7 
t 
; 
By the Rev. C. Soames. N PR5 
‘ecclie parte vbi executoribus meis et Do- 
mino Priori id congruencius fieri vide- 
bitur tunulandus. 
Item lego ecclie mee Wygorn mitram 
‘meam albam de perulis cum rosis 
quatuor magnis eciam de perulis en- 
bosed que mitra fuit dioc Bathon 
Episcoporum moderni et defuncti nullos 
habens lapides sed totus Apparatus est 
de perulis. 
Item lego eidem ecclie vestimentum 
meum einai integrum cum vij Chyseble 
of Brystlesham,* of the order of S. 
Augustine, in the diocese of Sarum, of 
which place I am, and have been for a 
long time a Brother—my grave to be 
made in that part of the said Church 
which may seem most convenient to my 
executors and the Lord Prior. 
Also, I leave to my Cathedral Church 
at Worcester my white mitre of pearls, 
embossed with four large roses also of 
pearls, which mitre belonged to the latet 
and the present { Bishop of the Diocese 
of Bath, having no precious stones in if, 
but the whole ornamentation is com- 
posed of pearls. 
Also, I leave to the same Church my 
complete white vestment with seven 
‘et ij tunicles ac vna capa de ead secta Chasubles and two tunicles, and one cape 
* The conventual Church of Bisham, Berks, spelt Brusteham in one passage in 
Dugdale. The whole of Berks was at one time in Sarum Diocese. 
+ Nicholas Bubwith was “the late Bishop of Bath.” He was consecrated 
Bishop of London September 26th, 1406, and in the following year became 
Bishop of Sarum, and was again removed to the see of Bath and Wells 
by Papal Bull, dated 7th October, 1407. He was successively Master of the 
Rolls, Keeper of the Privy Seal, and Treasurer of England. Jones’ Fasti. 
He was one of the English envoys along with the testator at the Council 
at Constance, which ones the writings of Wycliff and burnt Huss and 
Jerome. As one of the thirty-four electors joined by ‘the Council to the Cardinals 
he took part in the election of Pope Martin V., and died October 27th, 1424, and 
was buried at Wells. 
~ £ His successor, “the present Bishop,” John Stafford, 1425 to 1443, Treasurer 
and Chancellor, was less of a bishop than a statesman. He was of illustrious 
_ descent, being the son of the Earl of Stafford by the Lady Anne Plantagenet, 
- daughter aon heiress of Thomas of Woodstock, sixth son of Edward III. ; and’ 
he was equally distinguished for his learning and industry. Having with great 
reputation taken the "degree of D.C.L. at Oxford, he practised as advocate in 
Doctor's Commons. Chicheley, Archbishop of Canterbury, appointed him Dean 
of the Arches, and obtained for him the Deanery of St. Martin’s, and a prebend 
in Lincoln Cathedral. He then became a favourite of Henry V., who made 
him successively Dean of Wells, Prebendary of Sarum, 1419, Keeper of the 
SP sivy Seal and Treasurer of England, 1432. By the imterest of Cardinal 
Beaufort he was appointed Bishop of Bath and Wells. He filled the office of 
Chancellor till 1450—a longer period than anyone since the Conquest had 
held the Great Seal. He was made Archbishop of Canterbury 1443, and died 
at Maidstone 1452. See Diocesan History of Bath and etn and Campbell’s 
¥ Lives of the Chancellors, 
