ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



Incurring however the wrath of Isabel and Mortimer, the bishop 

 fled to his Hampshire manor house of Waltham, and there sought 

 security in the neighbouring forest, where it is said that Stratford caused 

 his chaplains to chant the daily offices under the greenwood tree. On 

 the fall of Mortimer he was restored to honour, and received the great 

 seal as chancellor in November, 1330. In Stratford the statesman pre- 

 dominated over the ecclesiastic, and it would be foreign to our present 

 purpose to follow, even in meagre outline, the incidents of his dis- 

 tinguished life. There are two matters however which cannot be 

 passed over. England owes some share of her national liberties to this 

 Bishop of Winchester. It was not until 1332, through the direct action 

 of Stratford, that the elected knights and burgesses were permitted to 

 form a separate and independent house during the sitting of parliament. 

 It was too on Stratford's advice that a proclamation was issued before 

 the assembling of the parliament of 1332, prohibiting the wearing of 

 arms or armour throughout London and Westminster during its session. 

 It henceforth became customary to issue a like proclamation before the 

 meeting of each parliament. Another considerable and useful change 

 that Stratford effected was the making the Court of Chancery stationary 

 at Westminster ; this court had hitherto been vaguely itinerant, for the 

 chancellor sat wherever the king might be holding his court. 



During the ten years of his Winchester episcopate Stratford, in 

 addition to his other state duties, was frequently absent from the 

 kingdom on embassies to France and other powers. The episcopal 

 functions in Hampshire and Surrey were for the most part discharged 

 by that useful suffragan Peter, Bishop of Corbavia, and after his death in 

 June, 1332, by Benedict, Bishop of Sardica, prior of the Austin friars 

 of Norwich, and suffragan bishop of both Winchester and Norwich up 

 to his death in 1346. At the same time Stratford's beautifully kept 

 and comprehensive register at Winchester shows that he took a larger 

 share in diocesan administration than could have been expected, and 

 that the routine work was by no means neglected by his various officials 

 or deputies. In 1327 the bishop held a visitation of the clergy and 

 people of the deanery of Southampton ; the rural dean received with the 

 citation a schedule to forward to each parish, giving the names of those 

 who were personally cited. The visitation was held in the parish 

 church of Waltham. 1 In 1329 the bishop gave a special commission 

 to John de Leah, his official, to hold visitations in his name throughout 

 the whole of the archdeaconry of Winchester. 2 



Among the more exceptional licenses for non-residence in this 

 register two may be mentioned. In 1326 Walter, vicar of Portsmouth, 

 was granted leave of absence for a year because the sea air did not suit 

 his health. 3 In 1332 William Knight, vicar of Micheldever, was per- 

 mitted to leave his benefice to visit the apostolical court on account of 

 the irregularity of a marriage that he had celebrated. 4 



1 Winton. Epis. Reg., Stratford, f. 33. 8 Ibid. f. 50. 



3 Ibid. f. l8b : propter aerii inttmperiem juxta mare. * Ibid. f. 74. 



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