HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 121 



Date. 



1183. GERARD DE PUELLA succeeded to this See of Coventry, Lichfield, 

 and Chester : Robert Montensis calls him a man of great learning 

 and honesty. He was one of the Archbishop of Canterbury's 

 domestic chaplains, and famed for his eloquence. He sat but 16 

 weeks, and died at Lichfield, (not without suspicion of poison,) 

 January 13, 1184: he was the 37th Bishop. 



1188. HUGH DE NOVANT, a person eminent for eloquence and piety, was 

 elected by the monks into his place, but not consecrated till 1188, 

 by Baldwin, then Archbishop of Canterbury : between his election 

 and consecration he was appointed the Pope's Legate. He was an 

 incessant adversary to the monks, whom he opposed deservedly, for 

 they vexed the Bishops continually with their contests and quar- 

 rels. Richard I. in 1190, gave this Hugh authority to remove the 

 monks of Coventry, and put secular priests in their place j and 

 when the monks refused to obey this order, he made way by the 

 sword, wounding some, and putting the rest to flight. He was 

 said to be wounded in the conflict as he was standing by the altar, 

 died March 27, 1 199, and was buried at Caen, in Normandy. He 

 was the 38th Bishop. 



1199. The monks chose in his stead JEFFERY DE MUSCHAMP, who was 

 consecrated by Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury : he died Octo- 

 ber 5, 1208, and was buried at Lichfield. The nation being then 

 under an interdict from the Pope, in his quarrel with King John, 

 no legal new election took place for some time. He was the 39th 

 Bishop. 



1215. WILLIAM DE CORNHULL, Archdeacon of Huntingdon, was chosen 

 Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, and consecrated January 23, 

 1215, in the reign of King John. He granted the Chapter of Lich- 

 field a free power of choosing themselves a Dean, which privilege 

 was confirmed to them by Pope Honorius III. Before this the 

 Bishop always elected the Dean, as he did the Canons : this 

 Bishop died September 14, 1223, was buried at Lichfield, and 

 was the 40th Bishop. After his death there arose a dispute be- 

 tween the Churches of Coventry and Lichfield, about the election 

 of a Bishop to succeed him, which was referred to the Pope, who 

 appointed, in 



1224. ALEXANDER DE STAVENBY, and consecrated him, with the Bishop 

 of Paris, upon Easter-day. He was a very learned man, and thought 

 to excel most of the philosophers and divines of his age. He is 

 said to have had many visions and strange dreams : he increased 

 the Prebends of the Church, and enriched it with many things. 

 While he sat, it was settled by the Pope, that the election of a 

 Bishop should be by the monks of Coventry and the Chapter of 

 Lichfield in rotation. He was the 41st Bishop. ' 



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