Archdeacons: Lewes

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 5, Chichester. Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 1996.

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'Archdeacons: Lewes', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 5, Chichester, (London, 1996) pp. 23-25. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1066-1300/vol5/pp23-25 [accessed 17 March 2024]

LIST 9 ARCHDEACONS OF LEWES

ARCHDEACONRY

The four E. Suss. deaneries of Dallington, Hastings, Lewes and Pevensey, excluding exempt deaneries of Battle and South Malling (see Hudson, 'Ancient deaneries', cited above, list 8).

Not valued in 1291. For the revenues in 1535, see Valuation 1535 p. 163.

ARCHDEACONS

[M. Jordan de Melburne preb. unident., list 41

Not yet archdcn., occ. 1154 × 61, prob. 1154 × 55 (Acta no. 49). Perhaps archdcn. by June 1162, when he occ. as Jordan 'of Chichester', among those who fetched abp. Becket's pallium from pope Alexander III at Montpellier (Radulfi de Diceto... Opera Historica, ed. W. Stubbs (RS lxviii, 1876) I 307). First certain occ. as archdcn. of Chichester [diocese] 1164 (Materials for the History of Thomas Becket, ed. J. C. Robertson et al. (7 vols., RS lxvii, 1875-85) III 46). Listed by Herbert of Bosham among the 'eruditi' of abp. Thomas Becket, as 'cognomento de Meleburna' (ibid. p. 526; see also Mayr-Harting, in English Historical Review lxxviii (1963) 21). Also occ. as archdcn. 1154 × 4 June 1163 (Acta nos. 30, 31) and on two occasions together with Henry archdcn. of Chichester (list 8) before 13 July 1169 (Acta no. 29; Chart. Chichester no. 308). Dean from before 6 Oct. 1174 (list 2).]

[M. Jocelin preb. unident., list 41

Chanc., last occ. 25 March × 30 Apr. 1173 (list 5). First occ. as archdcn. of Chichester [diocese] temp. John bp-el., 1 May 1173 × 6 Oct. 1174 (Cart. Oseney, ed. H. E. Salter, IV (Oxford Historical Soc., xcvii) 338-9). Identity with nephew of bp. Hilary and chanc. established by ch. recording gift for his uncle's soul (Chart. Chichester no. 385). Occ. frequently as archdcn. of Chichester [diocese], but as he occ. together with archdcns. Matthew (Acta no. 58) and Silvester (ibid. no. 101), he was clearly the predecessor of Eustace de Leveland, who was certainly archdcn. of Lewes (below). Royal justice (see R. V. Turner, The English Judiciary in the Age of Glanvill and Bracton, c. 1176-1239 (Cambridge, 1985) pp. 19, 301 etc.). Also canon of Salisbury (1 Fasti IV 123; and see ibid. p. 35 for his companion and probable kinsman, Richard of Wilton). Held church of Mundham in name of Boxgrove priory 15 Jan. 1179/80 (Acta no. 60). Last certain occ. Sept. 1199 (Pipe Roll 1 John pp. 125, 189), and perhaps still alive Sept. 1202 (ibid. 4 John p. 139; cf. ibid. 2 John p. 245 and 3 John p. 84). Died by Sept. 1203 (ibid. 5 John p. 194).] (fn. 1)

Eustace de Leveland (fn. 2) preb. Aldingbourne, list 10

First occ., as E. archdcn. of Lewes, together with S[ilvester] archdcn. of Chichester, temp. bp. Simon, 11 July 1204 × 21 Aug. 1207 (Chart. Chichester no. 339). Occ. frequently with territ. title, usually as E. or Eustace. (fn. 3) Royal clerk (cf. Cal. Charter Rolls II 34). Last occ. 8 and 25 June 1228 (Close R. 1227-31 p. 56; Pat. R. 1225-32 p. 193) and 11 June 1229 (Chart. Chichester no. 42; cf. above, Dating). Chanc. from soon after 11 June 1229 (list 5).

M. Reginald of Winchester (fn. 4) preb. unident., list 41

Bp.'s official, not yet archdcn., occ. 31 Jan. 1229 (Chart. Chichester no. 44). First occ. with full name and title soon after 11 June 1229 (ibid. no. 210; for the date, see above, Dating), and as Reginald archdcn. 1 March 1232 (Cat. Ancient Deeds V no. A/11537; cf. Chart. Sele no. 39). Occ. several times. Also bp.'s official 24 Feb. 1236/7 (Chart. Lewes II 110). Last occ. Nov. 1239 (Cat. Ancient Deeds IV no. A/8010). D. by 3 March 1244 (CPR 1232-47 p. 421). (fn. 5)

Robert Passelewe preb. Mardon, list 26

Preb. of London (1 Fasti I 35, 65, 78). Appointed archdcn. of Lewes by royal collation, sede vacante, 5 March 1244 (CPR 1232-47 p. 421). El. bp. of Chichester 1244, but el. quashed (list 1). Royal collation to preb. of Salisbury 1246; also royal clerk (1 Fasti IV 94). Rector of Barrington (Cambs.) Apr. 1249 (cart. Chatteris: BL, Cotton MS Julius A. i fo. 112r). Made a papal chapl. 20 March 1251 (Reg. Innoc. IV no. 5187, cal. CPL I 269). Died as archdcn. 6 June 1252 (Chron. Maj. V 299).

Simon of Climping preb. unident., list 41

Canon by 14 Apr. 1247, still 6 Oct. 1251 (list 41). First occ., as Simon archdcn. of Lewes, temp. bp. Richard, before 3 Apr. 1253 (Chart. Chichester no. 838). Occ. frequently. Occ. with full name and title several times (ibid. nos. 66, 241-2, 638, 825, 985). Last occ., as S. archdcn. of Lewes, 27 Dec. 1271 (Walcott, Statutes p. 222). Presum. related to John of Climping, successively archdcn. of Chichester (1242-47), chanc. (1247-54), bp. (1254-62) (lists 8, 5, 1; also 41).

Henry preb. unident., list 41

Occ. once only, 19 Oct. 1272 × 5 Apr. 1279 (Chart. Chichester no. 637). (fn. 6) Possibly to be identified with M. Henry of Chichester, who occ. as canon 29 June 1267 (ibid. no. 638; preb. unident., list 42).

M. Godfrey de Pecham preb. unident., list 41

Occ. several times: first occ. as Master G. archdcn. of Lewes [June] 1279 (Reg. Pecham I 2); also occ. as Master Godfrey archdcn. of Lewes 10 Aug. 1282 (ibid. II 190) and as Master G. de Pecham archdcn. of Lewes 26 Sept. 1283 (ibid. II 132). Presum. resigned archdcnry., but still alive, occ. as rector of Pagham (archiepiscopal peculiar, W. Suss.) 14 June 1286 and Dec. 1287 (ibid. I 50, 241). Almost certainly related to John Pecham (Patcham, E. Suss.), abp. of Canterbury (1279-92) and to Clement de Pecham, unident. preb. (list 42) (D. L. Douie, Archbishop Pecham (Oxford, 1952) pp. 2, 50).

M. Thomas of Bersted preb. unident., list 41

Canon by c. 1275 (list 41). Occ. as archdcn. of Lewes three times: 1 Aug. 1284 (Reg. Pontissara II 413); c. 1285 (Chart. Chichester no. 1022); and 18 July 1287 (ibid. no. 911). Became dean by 26 Sept. 1296, when allowed to retain church of Bury (W. Suss.), which he had held as archdcn. of Lewes (Reg. Winchelsey I 139- 40), but prob. dean by 1 July 1296 (list 2).

Next archdcn. of Lewes is M. Thomas de Cobham, appointed 4 Apr. 1301 (2 Fasti VII 13).

Footnotes

  • 1. For Thomas vice-archdcn., see preb. unident., list 42.
  • 2. In Acta p. 213, Mayr-Harting suggested the possibility that between M. Jocelin and Eustace de Leveland the archdcnry. of Lewes was occupied by M. John of Leicester, who attested a ch. of the earl of Leicester as 'archidiacono de Loueix' between Aug. 1203 and Jan. 1204 (Reg. Antiquissimum of Lincoln, ed. C. W. Foster and K. Major (10 vols., Lincoln Rec. Soc., 1931-73) III no. 872). But 'Loueix' should be identified as Lothian in Scotland (St Andrews dioc.), where John of Leicester officiated from 1200 to 1211: see Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae Medii Aevi, ed. D. E. R. Watt (St Andrews, 1969) p. 309; also Reg. Antiquissimum of Lincoln VI p. xxv, and The Life of St Hugh of Lincoln, ed. D. L. Douie and H. Farmer (reprinted OMT, 1985) II 231-2. John 'the Archdeacon' who attested a ch. for Lewes c. 1205, cited by Mayr-Harting (Chart. Lewes II 118), appears so low in the order of witnesses that it must be doubted whether he was an archdcn.: it seems more likely that he was a layman with the family name 'Archdeacon'.
  • 3. A royal writ dated 1 May 1208 is erroneously addressed to 'S. archdcn. of Lewes', Rot. Litt. Pat. p. 82a; cf. list 8, for the contemporary archdcn. of Chichester, Silvester.
  • 4. 'de Wintonia'.
  • 5. I have found no trace of William de Lughteburg, who is given in John Le Neve, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, corrected by T. D. Hardy (3 vols., Oxford, 1854) I 262, as occurring on 14 Jan. 1240/1, wrongly citing Patent Roll 25 Hen. III.
  • 6. Temp. dean William of Bracklesham and treas. Nicholas of Pagham, lists 2, 6.