Archdeacons: Shropshire

LIST 7 ARCHDEACONS OF SHROPSHIRE

William

Occ. as archdcn., territory and dioc. not specified, but immediately after Heinfrid (see list 6), 14 Nov. 1086 (R. W. Eyton, Antiquities of Shropshire I 106; W. G. Clark-Maxwell and A. Hamilton Thompson, 'The college of St Mary Magdalene' p. 2; for dating, see J. F. A. Mason and P. A. Barker, 'The Norman castle at Quatford' p. 40). It is likely that this William can be identified with the William, clk. of bp. Robert the Lotharingian, who held land from the bp. at Lydbury North in 1086 (DB I 252b), in which case it is likely that the dioc. was divided into two archdeaconries by 1086, if not earlier, and that William functioned as archdcn. within southern Shropshire, contrary to the views of Brooke and Brooke p. 14. Occ. 15 March 1119 × 16 Jan. 1127 as archdcn. of Hereford (EEA XV no. 26; R. W. Eyton, Antiquities of Shropshire III 232-3); this document also refers to him as having attended an assembly as archdcn. of the bp. of Hereford 1108 × 1115.

Peter le Kauf (fn. 1)

Can. of Llanthony; said by the Wigmore chronicle to have been made archdcn. of Shropshire and rector of the church of Lydbury North by bp. Robert de Béthune (1131-48) (see Mon. Ang. VI 346 and MB pp. 199, 268). He d. while Gilbert Foliot was bp. (1148-63), which means either that he res. office some time before his d., or that he succeeded Odo (see next entry).

Odo

Occ. first as can. (list 36). Occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire (and simultaneously can. of Hereford) once only, 1144 × 1148 (EEA VII no. 28: cf. Brooke and Brooke p. 17 and MB p. 268). He appears to have res. the archdcnry. while remaining a can.

Walter Foliot

Almost certainly appd. archdcn. by bp. Gilbert Foliot, to whom he was presumably related. First occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire 1148 × 1163 (GFL no. 317: 'Waltero archidiacono Salop"); occ. 2 Oct. 1172 (cart. St Guthlac fo. 15v, no. 4) and 1151 × 1157, temp. bp. John of Worcester, as archdcn. of Hereford, evidently in error for archdcn. of Shropshire in the dioc. of Hereford (Cart. Oseney V no. 541); occ. Michaelmas 1177, when he was fined £100 for having built a house and a mound in Hereford illegally (Pipe Roll 23 Henry II p. 56), and shortly after 25 Apr. 1178 (EEA VII no. 141). He prob. d. before Michaelmas 1178, as the fine was transferred to Richard Brito, then can. (Pipe Roll 24 Henry II p. 101). Commem. 13 Aug. (app. 1 fo. 31r), and therefore prob. d. 13 Aug. 1178.

Hugh Foliot

Occ. first as can. (list 36). Still not archdcn. when occ. 10 Aug. 1180 × 31 Dec. 1183 (EEA VII no. 168). Earliest occs. as archdcn. of Shropshire are 13 Aug. 1178 × 9 May 1186 (ibid. no. 166), 15 March 1179 × 9 May 1186 (ibid. no. 171) and 1181 × 9 May 1186, late in that period (ibid. no. 173). Occ. continuously in office until raised to the episcopate in 1219; last occ. as archdcn. in 1219, prob. in Apr. (after 16 Apr.), when mentioned as the bearer of a letter from Hereford cath. chapter to the king seeking licence to el. a new bp. (CPR 1216-25 p. 191); el. bp. of Hereford June 1219 (Ann. Worc. p. 410); cons. 27 Oct. 1219 (Ann. Worc. p. 410), at Canterbury (Ann. Margam p. 33; cf. also Ann. Tewkes. p. 64; and see list 1).

M. Nicholas of Hampton or Wolverhampton

Occ. first as can. (list 36). Cannot have become archdcn. before June 1219 at the earliest. Occ. first as archdcn. of Shropshire 27 Oct. 1219 × 29 Nov. 1223 (EEA VII no. 317, before M. Thomas Foliot became prec.) and 27 Oct. 1221 × 26 Oct. 1222 (cart. St Guthlac fo. 74v, no. 315, dated in the third year of Hugh Foliot's episcopate). Nicholas was also vicar of the church of Ditton Priors in Shropshire (EEA VII no. 359). Since Nicholas is not mentioned in the cath. obit book, he therefore presumably res. his preb. at Hereford when he became archdcn. (archdcns. of Shropshire did not automatically hold cath. prebs.). He is referred to as having d. in post in a document of 27 Oct. 1219 × 7 Aug. 1234 (ibid. no. 359), evidently by 23 July 1227, when his successor had replaced him (see next entry).

M. Simon of Edenbridge

First occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire before 23 July 1227, as a witness to a ch. of bp. Hugh Foliot conf. in an inspeximus of Henry III of that date (EEA VII no. 319: 'S. archidiacono Salops"). Simon cannot have become archdcn. before 27 Oct. 1221 at the earliest (see previous entry). Last occ. 1237 × 1239 (Hereford ch. no. 1409). D. before 2 Aug. 1240, when his houses, whether his by reason of his archdcnry., his preb., or by coll. of the bp., were gr. to Peter of Aigueblanche by Henry III in the episcopal vacancy (Close Rolls 1237-42 p. 211). Commem. 18 July (app. 1 fo. 27r), and so it is likely that he d. 18 July 1240.

Peter of Aigueblanche

Clk. of William bp. of Valence and on the latter's d. warden of the king's wardrobe (M. Gibbs and J. Lang, Bishops and Reform 1215-1272 (Oxford, 1934) p. 192). Royal gr. of archdcnry. of Shropshire 2 Aug. 1240 (Close Rolls 1237-42 p. 211), during the episcopal vacancy following the res. of bp. Ralph of Maidstone. This was presumably merely a preliminary move by Henry III to securing his el. as bp. of Hereford, which occ. 24 Aug. 1240 (list 1; see also list 10).

John Foliot

Occ. first as chanc. (list 5). Occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire 1240 × 1247 (Hereford ch. no. 786) and 26 Sept. 1241 (Reg. Swinfield p. 91), and may possibly be the unnamed archdcn. of Shropshire who occ. 21 Jan. 1243 (CPR 1266-72 p. 719). After Thomas, who had succeeded John as chanc., became archdcn. of Llandaff 26 March 1243, John resumed the dignity of chanc. and occ. in that office 1247 × 1253 (list 5).

M. James of Aigueblanche (fn. 2)

Occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire 30 Oct. 1253 (Hereford ch. no. 1352). Received an indult, as archdcn. of Shropshire and papal subdcn., to receive fruits of his benefices for 5 years while non-resident and engaged on his studies, providing that his archdcnry. and churches with cure of souls were served by fit persons, 15 Oct. 1256 (CPL I 338). Occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire 4 Nov. 1258 (CPR 1258- 66 p. 2).

Hervey of Boreham

Can. of Hereford by 1271; preb. of Ewithington (list 15). Occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire 9, 13, 17 and 19 Aug. 1271 (CUL Addit. 3021 fos. 209v, 210r, 218r- v); prec. by 25 March 1272 (list 3).

M. James of Aigueblanche

Had regained archdcnry. by 17 Sept. 1277 when bp. Thomas de Cantilupe summoned him to appear before him; the summons was not effective and was repeated in Nov. of that year (Reg. Cantilupe pp. 137, 150). Cantilupe accused James of pluralism 25 Apr. 1278 (ibid. p. 141, though the year is given, evidently in error, as 1276) and sequestrated the income which James had enjoyed from benefices in the dioc. of Hereford 31 May 1278 (ibid. p. 168); on 30 Apr. 1280 he sequestrated James's revenue from the archdcnry., his preb. (here termed de castro, presumably another name for the preb. of Cublington which James is known to have held), and his portion in the church of Ledbury (ibid. pp. 241-2). Cantilupe instructed his official to give M. John de Bitterley sentence of deprivation to be transmitted to James 23 June 1280 (ibid. p. 245). James was referred to as d. in 1283 (J. P. Chapuisat, 'Le chapitre savoyard' p. 51, without reference). Although he had been deprived of the archdcnry, his obit, celebrated 2 Oct., refers to him as archdcn.: 'Magistri Iacobi archidiaconi Salopeschir" (app. 1 fo. 39r). Preb. of Cublington (list 12).

M. Adam de Fileby

Occ. first as can. (list 36). Coll. to the deanery by bp. Thomas de Cantilupe 1280, but coll. void because John of Aigueblanche won his case to retain it (list 2). Occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire 31 Aug. 1280 (Reg. Cantilupe p. 253); occ. simply as can. of Hereford 25 March 1281 (ibid. p. 254); occ. as archdcn. of Shropshire 14 Aug. 1281 in a document of 27 Nov. 1282 (Hereford ch. no. 2797); occ. as archdcn. 31 Aug. 1282 (ibid. no. 1414). Last occ. 29 March 1287 as can. of St Martin le Grand, London (ibid. no. 1809), but retained archdcnry. of Shropshire until his d. (see next item). D. by 15 June 1287 when his preb. of Bartonsham was given to Gilbert de Swinfield (Reg. Swinfield p. 526; list 8).

John de Bestan

Coll. to archdcnry. of Shropshire, vacated by the d. of M. Adam de Fileby, 6 Sept. 1287 (Reg. Swinfield p. 526). Res. the archdcnry. 1 Aug. 1289 before the abp. of Canterbury (ibid. p. 227). Preb. of Huntington (list 20; see also list 18).

John de Swinfield

Occ. previously as can. and preb. of Withington Parva (lists 35, 36). Coll. to the archdcnry. of Shropshire vac. by the res. of John de Bestan 20 Oct. 1289 (Reg. Swinfield p. 528). Became treas. 21 March 1293 (list 4); later prec. and preb. of Putson Major (lists 3, 31).

Roger of Canterbury

Coll. to the archdcnry. of Shropshire 21 March 1293 (Reg. Swinfield p. 529). Preb. of Hinton and Preston (lists 18, 30). Was made treas. 15 Jan. 1300 (Reg. Swinfield p. 531).

M. Philip Talbot

Coll. to the archdcnry. of Shropshire 27 Jan. 1300 (Reg. Swinfield p. 532; 2 Fasti II 6; see also list 28).