ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



Norwich in September, 1604, and six months afterwards managed to get for 

 him the second stall in the cathedral, having induced its previous occupant to 

 resign. One of the king's first appointments was that of Dr. Montgomery, a 

 Scotchman, to the deanery, 7 June, 1603. Next year the dean was appointed 

 to three bishoprics in Ireland — Derry, Raphoe, and Clogher, and Dr. Edmund 

 Suckling obtained for himself, 27 April, 1604, grant of the reversion of 

 the deanery at the next avoidance. But although Dean Montgomery took 

 tip residence at once in Ireland, he could not be induced to relinquish his 

 deanery until ten years had elapsed, and even then had to be indemnified for 

 his loss of income. Dean Suckling in 161 8, during the vacancy of the see 

 on the death of Bishop Jegon, protested against the visitation of the see by 

 the archbishop on the ground that the see was free from all ordinary or 

 metropolitan visitation.^ He was answered that the dean and chapter 

 were subject to the visitation of the archbishop ; that the see being 

 vacant for the time, the rights of the dean and chapter were therefore obsolete 

 and extinct ; and that they had been subject to the ordinary visitation of the 

 bishop of Norwich in 1586 and to the visitation of the archbishop in 1568. 



Bishop Jegon died 13 March, 1617-18, and was succeeded '^ 21 May, 

 1 61 8, by John Overall, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, described by 

 Fuller as a 'discreet presser of conformity ';' the prominent part he had taken 

 in enlarging the Church Catechism and in defence of the Thirty-nine Articles 

 as well as his own visitation articles,* confirm this. His connexion with 

 Norwich was short, as he died 12 May, 1619. 



He was succeeded by Samuel Harsnet, bishop of Chichester, who was 

 translated to Norwich in June of the same year. He must have been a man 

 of moderation, as he was denounced both for papistical and puritanical 

 leanings. He is said to have expended 2,000 // in the repair of the episcopal 

 palaces at Norwich and Ludham.^ 



In 1 62 1 thirty-two ministers of the city of Norwich petitioned the Council 

 for a renewal of the orders issued fifteen years before, that they might have a 

 certain maintenance from the English in the town of 20 pence in the pound 

 on the rent of their houses, as already granted from the Dutch and French 

 inhabitants. They described themselves as at present dependent on the 

 pleasure of the people.^ In the same year the bishop and mayor had to 

 intervene in the affairs of the Walloon congregation ; one Denis I'Ermite 

 having complained that, being made a freeman of Norwich and frequenting 

 the English church, he was still required by the French church to resort 

 there as formerly. In a letter to the Council of 25 September, 1 621, the 

 bishop and mayor appear as champions of the French church. They 

 ■declared that the innovation attempted by I'Ermite, and followed by others, 

 of leaving their church and refusing to contribute to their ministers, would 

 ruin the Walloon congregation settled fifty-five years before, and said that they 

 had ordered I'Ermite to conform to the French church, which he promised 

 to do, but afterwards refused on some unjust displeasure against the minister. 



' Add. MS. 32092, fol. 306. 



' The appointment of a successor to Bishop Jegon was the subject of a scandal very typical of the 

 time {Cal. S. P. Dom. l6ii-i8, p. 532), 'The dean of St. Paul's fails to succeed the bishop of Norwich 

 because he was so open in offering his 2,500 thanks that the court lacqueys tallc of it.' 



' Worthies, 61. * Norwich, 1620. 



' Cal. S. P. Dom. 1634-5, p. 10. Ludham had been burnt down in 161 1. " Ibid. 1619-23, p. 259. 



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