A HISTORY OF DORSET 



early part of the fourteenth century was probably marked by much activity 

 in the building, or more probably the rebuilding on a larger scale, of 

 churches in this county ; of the fifty-three dedicated by Robert Petyt, 

 bishop of Enaghdun,^'^ in 1326, by authority of the diocesan, by far the 

 greater number were in Dorset.^" 



As regards non-residence, the practice so frequently noted of granting 

 licences to incumbents to absent themselves for purposes of study did much 

 to nullify the earnest efforts of Simon of Ghent and his successors to enforce 

 personal residence on the clergy ; ^'^ nevertheless, it must be remembered 

 that the carelessness of patrons as to the age and qualifications of the 

 candidates they presented for institution rendered such a measure the best 

 guarantee for the spiritual welfare of parishioners that the ordinary could 

 perhaps at that time enforce.''^ Another element of disorder was to 

 be found in the increasing demands of Rome and the abuse then generally 

 rampant of papal provision. That the bishops were keenly alive to these 

 contributive causes is evident from various records in their registers. After 

 a meeting of the chapter at Salisbury, 18 March, 1326, at which the 

 bishop, dean, and others were present, a letter was addressed to Pope 

 John XXII by Bishop Mortival, in which he stated that though 

 there were in the church of Salisbury forty-one prebends, four digni- 

 ties, four archdeaconries, and the sub-deanery to which he had the 

 original right of collation, there were, nevertheless, at that time a 

 dean, an archdeacon, and six prebendaries who had been appointed 

 by the late pope, while the precentor, treasurer, one archdeacon, and 

 seventeen prebendaries held their offices by provision of the present 

 pope ; that hardly more than three out of that whole number ever 

 resided in Salisbury, and finally that there were no less than eight who 

 were waiting for vacancies, having been appointed as canons with the right 



'" Both Simon of Ghent and Roger de Mortival made use of suffragans to assist them in their 

 diocesan duties, especially in such offices as the dedication of churches and altars, the reconciliation of 

 churches, &c., which required the personal services of a bishop. The institutions of Bishop Simon in 

 particular witness the bishop's readiness to grant a coadjutor to the parochial clergy in the case of sickness 

 and disablement. 



"' The list includes the following : Wimborne St. Giles, Horton, Edmondsham, Winterborne 

 Vyshath, Winterborne Tomson, Cheselbourne, Turners Puddle, Milborne, Ringstead, Poxwell, Winterborne 

 Abbas, Winterborne Steepleton, Little Bredy, Tyneham, Chaldon Boys, Ham-by-Sturminster, Fifehead, Stafford, 

 Bincombe, Stour Provost, All Saints Dorchester, Frome Whitfield, St. John Shaftesbury, Moreton, Povington, 

 Minterne, Up Cerne, Batcombe, Yetminster, Ryme Intrinseca, Evershot, Stockwood, Pulham, Bishop's 

 Caundle, Caundle Haddon, Fifehead, ' Tarrant-Abbates, Stower Wake, Stower Weston,' Gillingham, Caundle 

 Purse, and Rarapisham [Ibid. Mortival, ii, fol. 185]. One of the first acts of Bishop Mortival on his promo- 

 tion to Salisbury in 1315 was to issue a commission for the dedication of altars [Ibid. fol. i]. In 1317 he 

 granted letters of indulgence for the altar in the conventual church of Shaftesbury, rebuilt and dedicated in 

 honour of St. Mary and St. Edward, king and martyr. [Ibid]. 



'" Bishop Simon in 1 301 addressed a letter to his archdeacons bidding them summon all absent rectors. 

 and vicars to make personal residence, understanding that many were at that time absent without licence 

 [Ibid. fol. 17]. His successor, Mortival, wrote in December, 1319, to the archdeacon of Dorset denouncing all 

 such incumbents as let their churches to farm, and did not make personal residence, desiring that their 

 names should be sent in to him by a fixed date [Ibid. Mortival, lib. ii, fol. 95 if]. Bishop Wyville, in March,. 

 1343, forwarded to the archdeacon a schedule with list of offenders who were to be summoned to appear 

 before the bishop or his commissary in the prebendal church of Chardstock the next law d.iy after the Feast 

 of St. Edward, king and martyr, a strict inquiry was to be made into the issues of their churches which 

 were to be sequestered, care being taken that the services of the church should not be neglected [Ibid. 

 Wyville, lib. i]. After the losses and disorder occasioned by the Black Death the abuse of non-residence 

 increased rather than diminished. 



'^ Licence to let his church to farm for the purpose of study being only in acolyte's orders was 

 granted to the rector of Bentfeld ' in 1316 ; ibid. Mortival, ii, fol. 31 J. 



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