ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



days ; he had not only studied at Paris, but had travelled as far as Athens in 

 pursuit of knowledge. On his return he did all he could to awaken a zeal 

 for learning amongst his friends and fellow-countrymen. He told wondrous 

 tales of the wisdom of the Greeks, and especially of a learned lady, the 

 daughter of an archbishop, who had taught him so he maintained every- 

 thing he knew that was worth knowing. He also translated a Greek grammar 

 into Latin for the benefit of students. 37 



Before Grossetete became archdeacon the first complete list of churches 

 in this county had been drawn up by order of Bishop Hugh of Wells. This 

 record, known as the Matriculus of Bishop Hugh, 38 is of great interest ; and it 

 was still used as a standard of reference for the churches and chapels of Leicester- 

 shire as late as the seventeenth century. It is far more complete than the 

 Taxatio of Pope Nicholas, as it gives not merely the churches, but the names 

 of their patrons, and the number of appcndent chapels belonging to each, 

 with an exact account of the way in which they were served. We learn 

 from this record that there were at this time 206 churches in the county, 

 and sixty-five of these had parochial chapels for the benefit of villagers in 

 more remote hamlets. These latter were usually served by chaplains from 

 the mother church about three times a week, but Shearsby, Cotes de Val, 

 Burbage, Countesthorpe, Peckleton, Earl Shilton, Barlestone, Stoke Golding, 

 Lindley, RatclifFe Culey, Twycross, Snarestone, Snibston, Osgathorpe, 

 Staunton Harold, Worthington, Donington, Gaddesby, Wartnaby, Keyham, 

 Grimston, Chadwell, Great Easton, Nevill Holt, Blaston (St. Giles), Market 

 Harborough, Goadby, Thorpe Langton, Tur Langton, Fleckney, Kilby, 

 Hoton, Cotes (under Prestwold), South Thurmaston, Burstall, East Norton, 

 Burton Lazars, and Eye Kettleby were provided with resident chaplains ; so 

 that the ordinary spiritual needs of the villagers in these places were almost 

 as well provided for as if they had been separate parishes. Our modern 

 activities in church-building seem cold and languid when we read through 

 lists like these, and reflect upon the scanty population for which such full 

 provision was made. 



It has been already remarked that the bishops of this century were care- 

 ful to see that parish churches did not suffer loss through their appropriation 

 to religious houses. They had to keep an equally watchful eye upon secular 

 patrons and the rectors of the richer benefices. The laymen who had livings 

 in their gift looked upon them very often as nothing more than a provision 

 for younger sons, or for needy relatives and dependents, and there were cases 

 quite early in the century where the bishops had to raise a protest against the 

 presentation of unfit persons. So in 1221, one Ralf de Turville, still an 

 acolyte, was presented by Hugh Despenser to a portion in the church of 

 Loughborough ; he had to be admonished three years later to frequent the 

 schools and qualify himself for his work. 39 A successor of his in 1243 nee ded 

 the same warning, 40 and two rectors of Great Bowden held their benefices for 

 many years without the slightest intention of being ordained to the priest- 



37 Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.) v. 284-7. 



38 A complete transcript of it is contained in Cott. MS. Nero, D. x ; another copy of it, with some 

 slight variations, is among the rolls of Bishop Lexington (1254-8), at Lincoln ; it is referred to as 'The 

 Matriculus of the bishop ' frequently in Charyte's Rentale (see Leicester Abbey), and it was evidently in the 

 hands of the visitors of the archdeaconry in 1634 (S.P. Dom. Chas. I, dxxxv, 26). 



89 W. E. Dimock Fletcher, Rectors of Loughborough, 10, 1 1. <0 Ibid. 



359 



