ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



Langley, was consecrated suffragan bishop of Dover towards the end of 



1537. Instead of doing episcopal work he at once sought and obtained 

 a commission as visitor of religious houses, and determined to devote his 

 chief attention to the extermination of friars. In May, 1538, he visited 

 the Winchester houses of the Franciscan, Austin and Dominican friars, 

 and asked directions as to what he was to do with the Carmelite house, 

 as there were no friars. He reported to Cromwell that he had left all 

 the stuff pertaining to the Black friars ' in a secular mannys handdes,' 

 and gave license to the prior to say mass in the church till he heard 

 from him again. Two months later he again visited Winchester, and 

 received the formal surrender of the friars' houses on 2 1 July, there 

 being then twenty-five priests amongst them, all told. 1 



Within a letter from Richard, Bishop of Dover, to Cromwell in July, 



1538, recording his dealings with the friars in the west of England, was 

 enclosed a schedule giving lists of friars concerning whom ' I beseche 

 youre lordeschype to have dyscharge for theys fryers to change ther 

 apparell.' The reason for this application was, as is explained by the 

 bishop in other letters, that the friars were too poor to purchase even a 

 coat in lieu of their religious frocks. The following are those named at 

 Winchester : 



The Grey Fryers off Winchester : Fryer Thomas Parys ; Fryer Wyllyam 

 Kenett ; Fryer Rycharde Forde. The Austen Fryers off Wynchester : Fryer Johan 

 Wyhte. The Blacke Fryers off Wynchester : Fryer Rycharde Chessam, doctor of 

 dyvynyte, prior ; Fryer Robarde Browne ; Fryer Johan George ; Fryer Nycholas 

 Barker ; Fryer Johan Ynggylbye ; Fryer Robarde Haymys. I want iii or iiii freeres 

 names of the Austen and Wheyte Freers of Winchester, I left the boke at hom. If 

 ye wold be so gode as to send me iii or iiii warranties with a space for ther names, I 

 wer bonde to you. 



From this it would appear that the visitor had discovered some White 

 or Carmelite friars. He goes on to say : 



In all placys wher as yet I have ben I have made an inventory indenteid, and 

 selyd up their common sealys so that thir shall sell or alienate no more of their jewellys 

 nor other stuffe, wherefor I am suar that within a year the more parte shall be fayne 

 to giffe up their housis for poverty. 2 



The Bishop of Dover was however too mild a man for Cromwell's 

 purposes, and he soon lost favour and had to make way for rougher 

 tools. 3 In the suppression of the remainder of the friars the chief agent 

 was the notorious Dr. London, 4 who, with a posse of his coadjutors, 

 visited Hampshire in September, 1538, and again in 1539. 



In May, 1538, John Draper, the prior of Christchurch, who was 

 one of the king's chaplains and friendly with several about the court, 

 petitioned against the suppression of his house. He pleaded that the 

 church was the parish church for the town and its hamlets, wherein 



J Letters and Papers, Henry fill, passim. 2 Cott. MSS. Cleop. E. iv. f. 250, 251. 



8 Dixon's History of Church of England, ii. 37-40. 



* Dr. London was put to open penance for adultery, and died in prison for perjury (Narratives of 

 Reformation [Camd. Soc.], p. 35 ; Strype's Eccl. Memorials, i. 175 ; Strype's Memorials of Cranmer, i. 

 158). Cranmer terms him ' a stout and filthy prebendary of Windsor.' Dr. London was not only canon 

 of Windsor, but warden of New College, Oxford, and dean of Wallingford. 



II 57 8 



