Bishops of St Asaph

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300-1541: Volume 11, the Welsh Dioceses (Bangor, Llandaff, St Asaph, St Davids). Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 1965.

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'Bishops of St Asaph', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1300-1541: Volume 11, the Welsh Dioceses (Bangor, Llandaff, St Asaph, St Davids), (London, 1965) pp. 37-39. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1300-1541/vol11/pp37-39 [accessed 18 March 2024]

In this section

MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL

National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth

Additional MS. 7011 D. St Asaph Llyfr Coch, sixteenth-century transcript.
SA/BR/1, 2. Registers of bps., 1536-58, 1558-1595.
SA/MB/14. St Asaph Memorandum Book.

Canterbury Cathedral Library

Registers A, Q, S, T.

Lambeth Palace Library

The registers of the archbishops of Canterbury from Reynolds to Cranmer, 1314-1555.

Somerset House

PCC: Registers of wills proved in the prerogative court of Canterbury.

BISHOPS OF ST ASAPH

M. Llywellyn ab Ynyr or de Bromfield 1293-1314.

Lic. el. gr. 23 Feb. 1293 (CPR. 1292-1301 p. 5). El. 9 March (Cant., Reg. A f. 313/357). Royal assent sought 18 Apr. (P.R.O., C 84/11/14), gr. 6 May (CPR. 1292- 1301 p. 12). El. conf. by prior of Canterbury 8 May (Cant., Reg. Q f. 50/65). Temps. 13 May (CPR. 1292-1301 p. 15). Cons. 17 May at Canterbury (Cant., Reg. A f. 313/357). D. before 25 Jan. 1314 (P.R.O., C 84/18/9).

M. Dafydd ap Bleddyn 1314-1345.

Lic. el. sought 25 Jan. 1314 (P.R.O., C 84/18/9). El. 23 June (Brut y Tywysogyon p. 123). Lic. el. gr. 18 July (CPR. 1313-1317 p. 160). Royal assent 7 Sept. (ibid. p. 170). Mand. by abp. 22 Sept. to examine el. (Lamb., Reg. Reynolds f. 111). Temps. 1 Nov. (CPR. 1313-1317 p. 190). Cons. 12/13 Jan. 1315 (Cant., Reg. A f. 313/357; Reg. S. de Gandavo, ed. C. T. Flower and M. C. B. Dawes (Canterbury and York Soc., xl, xli) 1 511). D. before 9 Oct. 1345 (CCR. 1343-1346 p. 656).

[John de Lincoln O.P. 1345.]

[M. Griffin Trefor D.Cn.L. 1345.]

M. John Trefor B.Th. 1346-1357.

K. requested chapt. at St Asaph to el. Lincoln, his confessor, as bp. 9 Oct. 1345 (CCR. 1343-1346 p. 656). Richard de Stafford, official of the Prince of Wales, came to Flint 19 Oct., met four canons of St Asaph and instructed them to meet him 20 Oct. for discussion about el. (Cal. Anct. Correspondence pp. 241-2). Letter from Prince of Wales read to canons s.d., canons stated that they would not have an Englishman as bp. (ibid.). Report by Richard de Stafford 6 Nov. that chapt. at St Asaph had held el. (ibid.). El. of Griffin Trefor by chapt. announced 24 Nov. (ibid. p. 240). El. not accepted, bpc. said to be vac. 12 Feb. 1346 (CCR. 1346-1349 p. 46). John Trefor prov. n.d., but received papal mand. 24 July instructing him to depart to dioc. of St Asaph after cons. by bp. of Ostia (CPL. 111 229). Temps. 21 Sept. (Black Prince's Reg. I 19). Profession to abp. of Canterbury 24 March 1353 (Cant., Reg. A f. 313b/357b). D. before 9 Feb. 1357 (Black Prince's Reg. 111 234).

[William de Spridlington 1357.]

M. Llywellyn ap Madog ab Elis 1357-1375.

El. of Spridlington requested n.d. by the Prince of Wales (Williams p. 126). Llywellyn el. by chapt. n.d., but prov. 19 July 1357 and el. by chapt. annulled (Lamb., Reg. Islip f. 218). Spir. 30 Oct. (ibid.). Cons. n.d. at Rome (R.S.A.). Mand. 9 Aug. 1359 to make profession to abp. (Lamb., Reg. Islip f. 152b). Profession to abp. 16 May 1360 (ibid. f. 159b). D. before 24 Nov. 1375 (Lamb., Reg. Sudbury ff. 23-23b).

William de Spridlington (again) 1376-1382.

Prov. 4 Feb. 1376 (Lamb., Reg. Sudbury f. 18). Profession to abp. 29 Apr. (ibid.). Spir. s.d. (ibid.). Cons. by abp. 25 May (ibid. f. 20). D. 9 Apr. 1382 (Lamb., Reg. Courtenay f. 313).

M. Lawrence Child O.S.B., Lic.Cn.L. 1382-1389.

Lic. el. gr. 19 May 1382 (CPR. 1381-1385 p. 115). Prov. 18 June (Lamb., Reg. Courtenay f. 315b). Cons. in Aug. (R.S.A.). Spir. 2 Oct. (Lamb., Reg. Courtenay f. 316). Temps. 20 Oct. (CPR. 1381-1385 p. 173). D. 20 Dec. 1389 (Lamb., Reg. Courtenay f. 173).

[M. John Trefor D.Cn. & C.L. 1390.]

M. Alexander Bache O.P., D.Th. 1390-1394.

Lic. el. sought 4 Jan. 1390 (P.R.O., C 84/34/37). Lic. el. gr. 13 Jan. (CPR. 1388- 1392 p. 176). Trefor el. n.d., k. gr. lic. 27 Feb. to go to curia for cons. unless Bache had been already prov. (ibid. p. 223). Bache prov. at k's request 28 Feb. (Lamb., Reg. Courtenay ff. 326-326b). Spir. 6 Apr. (ibid. f. 173). Temps. 28 Apr. (CPR. 1388-1392 p. 247). Cons. 8 May (R.S.A.). D. 13/15 Sept. 1394 (PCC 4 Rous).

M. John Trefor D.Cn. & C.L. (again) 1394-?, ?-1410.

Lic. el. gr. 15 Sept. 1394 (CPR. 1391-1396 p. 482). El. 3 Oct. (P.R.O., C 84/3/10). Prov. 21 Oct. (CPL. IV 481). Royal lic. to accept bpc. to which prov. 9 Apr. 1395 (CPR. 1391-1396 p. 563). Assent of parliament s.d. (Rot. Parl. 111 407). Temps. 6 July (CPR. 1391-1396 p. 593). Cons. at Rome n.d. (R.S.A.). Trans. to St Andrews (fn. 1) c. 1408 (Eubel 1 89 n. 10), spir. of St Asaph assigned to Thomas, abbot of Shrewsbury, 1408 (Lamb., Reg. Arundell 1 f. 451). Trefor restored to bpc. of St Asaph before 24 May 1410 (CPL. VI 207). Pope gr. Trefor s.d. four or more benefices in dioc. of Rheims, France, as he had received no money from bpc. for several years because of divers troubles in Wales (ibid.). D. before 16 July (ibid. pp. 198-9).

Robert of Lancaster O.Cist. 1410-1433.

Prov. 16 July 1410 (CPL. vi 198-9). Cons. 28 June 1411 by abp. at Lincoln (Lamb., Reg. Arundell 11 f. 130b). Profession and spir. s.d. (ibid.). D. 26 March 1433 (P.R.O., C 84/42/46).

M. John Lowe O.F.S.A., D.Th. 1433-1444.

Lic. el. sought 6 Apr. 1433 (P.R.O., C 84/42/46). Lic. el. gr. 26 Apr. (CPR. 1429- 1436 p. 262). Prov. 17 Aug. (Reg. Chichele 1 117). Temps. 17 Oct. (CPR. 1429-1436 p. 321). Lic. alibi cons. 19 Oct. (Cant., Reg. S f. 126/116). Mand. to restore spir. 21 Oct. (Reg. Chichele 1 117-18). Trans. to Rochester 1444.

M. Reginald Pecock D.Th. 1444-1450.

Prov. 22 Apr. 1444 (Lamb., Reg. Stafford ff. 15-15b). Temps. 8 June (CPR. 1441- 1446 p. 272). Cons. 14 June by abp. at Croydon, Surr. (Lamb., Reg. Stafford f. 15). Profession to abp. and spir. s.d. (ibid. ff. 15-15b). Trans. to Chichester 1450.

M. Thomas Bird O.P., D.Th. 1450-?

Prov. 27 March 1450 (CPL. x 509). Cons. probably 14 Feb. 1451 (R.S.A.). Depriv. c. 1463-temps. then in k's hands (Reg. Bourgchier p. 270). Custody of temps. gr. to Richard Caunton and James Stanley 11 March and 30 June 1465 (CPR. 1461-1467 pp. 428-9, 467).

M. Richard Redman O.Prem., M.A. Abbot of Shap. 1471-1495.

Lic. alibi cons. 13 Oct. 1471 (Cant., Reg. S f. 255). (fn. 2) Prov. 17 Aug. 1472 (CPL. XIII 1 316). Trans. to Exeter 1495.

M. Michael Diacre O.S.B., D.Th. 1496-1500.

Lic. alibi cons. 11 Jan. 1496 (Cant., Reg. S f. 404b). Cons. in England before 1 Feb., then called bp., not bp. el. (R.S.A.; CPR. 1494-1509 p. 46). D. before 10 March 1500 (Cant., Reg. S ff. 433-433b).

Dafydd ab Ieuan ab Iorwerth O.Cist. 1500-1503.

Lic. alibi cons. 10 March 1500 (Cant., Reg. S ff. 433-433b). Cons. by abp. 26 Apr. (R.S.A.). D. before 18 Dec. 1503 (Lamb., Reg. Warham 1 f. 3).

M. Dafydd ab Owain O.Cist., D.Cn.L. 1503-1513.

Prov. 18 Dec. 1503 (Lamb., Reg. Warham 1 f. 3). Lic. alibi cons. 31 Jan. 1504 (Cant., Reg. T ff. 442-442b). Cons. in Feb. (R.S.A.). D. 11/12 Feb. 1513 (PCC 23 Fetiplace; Lamb., Reg. Warham 11 ff. 268-268b).

M. Edmund Birkhead O.F.M., D.Th. 1513-1518.

Prov. 15 Apr. 1513 (Lamb., Reg. Warham 1 f. 16). Lic. alibi cons. 27 May (ibid. ff. 16-16b). Cons. by abp. at Lambeth 29 May (ibid. f. 16b). Profession to abp. s.d. (ibid.). D. before 9 Apr. 1518 (ibid. 11 ff. 269b-270).

M. Henry Standish O.F.M., D.Th. 1518-1535.

[William Bolton O.Can.S.A. Prior of St Bartholomew's, Smithfield. 1518.]

Standish nominated by k. 12 Apr. 1518 (L. & P. 11 ii No. 4074). Wolsey had nominated Bolton n.d. (ibid. No. 4083). K. promised 14 Apr. that would give some small preferment to Bolton because had already promised bpc. to Standish (ibid.). Standish prov. 28/29 May (Lamb., Reg. Warham 1 ff. 20b-21). Lic. alibi cons. 8 July (ibid. f. 21). Cons. 11 July by abp. at Otford, Kent (ibid. ff. 21-21b). Mand. to restore spir. 12 July (ibid. f. 21b). D. 9 July 1535 (Lamb., Reg. Cranmer f. 181).

[M. Fouke Salisbury M.A. 1535.]

M. William Barlow O.Can.S.A., D.Th. 1536.

Salisbury sent petition 10 July 1535 to Thomas Cromwell that might be gr. bpc. (L. & P. viii No. 1014). Not gr. as chapt. received lic. el. 7 Jan. 1536 (ibid. x No. 226 (4)). Barlow el. 16 Jan. (Lamb., Reg. Cranmer f. 181b). Royal assent 20/22 Feb. (ibid. f. 180b; L. & P. x No. 392 (45)). Conf. by abp. 23 Feb. (Lamb., Reg. Cranmer ff. 182b-183). Bp. of St Davids, el. 10 Apr.

M. Robert Wharton or Parfew O.Clun., B.Th. 1536-1554.

Lic. el. gr. 29 May 1536 (L. & P. x No. 1015 (36)). El. 8 June (Lamb., Reg. Cranmer f. 196). Royal assent 24 June (L. & P. x No. 1256 (47)). Assent of abp. 26 June (Lamb., Reg. Cranmer ff. 193b-194). Cons. 2 July by abp. at Lambeth (ibid. f. 197). Temps. 21 July (L. & P. xi No. 202 (42)). Bp. of Hereford 1554.

Footnotes

  • 1. Trefor's trans. to St Andrews can be considered a banishment from Wales as a result of his part in Owain Glyn Dwr's rebellion (Williams pp. 223-5). Alexander de Neville abp. of York, and Thomas Arundell abp. of Canterbury had similarly been exiled there in 1388 and 1397 after deposition and attainder (Le Neve, Fasti, 1300-1541, rev. ed., vi 4, iv 4). It is difficult to estimate how long Trefor was absent from St Asaph, as he was unable to obtain possession of St Andrews (Eubel 1 89 n. 10), but nothing is heard of him until 24 May 1410 when a papal mandate was addressed to him as bp. of St Asaph (CPL. vi 207). But he is said to have died 10 Apr. (R.S.A.). His place of residence between 1408 and his d. in 1410 is unknown. He could have been at the papal ct. or in hiding in Wales, or even in Scotland, as he had previously been employed as ambassador there by Richard 11 (Williams p. 219).
  • 2. Redman had papal lic. to retain the abbey of Shap and one other benefice in commendam with the bpc. 17 Aug. 1472 (CPL. xiii 1 316) and again 10 June 1485 (ibid. XIV 13).