ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



for him and his suite ^ show that a certain number of Norfolk parsons who 

 formed part of it were also absent from their parishes on these occasions. 

 The employment of the king's clerks as parish priests led sometimes to 

 curious complications as the result of a prolonged absence. The presentation 

 of Richard de Estdene to the church of All Saints', Warham, 5 July, 13 14, 

 had to be revoked two months later, because it was found that the rector, 

 Richard de Aston, was still alive, though detained in prison in Scotland.^ In 

 I 3 15 the appointment of William de Neupoi-t, king's clerk, to the church of 

 Giselham, was revoked when it was found that the parson, John de Notting- 

 ham, was alive ;* and a similar revocation took place in 1305 when it was 

 discovered that Richard de Overton, rector, was alive, at the time that 

 Master Walter de London was presented to Bramerton.* 



The Calendar of Papal Letters shows many examples in Norfolk of the 

 plurality against which the bull Execrabilis of 13 17 was directed. Dispensa- 

 tions were frequently granted for non-residence, and the bishop also received 

 indults to grant dispensations to a certain number of his clerks to hold 

 benefices although under age. Of the many licences of non-residence for 

 five years at a time,^ it was only in some of the cases that permission was 

 qualified by the condition that this should be used for the purpose of studying 

 at a university. The very frequent occurrence of dispensations to hold more 

 than one benefice after the date of the bull seems to show that its aim was 

 rather the regulation than the abolition of plurality. Numerous instances 

 occur of dispensations on account of illegitimacy of birth and other 

 irregularities. 



In spite of a certain amount of absenteeism, which the appointment of 

 king's clerks must have entailed, their employment cannot have been altogether 

 a disadvantage, as it secured a certain standard of education and experience 

 of affairs on the part of the parson, and it must be remembered that the 

 number of benefices in Norfolk was very large, and that the number of 

 clergy in the diocese greatly exceeded the number of benefices. The dispen- 

 sation granted at the request of the king to Simon de Briselee,' dean of 

 Lichfield, and rector of Tunstead, in 1348, to receive the profits of his bene- 

 fices for five years while studying civil and canon law, and in consideration of 

 his having been imprisoned in Germany by brigands and held to a ransom of 

 3,100 gold crowns on his return from the Roman court, to take the emolu- 

 ments of his deanery as if he were resident, gives a picture of an adven- 

 turous as well as varied career, and suggests that a high money value was set 

 on his services. The case of the rector, William de Saham,^ subdeacon, who 

 held the benefices of Tykye and Morley, as well as Kirby Wiske (Yorks.) and 

 King's Clere (Winchester) in 1291, without papal dispensation, 'which has 

 given him a scruple of conscience, in consideration of the circumstance that 

 he, being now aged, has spent all his life in the royal service,' and who 

 received a dispensation on condition that he should be ordained priest and 

 give a portion of the fruits to the said churches, was evidently somewhat 



' Pat. I Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 21 ; 4 EJw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 1 1 ; 6 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 4 ; 17 Edw. Ill, 

 pt. ii, m. I. 



' Pat. 8 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 26. ' Ibid. pt. ii, m. 29. * Ibid. 33 Edw. I, pt. ii, m. 23. 



^ Cat. Papal Letters, ii, 54 and 142. The case of Bernard Exii de Lebreto as a pluralist is perhaps an 

 exception ; ibid. 47, 51, 80. 



« Cat. Papal Petitions, i, 142, 177. ' Cal. Papal Letters, i, 545. 



239 



