RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



and his successors, the chapter was largely com- 

 posed of confidential clerks, whose ranks were 

 recruited by Archbishop GiiFard from relations 

 and dependants of his &mily in Wiltshire and 

 Gloucestershire.^" Gray conveyed his manor of 

 Bishopthorpe on trust to the dean and chapter,"^ 

 and numerous deeds in connexion with the 

 transference of archiepiscopal property show that 

 they were the normal trustees of the archbishop's 

 manors, whose consent was necessary to any 

 change in this direction. The increase of the 

 chapter in wealth and independence brought it 

 into collision with the archbishop, and, under 

 Romanus, although some of its individual mem- 

 bers still formed his consultative council, it 

 asserted its rights with emphasis. Romanus, 

 actively concerned in the reformation of his 

 chapters, succeeded in subdividing the rich 

 prebend of Masham into three, and that of 

 Langtoft into two portions ; '^ but this arrange- 

 ment ceased with his death. He also did his 

 best to strengthen the school under the control 

 of the chancellor.^' His reforms, however, were 

 probably allowed by the chapter only as a result 

 of a compromise, which was arrived at in 

 November 1290, upon his powers as visitor. 

 The dean promised obedience to the archbishop, 

 with a clause, capable of wide interpretation, 

 which safeguarded the rights of his church. 

 Right of visitation once in every five years was 

 conceded to the archbishop, who must visit in 

 person, not by deputy. The visitation was 

 strictly private : all the archbishop's attendants 

 were to retire after his opening address, and two 

 of the canons were to act as his assessors. 

 Complaints and corrigenda were to be presented 

 by the chapter in common and viva voce : written 

 presentations were prohibited. The archbishop's 

 business was strictly confined to a general 

 injunction to the chapter to make their own 

 corrections within a stated time ; and only in 

 case of neglect within that period was the arch- 

 bishop empowered to carry them out himself. 

 The chapter further provided against intrusion 

 by making good their right of appeal, with the 

 usual lengthy procedure." This one - sided 

 arrangement, however, was not final. Arch- 

 bishop Melton, some thirty-five years later, 

 attempted to override the compromise, and the 

 chapter appealed to the pope, who committed 



" See Archbp. Wicktvanis Reg. (Surt. Soc), Introd. 

 p. iii. 



" Hist. Ch. of York (Rolls Ser.), iii, ISS-7. 



" These divisions were effected in May and Oct. 

 1295. One portion of Masham was known as Land- 

 ford : the second portion of Langtoft was called 

 Cottam. Roger Marmion was collated to the whole 

 prebend of Langtoft 13 Feb. 1295-6, a month 

 before Romanus' death (York Archiepis. Reg. Romanus, 

 Capitula). 



" Hist. Ch. of York (Rolls Ser.), iii, 220-1. 



" Ibid. 216-20. 



the case to William Ayermin, Bishop of Norwich, 

 and Hugh of AngoulSme, Archdeacon of Can- 

 terbury."' Before the case could be heard the 

 disputants arranged a compromise, which was 

 confirmed by the commissioners in 1328. By 

 this agreement, which remained in force until 

 the Reformation period, the archbishop was 

 allowed to visit once in four instead of five 

 years, and at two instead of three months' notice. 

 He was allowed his own assessors, three or four 

 clerks, and a writer not a public notary. The 

 corrigenda were first to be presented publicly by 

 the chapter in common ; but afterwards the arch- 

 bishop, if he wished, might proceed to a private 

 examination of individuals, whose complaints 

 were to be invited without any threat of penalties, 

 and were to be taken down in writing verbatim, 

 without addition or comment. These written 

 corrigenda were to be handed over to the dean 

 and chapter that day or the next, and a period 

 of ten months was fixed within which the dean 

 and chapter were to act upon them. In case of 

 neglect the archbishop might proceed to correc- 

 tion, after due notice and consultation with the 

 canons. His procurations were fixed at iooj., 

 to be paid at his first visitation, and not to be 

 demanded again."' In spite of this agreement, dis- 

 sensions continued between Melton and the chap- 

 ter, of which there are traces as late as 1335 ;" 

 and somewhat earlier a minor cause of quarrel 

 had arisen over the right of sequestration in 

 respect of the treasurership."' 



The Great Pestilence of 1 349 appears to have 

 worked some havoc among the dignitaries of the 

 church : the offices of precentor, chancellor, and 

 treasurer were vacant during the year, and the 

 sub-deanery changed hands three times within 

 three months."' Serious quarrels took place, at 

 York as at Beverley, between the chapter and 

 Archbishop Alexander Nevill, who attempted to 

 call in question the privileges of the canons upon 

 their prebendal estates,'" and usurped the rights 

 of the chapter in the manors and churches appro- 

 priated to the common fund.'^ The canons 

 held their own, and called in the protection of 

 the king, who took the right of collation into his 

 own hands. Between June 1386 and September 

 1388 the Patent Rolls are full of collations to the 

 prebends and ratifications of the estates of preben- 



" Bishop Ayermin, as noted above, had been a 

 canon of York. Hugh of AngouMme was collated 

 to the prebend of Riccall 4 July 1324 (York Archi- 

 epis. Reg. Melton, fol. 82 d.). 



" York Archiepis. Reg. Melton, fol. 103 d.-i05 d. 



" Cal. Pat, 1334-8, p. 192. 



^^ York Archiepis. Reg. Melton, fol. 86. 



" Cal. Pat. 1348-50, pp. 271, 295, 340 ; see also 

 Le Neve, Fasti, iii, 154, 160, 164. Of prebends 

 vacant by death, only three are recorded in York 

 Archiepis. Reg. Zouch, fol. 2 3od.-2 32d. 



^ Cal. Pat. 1381-5, pp. 342, 535. 



«• Hist. Ch. of York (Rolls Ser.), ii, 423-4. 



379 



