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JOURNAL OF THE FLYMOUTII INSTITUTION. 
friars were always troublesome to the incumbents of parishes. 
Without asking permission of any one, wherever they saw an 
opening, they took up their position, regardless of the feelings 
of the parish priest, and became thorns in his side for long after. 
The doctrines promulgated, however, were the same in those days, 
whether they were enunciated by priest or friar; but the com- 
plaint was, that the coming of the friars was an intrusion and an 
interference, and that fees were diverted from the mother church. 
Perhaps the new style of preaching was rousing, and proved 
attractive, and drew away the parishioners from the parish church. 
Michael Sergeaux, the vicar in 1401, objected to this inter- 
ference, and obtaining no redress from the bishop, to whom he 
applied, resolved to appeal to the Pope himself. It was, however, 
necessary for him to procure leave of the King to do this ; but 
before such leave could be obtained, Michael Sergeaux had done 
with this and all other worldly affairs, and had entered into his 
rest. His successor, John Gelys, took the matter up, arid, in order 
to carry it out, applied to the King for the required license, and 
in due time obtained the following document.* 
The King, &c, Greeting. — " Know ye, that whereas we have 
learned one Master Michael Sergeaux, late vicar of the parish church 
of Sutton, near Plymouth, hath prosecuted a certain citation in 
Court Roman against John Tyssington, then Minister of the Order 
of Brothers Minor in England, and William Chepton, and other 
brethren of the same order, for that they have built a new certain 
house of brethren of the said order within the parish aforesaid with- 
out the license of the ordinary, or the license of the aforesaid late 
vicar, encroaching to themselves divers profits and emoluments to 
the said church appertaining; to wit, oblations, confessions, burial of 
the dead, and communication of the parishioners of the same vicar, 
and the said process in the same court did continue, until the same 
late vicar did obtain definitive sentence, and before the execution 
of the sentence aforesaid the said late vicar died, and so the aforesaid 
John and William the said encroachments, injuries, usurpations, 
during their whole life ; and afterwards Brother Lewis Cardigan 
and John Tremore and others their successors hitherto have con- 
tinued, and as yet do continue, to the disinheritance of the church 
* Rot. Pat. 3 Hen. IV., p. 2. m. 13, quoted in Oliver's "Monast." p. 151. 
Woollcombe's MSS. vol. ii. 
