A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



building of the nine altars in the cathedral church, a century before, the 

 granting of indulgences was constant at Durham."^ The appointment of 

 a diocesan penitentiary in 1312 marks the organization of the penitential 

 system on mediaeval lines.'^* Kellaw died at Middleham. The bishops 

 evidently made much use now of their country houses. In Kellaw's time 

 we get the first mention of an episcopal residence in London."' 



Two years' interval of disgraceful competition for the Palatinate 

 followed the death of Kellaw in i 3 1 6. The one good feature of that time 

 was the final adjustment of the question of sede vacante jurisdiction. This 

 was now left in the hands of the pope,"* who formulated his decision. 



Beaumont (1318—33) was at last appointed bishop through the queen's 

 influence. Of this prelate strange stories are still told to visitors over the 

 empty matrix of his magnificent brass. His lack of education, his boundless 

 vanity, the huge fees paid to Rome for his election, the story of his being 

 kidnapped and held to ransom, were matters which tinged the mention of 

 his name with interest."' Fresh outbreaks of Scottish turbulence filled much 

 of his episcopate with the same orders and measures as in the previous 

 episcopate ; directions to garrison and provision the castles are the staple of 

 the years."* Invasion actual or menacing is mentioned in 1322, 1323, and 

 1325, rising in violence to Darlington fight, when Douglas fell, in 1327, 

 and finally culminating in the decisive English victory of Halidon Hill in 

 1333, which retrieved the defeat of Bannockburn. Yet a somewhat famous 

 letter of Edward II to Beaumont still exists in which the king upbraids him 

 for even greater negligence against the Scots than Kellaw had shown. "^ 

 This was in 1322, and five years later Beaumont certainly stirred himself to 

 prosecute before the king in Parliament the recognition of hisyV/r^ regalia^ 

 and the restoration of forfeitures, almost at the same time as the Darlington 

 victory alluded to above. The ample acknowledgement of the bishop's 

 liberties is the most constitutionally important event "* of his episcopate, 

 and the Halidon Hill victory two months before his death was a complete 

 justification of Edward's action, though Beaumont did not in person lead the 

 forces. 



Beaumont was succeeded for the moment by Graystanes, the Durham 

 chronicler, one of our chief authorities from the early thirteenth century to 

 his time. He was duly elected, confirmed, and consecrated by the arch- 

 bishop of York, but Edward, whose acquaintance with Durham was con- 

 siderable, had from the pope obtained the position for his tutor Bury. This 

 eminent prelate,"' who now came in as a direct papal nominee, is chiefly 

 interesting as the first literary bishop of Durham. Edward had probably 

 learned that the duties of Count Palatine might be discharged by efficient 

 officers. It is certain that Bury was more at home in his study than in 

 camp. Yet he stuck to the rights of the Palatinate when need arose, and 



'" Introduction to Reg. Palat. Dun. iii, p. cxxxvi. 



'" Reg. Palat. Dun. i, 135. "» Ibid, i, 645. 



"* Raine, Hist. Ch. of York, iii, 237 and 265. 



"* For all these stories Graystanes {^res Scriptores, Surtees See), is the original authority. 

 "'The Patent and Close Rolls contain many relative entries. See Cal. Pat. 132 1-4, p. 92 ; Ca/. Close, 

 1318-23, pp. 562, 663, 679. 



'" Translated in Reg. Palat. Dun. i, p. Ixxix. "' Ibid. p. Ixxx. 



'" Cf. Hardy, Reg. Palat. Dun. iii, p. cxli. 



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