Precentors of Wells

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7, Bath and Wells. Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 2001.

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'Precentors of Wells', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 7, Bath and Wells, (London, 2001) pp. 12-15. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1066-1300/vol7/pp12-15 [accessed 24 March 2024]

LIST 4 PRECENTORS OF WELLS

PRECENTORY

Combe St Nicholas (Som.) conf. by bp. Robert to Reginald prec., as he had been coll. by his uncle bp. John (so before 1122), with prov. that after Reginald's d. it was to form three prebs. and the precentory (EEA X no. 46, for which see below, app. 1). Manor of Combe conf. to precentory in perpetuity by bps. Reginald 1174 × 91 and Savaric Lent 1195 × 8 Aug. 1205, saving the three prebs. (EEA X no. 261). Prec. still held Combe 1206 (Curia Regis Rolls IV 13).

Precentory lost Combe and gained church of Pilton 4 March 1208 (Cal. Ch. Rolls V 25). For Combe prebs. see also below, lists 18-32. For preb. Pilton, see below, list 50.

Valuation 1291 precentory £45 13s 4d (Taxatio p. 199b).

PRECENTORS

Reginald

First certain occ. 1146/7 (EEA X no. 24; cf. ibid. no. 46, for which see below, app. 1). Occ. several times. Held preb. Combe from before 1122 (EEA X no. 46, and see below, introduction to lists 18-32). Last occ. holding one and one-fifth knights' fees of bp. [Lent 1166] (EEA X no. 35). Nephew of bp. John of Tours and brother of archdcn. John, so son of Hildebert, bp. John's steward (Historiola pp. 23-4; EEA X no. 46, for which see below, app. 1; lists 1, 9).

Ilbert or Albert

Occ. three times only: as Ilbert prec. twice c. 1174 (EEA X no. 175; Mon. Ang. IV 400 (xi)), and as Albert prec. 6 Oct. 1174 × 29 Sept. 1175 (EEA VIII no. 186). Prob. held preb. Combe (cf. below, introduction to lists 18-32).

William

Occ. 1175 × 18 Nov. 1184, together with [M.] William de Sancta Fide (EEA X no. 176). Perhaps also occ. c. 1182 or c. 1185 (Reg. S. Osmundi I 268) and 1176 × 86 (EEA X no. 150), but these occs. may belong to [M.] William de Sancta Fide (below).

William cantor Wellensis who was commem. at Durham (Liber Vitae Dunelmensis, [ed. A. H. Thompson] (Surtees Soc. cxxxvi, 1923) fo. 45) might have been either William (above) or M. William de Sancta Fide (below).

M. William de Sancta Fide

Can. prob. from before 1164 (unident. preb., list 67). First occ. as prec. with full name before 21 Dec. 1188 (EEA X no. 147), and as William prec. Oct. 1187, sent to Rome with Peter of Blois archdcn. of Bath, by abp. Baldwin (Epp. Cant. no. 135 p. 107). Chanc. of abortive secular chapter at Coventry, occ. Dec. 1190 × 18 Jan. 1198 (EEA XVII no. 6). Occ. several times, mostly as William prec., but with full name 1 Dec. 1201 (Cal. I 48). Last occ., as William prec., at el. of bp. Jocelin, early 1206 (below, app. 2 no. 2), and with full name Trinity Term 1206 (Curia Regis Rolls IV 163, 195-6).

M. Ralph of Lechlade

Can. (unident. preb.), archdcn. [of Taunton] (lists 67, 12). Occ. as Ralph prec. 8 March 1208 (Chart. Glastonbury I 67) and 28 May 1206 × Dec. 1209 (Cal. I 480). Occ. with full name and title 28 May 1206 × Dec. 1209 (ibid. II 553 (no. 37); cf. Chart. Bath II 16 (no. 70)). Dean by Dec. 1209 (list 3).

Thomas of Tournai

Can. prob. from before 27 Nov. 1191 (unident. preb., list 67); succentor, occ. 8 March 1208 and 28 May 1206 × Dec. 1209 (list 8). Occ. as prec. five times: 1209 × 16 July 1217 (Cal. I 58), 2 Oct. 1213 (ibid. p. 490), c. 1214 (ibid. II 550 (no. 21)), before Jan. 1215 (Sarum Chs. p. 75 (no. 93)), and after 14 Jan. 1215 (Cart. Bruton no. 107). (fn. 1)

Unnamed prec. appd. judge-delegate 16 Jan. 1216 (Letters of Innocent III no. 1047).

William de Hammes (Hanam) (fn. 2)

Clerk, occ. 28 May 1206 × Dec. 1209; perhaps can. when occ. with bp. Jocelin in exile 13 Nov. 1212 (preb. Pilton, list 50). Not yet prec. when occ. 1214 (Curia Regis Rolls VII 238). First certain occ. as prec. 16 July 1217 (Chart. Bath II 21 (no. 103)) and 28 May 1217 × 27 May 1218 (Cart. Bruton no. 65). Occ. several times. Last occ. 29 March 1220 at Lincoln (Reg. Antiq. Linc. II nos. 358, 362 = Acta of Hugh of Wells no. 134) and before 25 Apr. 1233 (Cal. II 553 (no. 35)). (fn. 3)

R-

Occ. as prec. twice: 1238/9 (Winchester College Muniment 2132) and [19 Apr. 1245] (Cal. I 121).

M. Henry Tessun (fn. 4)

Archdcn. of Bath from before 7 May 1238, last occ. 2 July 1246, and had been succeeded by 19 Jan. 1247 (list 10). First occ. as prec. 6 July 1247 (Cal. I 126). Occ. frequently. Also can. of Salisbury from before 20 Sept. 1220 (1 Fasti IV 65). Last occ. as prec. c. 23 Apr. 1252 (Cal. I 132) and 15 Aug. 1252 (below, app. 3 no. 3 F). Built altar of Holy Saviour in Wells cath. before Feb. 1252 (Cal. I 400). D. by 10 Jan. 1255, commem. at Wells 13 Aug. (ibid. pp. 1-2). Brother of Nicholas Tessun, archdcn. of Bath (list 10).

M. Gilbert of Bytham (fn. 5)

Can. by 2 Feb. 1248 (unident. preb., list 67). First occ. as M. Gilbert prec. of Wells 28 Dec. 1255 (Salisbury Cath. Libr. Liber Evidentiarum C. 398) and with full name and title 5 March 1260 (below, app. 3 no. 4 G). Occ. several times. Also preb. of Salisbury by 3 Sept. 1262 (1 Fasti IV 63). Last occ. 11 Sept. 1262 (Rot. Gravesend p. 11). D. by 18 Jan. 1263 (CPR 1258-66 p. 242). His anniversary, linked with that of M. Robert de Ford, mentioned (Chart. Glastonbury III 718).

M. Thomas of Bitton

Occ. as prec. once only, having res. by March 1268 (Cal. I 104; cf. CPR 1266- 72 p. 330 = Cal. I 109, which refers to a period some time before 12 Apr. 1269). Also preb. of York, coll. 16 Oct. 1272 (1 Fasti VI 80, 83). Archdcn. of Wells by 1 Oct. 1270 (list 11).

Richard of Bitton (fn. 6)

Can. by 10 Aug. 1251 (unident. preb., list 67). Succentor by 15 Aug. 1252, last occ. 8 Jan. 1267 (list 8). First occ. as prec. 29 Sept. 1269 (Chart. Glastonbury II 448). Perhaps the unnamed prec. who occ. 2 March 1273 (ibid. III 715). D. before May 1277 (Cal. I 114; cf. ibid. p. 148). A relative of bp. William of Bitton I: ch. concerning bp.'s chantry at the altar of St John the Baptist in St John's hosp. (ibid. II 575 (no. 134) = I 531). Commem. ? 25 Jan. (Cal. I 114; cf. ibid. II 12; but cf. II 12, 14, 15 for Midsummer Term).

M. Philip de Stanton (fn. 7)

Can. by 23 Jan. 1275, bp.'s official and vicar-general 12 May and 19 Sept. 1278 (unident. preb., list 67). First occ. as prec. and vicar-general while bp. abroad, ? 1278 (Chart. Bath II 86 (no. 419)); as prec. 4 Apr. 1279 (Chart. Bath II 99 (no. 504) = Cart. Muchelney no. 21). Occ. several times. Charged with pluralism and ordered to res. church of Welford [on Avon, Glos.] 10 March 1283 (Reg. Pecham II 244). Can. of Llandaff; el. bp. of Llandaff 1287, but qua. (cf. CPL I 519 = Reg. Nic. IV nos. 3397-3402). Last occ. as prec. 30 Jan. × 2 Feb. 1293 (Canterbury Cath. Libr. Reg. Q fos. 60r-61r), as can. 18 Oct. 1294 (CPR 1292-1301 p. 122). D. as prec. by 27 May 1295 (Reg. Winchelsey I 38; cf. Cal. I 163).

M. Thomas de Gorges

Can. of Wells by c. Nov. 1292 (unident. preb., list 67). First occ. as prec., being ord. dcn. by bp. of Winchester 17 Dec. 1295 (Reg. Giffard (Worc.) II 465). Occ. frequently. Last occ., not called prec. but prob. still in office 21 May 1316 (Reg. Droxford fo. 95r). D. as prec. before 8 March 1317 (Reg. Drokensford p. 124; cf. Reg. Droxford fo. 12v).

Footnotes

  • 1. Temp. W[illiam of Bardney] archdcn. [of Wells], list 11.
  • 2. ? Ham in Wellington, conf. to bp. Giso by kg. Edward Confessor May 1065; see Keynes, 'Giso' app. I no. 9.
  • 3. Temp. M. Lambert subdean, list 7.
  • 4. For his career, see Biog. Ox. III 1856.
  • 5. Lincs.; see 1 Fasti IV 63 n. 1. For his career, see ibid.
  • 6. Richard de Kent, who is given in Le Neve/Hardy I 170 as occurring in 1274, citing cart. Glastonbury fo. 81, has not been traced in any of the surviving carts. of Glastonbury: perhaps this is an error for Richard of Bitton. No trace has been found of John, said to have been prec. in 1274, Le Neve/Hardy I 170, citing no authority.
  • 7. For his career, see Biog. Ox. III 1763. He was a fellow student of John Pecham, abp. of Canterbury; see Reg. Pecham II 244.