Pagina:Annales monastici Vol IV.djvu/53

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PREFACE. xlv bury. The bishop had a very strong interest in this place,^ and one of his objects was to annex the churches in his gift to those prebends. To this the prior and convent would not agree, as interfering materially with their interests. In the l)ull which they obtained on the question from Pope Nicholas IV., the grievance is stated as follows : — " Ec sic tandem esedem ecclesise non im- " mediate, prout debent, ecclesise Wygornise prsedictse " subjaceant, sed dictse ecclesi?e de Westbury, cui eas " contulit, mediate, ac per consequens priori et capitulo " memoratis jus instituendi et destituendi rectores " quod, ut prfedicitur, in eisdem sede Wygorniae vacante " obtinent, subtrahatur.'"' The point seems to be that, if the l)ishop carried out his scheme, there would be seculars instead of regulars in the collegiate church of Westbury. The bishop's first attempt was made in 1288 (p. 496), The above-mentioned bull was obtained by the priory in 1289 ; it is dated Rom. xv. kal. Mali, anno 2, and arrived on September 1 (p. 498). It is addressed to the abbats of Reading and Wigmore, and the precentor of Wells ; but, as it was not " bullata," the judges appointed refused to act, and a second was soon after sent with the leaden bulla, directed to the bisliop of London, the abbat of Reading, and Geoffrey de Veterano canon of Cambray, as judges.^ This was heard before the judge at Reading on Nov. 8. It was to have been considered on Feb. 3 ; but the judge delegate (the dean of Evesham) was absent, and sent an excuse. The question then came before the king's council ; the arguments of the priory were heard, ' In later times the bishops of shire, p. 803. About the college at Worcester seem to have had a great Westbury, see Tanner, Notitia Mo- aflfection for Westbury. Bishop Carpenter (1443), who is buried there, had an inclination to be styled " Bishop of Worcester and " Westburj." Atkyns's Gloucester- connected with it in pp. 51-54 VOL. IV. d nastica, Gloucestershire, xxxii. 2 See Thomas's Worcester, Ap- pendix, p. 50. The bull is No. 63, p. 49. There are other documents