Archdeacons: Norwich

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 2, Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces). Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 1971.

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'Archdeacons: Norwich', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 2, Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces), (London, 1971) pp. 62-64. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1066-1300/vol2/pp62-64 [accessed 23 April 2024]

ARCHDEACONS OF NORWICH

William I

First certain occ. as archdcn. [Oct. 1126 × Feb. 1127] (Reg. Holme 1 no. 124), but may occ. earlier, [June 1121 × ?Oct. 1122] (Camb., King's Coll. Muniments B/5) (fn. 1) and [June 1121 × 1135] (B.M., Topham ch. 3). (fn. 2) Last occ. 18 May 1148 (Cheney, Eng. Bps.' Chanceries p. 154). Occ. as archdcn. of Norwich several times, but may mean of Norwich dioc. Occ. as archdcn. of Norwich, however, in context of city of Norwich, and may be territorial title, 20 March 1144 (Life of St. William of Norwich, ed. A. Jessopp and M. R. James (Cambridge, 1896) p. 17). Also suggestive of seniority among archdcns. are occs. as sole archdcn. in company with bp., e.g. 25 May 1130 (Misc. D. M. Stenton p. 162) and 19 May 1148 (Cheney, Eng. Bps.' Chanceries p. 154). Frequently, but not invariably, has precedence over other archdcns. (e.g. H.M.C., Lothian MSS. (1905) p. 40; Norwich, Reg. IV p. 28; but contrast Reg. Holme 1 no. 124). (fn. 3)

[?Ralph

Occ. once only, not certainly archdcn., but together with Roger and Walkelin, archdcns. respectively of Norfolk and Suffolk, who also occ. here without titles, after 1146 (cart. of Blythburgh: B.M., Add. MS. 40725 fo. 16v). If Ralph was an archdcn., he was prob. archdcn. of Norwich, because he occ. together with Roger and Walkelin, archdcns. respectively of Norfolk and Suffolk, at a time when Baldwin [of Boulogne] was archdcn. [of Sudbury].] (fn. 4)

[Philip

Presum. not appd. until after 28 March 1155, when still called abp.'s chanc. (T. Madox, Formulare Anglicanum (1702) no. 138; cf. Cheney, Eng. Bps.' Chanceries pp. 29-31). First occ. as archdcn. [1157 × 61] (Saltman, Theobald nos. 35, 83-4) and prob. 1160 (Gerv. Cant. 11 288). Also occ. [?Jan. 1161] (cart. of Castle Acre: B.M., Harley MS. 2110 fos. 112v-113r) and before 1164 (Newington Longeville Charters, ed. H. E. Salter (Oxfords. Record Soc. iii) no. 122). Occ. as archdcn. of Norwich, but may mean of Norwich dioc. Presum. archdcn. of Norwich, because occ. during the period when Roger, Walkelin and Baldwin [of Boulogne] were archdcns. respectively of Norfolk, Suffolk and [Sudbury].]

[William II (fn. 5)

First occ. as archdcn. before 1168 (Reg. Holme 1 no. 86; cf. ibid. no. 94, of [1158 × 68]). Last occ. 1178/9 (H.M.C., Various Collections iv (1907) 317). Occ. as archdcn. of Norwich, but may mean of Norwich dioc. Presum. archdcn. of Norwich because occ. together with Roger and Steingrim, successively archdcns. [of Norfolk] (Reg. Holme 1 no. 94; H.M.C., Various Collections iv (1907) 317), and with Walkelin, archdcn. of Suffolk (Reg. Holme 1 no. 86; H.M.C., Various Collections iv (1907) 317), during the period when William son of Humphrey and Baldwin [of Boulogne] were successive archdcns. of Sudbury.]

Thomas

First occ. as archdcn. 1181/2 (cart. of Castle Acre: B.M., Harley MS. 2110 fo. 125r-v). Last occ. 6 Aug. 1198 (First Reg. Norw. p. 86) and [June 1198 × Dec. 1199] (Innocent III, Cal. Letters no. 178). Certainly archdcn. of Norwich (Rot. Chart. p. 74b). (fn. 6)

Geoffrey de Burgh

Royal coll. in succession to Thomas, sede vacante, 14 Aug. 1200 (Rot. Chart. p. 74b). Bp.-el. of Ely 1215-19 (above p. 46). Also can. of Salisbury and treas. of Exchequer. Archdcn. until became bp. of Ely, el. between May and June 1225, cons. June (see above p. 46).

Luke the chaplain

Royal coll., sede vacante, 9 Nov. 1226 (Pat. R. 1225-32 p. 91). In dispute with John of Ferentino, before 22 June 1228 (see below). Presum. to be identified with Luke the chapl., senior clk. of royal wardrobe, chanc. of Lichfield, dean of St. Martin le Grand, preb. of London, who became abp. of Dublin, el. before 13 Dec. 1228, cons. after 30 Apr. 1230 (see Fasti 1066-1300 1 (1968) 70), and perhaps previously chapl. of Pandulph, bp. of Norwich (see T. F. Tout, Chapters in the Administrative History of Mediaeval England 1 (Manchester, 1920) 195 and n. 1).

M. John of Ferentino (fn. 7)

Papal prov.; in dispute with Luke before 22 June 1228 (Pat. R. 1225-32 p. 191). First occ. 17 Feb. 1229 (Reg. Greg. IX no. 271). Last occ. 29 Jan. 1238 (Cal. Papal Letters 1 (1893) 235, incompletely pd. in Reg. Innoc. IV no. 3337). (fn. 8) Also papal chamberlain (cf. Reg. Greg. IX no. 3302).

M. William de Suffield (fn. 9)

Occ. without title 21 Feb. 1246, in entourage of Walter de Suffield, bp. of Norwich (1245-57) (Norwich, Reg. IV pp. 104-5). First occ. as archdcn. 15 Aug. 1248 (cart. of Castle Acre: B.M., Harley MS. 2110 fo. 133r). Last occ. 25 Feb. 1252 (ibid. fo. 134r).

Unnamed archdcns. of Norwich occ. 21 May 1253 (Reg. Innoc. IV no. 6748) and 24 July 1255 (Reg. Alex. IV no. 655).

M. Thomas de Skerning (fn. 10)

First occ. Jan. 1273 (Norwich, Reg. IV pp. 311-13). Last occ. 20 Oct. 1289 (Reg. Pontissara 1 33-4). Presum. transf. to archdcnry. of Suffolk by May or June 1291 and d. between Nov. 1296 and March 1301 (see below pp. 68, 95). Archdcnry. vacant 4 Feb. 1302 (Norwich, Norf. and Norwich R.O., Reg. J. Salmon fo. 7v).

Footnotes

  • 1. Temp. Everard of Calne, bp. of Norwich (above p. 55) and ?while Ralph d'Escures, abp. of Canterbury still alive (p. 3).
  • 2. Temp. Everard of Calne, bp. of Norwich (above p. 55) and Richard [de Bello Fago] archdcn. of Suffolk (below p. 67).
  • 3. 'Gilbert' who appears in Landon's list as archdcn. of Norwich (Archdcns. p. 21) did not exist: there appears to have been a misreading of Norwich, Reg. V fo. 23v, where William archdcn. occ.
  • 4. Landon, Archdcns. p. 20 gives, as a second possible occ. of Ralph, the 'Bad.' archdcn. who occ. [1148 × 53] (cart. of Walden: B.M., Harley MS. 3697 fo. 40r-v), but as 'Bad.' is sole archdcn. here witnessing a deed relating to a church in archdcnry. of Sudbury, he is more likely to be Baldwin [of Boulogne] (below p. 69).
  • 5. It is not possible to identify William's family, but he had a brother called Jocelin (H.M.C., Various Collections VII (1914) 171-2).
  • 6. William of Ste.-Mère-Église occ. as archdcn. of Norwich 13 June 1196 (cart. of see of Canterbury: Lambeth Palace Libr., MS. 1212 p. 35), but this is almost certainly a mistake, a name having prob. dropped out of the witness-list of the charter.
  • 7. Italy.
  • 8. M. Simon de Cantilupo is said to have been coll. to this archdcnry. in 1240 (Ann. Dunstable p. 152). But this is a confusion with M. Simon the Norman, coll. to archdcnry. of Norfolk in 1237 (below p. 66 and see F. M. Powicke, King Henry III and the Lord Edward (Oxford, 1947) 11 772-3).
  • 9. ?Suffield, Norf.
  • 10. ?Scarning, Norf.
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