponens et 
forsan extra regnum me subtrahi ab 
hac Juce voluerit. Qd si adiutra discedam 
in ecclia Conventuali de Brystelesh*m 
ordinis sancti Augustini Sarum dioc 
euius loci confrater sum et a temporibus 
eram meam eligo sepulturam in ea ipius 
In the name of God,Amen. I,Thomas 
Polton,unworthy minister of the Church 
of Worcester,do make my will as follows. 
First, I leave my soul to God and the 
Blessed Mary, His most pious Mother ; 
and my body to be buried according to 
the rites of the Church wherever the 
merciful God, who disposes of all things 
may think fit that I should depart this 
life, and perhaps that may be out of the 
kingdom. But if I should die within 
the same, then I choose that my burial 
shall take place in the ConventualChurch 
