A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



canon of York, the bishop's commissary, seated on the tribunal in the 

 chapel of the parish church of Farnham at the hour when judges are 

 wont to sit, came Sister Cecilia de Lavyngtone, abbess-elect of Wherwell, 

 praying confirmation, which, on production of evidence of the election, 

 was granted. On the following day the abbess presented herself at the 

 episcopal chapel of Farnham, and having made and duly signed her vow 

 of canonical obedience received the bishop's benediction immediately 

 after the reading of the gospel during mass. The bishop afterwards 

 directed letters of confirmation to the new abbess, letters enjoining 

 obedience to the convent, letters to the archdeacon of Winchester to 

 instal her, and letters to the king for restitution of the temporalities. 1 



Wykeham was rightly very stern in maintaining the sanctuary 

 privileges of the Church which so materially alleviated the severity of 

 the mediaeval criminal law. One of the most curious cases recorded in 

 his register refers to an incident in connection with the parish church of 

 Overton. On a Sunday evening about Michaelmas, 1390, one John 

 Bentley was attending evensong. He was known to be a stranger, and 

 from his excitement was judged to be there for sanctuary purposes. He 

 was asked if he was a thief or a robber, and he replied that he was 

 neither, but had had the misfortune to kill a man. Bentley then went 

 out into the churchyard, and whilst there was hailed by one, Robert 

 Dingle, who was standing by the open south gate. Whilst speaking to 

 Dingle, a shoemaker of Overton suddenly pushed him from behind out 

 of the churchyard into the highway. Bentley struggled to re-enter, but 

 some of the villagers dragged him away, put him in the stocks, and after- 

 wards took him to Winchester gaol. The case was reported to the bishop, 

 who issued a commission to his official, in conjunction with the prior of St. 

 Swithun's and the abbot of Hyde, to punish the offenders and compel them 

 to replace Bentley in sanctuary. At the same time the bishop petitioned 

 the king for Bentley's discharge from gaol. The outcome of this case 

 is not to be gathered from the register, but judging from a somewhat 

 similar case in the diocese four years later the penance would be a severe 

 one. The offenders in the Streatham case had to endure the following 

 penance on three successive Sundays. They walked in the procession 

 stripped to their shirts and drawers and carrying lighted tapers. One of 

 the clergy, clad in a surplice, following and flagellating them with a rod, 

 declared to the people at the same time the cause of the penance, after 

 which the penitents knelt in the middle of the church at high mass, 

 repeating the Magnificat in audible voices and praying forgiveness. The 

 authorities of a church when sanctuary was claimed were expected to 

 provide the offender with necessary food. In a case where this was 

 neglected in 1 377, Wykeham did not hesitate to excommunicate those 

 responsible for this grave breach of sanctuary law. 8 



1 Winton. Epis. Reg., Wykeham, pt. iii. f. 66. 



* Anyone who had committed a felony and for the safeguard of his life fled to a church or church- 

 yard could remain there in security from arrest for forty days. If within that period he confessed the 

 felony before the coroner of the district and took an oath of perpetual exile into some foreign country, 

 he could claim safe conduct to the port that was assigned to him, provided he kept to the highway and 



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