A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



He was entitled to receive legacies and offerings at the altar in silver and in 

 candles, but those of bread or food were handed over to the bailiff of the 

 abbot and convent, who also took the whole of the tithe. The vicar was 

 bound to find candles for the church and for the bailiff, and if he failed his 

 horse's forage was stopped. He was obliged to entertain the archdeacon or 

 any guests at his own expense, and to pay synodal dues. Thomas Cantilupe, 

 bishop of Hereford, made a better provision for the vicar, granting tithes 

 and offerings which were valued at >Ti I 6s. io</., and half an acre of land on 

 which to build a manse. 1 In 1279 he bade the rural dean of the Forest 

 admonish the abbot and convent of Gloucester to find a chalice for the church 

 and to provide the timber and a site near the church for the vicar's house, 

 and the vicar was ordered to build it before a certain day. 2 In spite of the 

 bishop's ordinance, in 1291 the vicar's portion was only assessed at 5 6s. 8</., 

 while the rectorial dues were >C 2O - S The Taxation of Pope Nicholas (1291) 

 shows that it was not unusual for the vicar only to get a fifth of the revenues ; 

 this was his portion at Hawkesbury,* and at Bisley he had less. 5 The 

 rectorial dues of Berkeley, which fell to the convent of St. Augustine, Bristol, 

 amounted to 24 6s. 8</.; the convent of Reading drew 13 6s. 8*/.; the 

 bishop of Worcester, 3 6s. 8d.; the convent of Stanley St. Leonard, i ; 

 and the vicar had 12 13*. ^d? 



It was not only by appropriating the revenues of churches that the 

 religious houses diminished the income of the parish priests. They obtained 

 papal bulls exempting them from the payment of tithes from any land which 

 they cultivated at their own expense, and from the tithe of the young of 

 animals. Although an attempt was made at the Lateran Council of 1215 

 to prevent a further diminution of the income of the parochial clergy when 

 monasteries acquired fresh lands, the Cistercians, Templars, and Hospitallers 

 always maintained their immunities, and papal bulls were granted notwith- 

 standing the prohibition of the Council. 



Besides the ordination of vicarages there is other evidence that in the 

 thirteenth century the bishops of Worcester were able and energetic prelates 

 who ruled their diocese with watchful care, making visitations and issuing 

 constitutions which show at least a high ideal of church life. In 1219 

 William of Blois decreed that no clerk should be admitted to any benefice 

 not above the value of five marks unless he was already in priest's 

 orders, and that he should be bound to reside, the reason being that 

 so small a living could not support more than one man. 7 No priest 

 might become a rural dean unless he held a benefice, and no rural deanery 

 might be farmed. The bishop engaged in a serious dispute with the abbot 

 and convent of Tewkesbury when they attempted to defy his authority in 

 virtue of a papal bull, and although his measures were violent, he prevented 

 them from appropriating Fairford. 8 In 1234 he deposed the abbot of 

 St. Augustine's, Bristol, on account of his quarrels with the convent. 9 



In the years immediately after his consecration Bishop Walter Cantilupe 

 (1237-1266) made a thorough visitation of his diocese. In accordance 



1 Hut. et Cart. G/ouc. (Rolls Ser.), i, 249. " Heref. Epis. Reg. Cantilupe, fol. 63 d. 



3 Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 161. ' Ibid. 220^. 5 Ibid. 22 la. 



' Ibid. 220*. 7 Wilkins, Concilia, \, 571. 



8 V. C. H. Gkuc. Relig. Houses, Tewkesbury, 62. 8 Ann. Mon. (Rolls Ser.), i, 93. 



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