Matthew
the Archdeacon of Bath, 1333-1342
Niall
C. E. J. O’Brien
Introduction
In the first half of
the fourteenth century a person called William de Valencenis served for a time
as archdeacon of Bath in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Little is known of the
early life of Matthew de Valencenis. He was considered a Frenchman with possible
connections to the Earls of Pembroke by some historians.[1] There
is as yet no clear evidence of any connection with the Earls apart from
comparing their two surnames. The Earls of Pembroke up to 1324 had the surname
of de Valence and were French. But they came from central France whereas
Matthew de Valencenis came from modern north-east France which in medieval
times was not France. Thus Matthew de Valencenis may not have seen himself as
pure French because he came from the County of Hainault.
Hainault
Matthew de Valencenis took
his name from the town of Valenciennes which lies in north-east France on the
Scheldt River. From 1070 it was situated in the County of Hainault. In 1299
John II, Count of Hainaut, succeeded to the County of Holland and the two
places were joined under the Avesnes dynasty until 1345 when the male line died
out and the area became part of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1326 Philippa of
Hainault, daughter of Count William I of Hainault was promised in marriage to
Edward, Duke of Guyenne, and son of King Edward I of England. They were first
married by proxy in her home town of Valenciennes in October 1327 and married
in person at York Minster in January 1328.[2] It
is possible that Matthew de Valencenis came to England with the young queen.
Matthew
de Valencenis in England and Scotland
Matthew de Valencenis
first appears in the record books in 1330 when he was connected with the court
of Princess Joan of Scotland. In 1330 Matthew de Valencenis had the sponsorship
of Joan, Queen of Scotland for a church position in England. He is described as
her clerk. Queen Joan was the daughter of King Edward II of England and his
wife, Isabella, daughter of King Philip IV of France. She was born in the
summer of 1321 in the Tower of London.
Following the coup by
Queen Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer, Joan was offered to the Scots as
part of a peace treaty. Her husband to be was the four year old David, son of
King Robert the Bruce. In July 1327 she passed into Scotland. Although Joan is
described as Queen of Scotland in the papal letters of 1330 she was not
actually crowned queen until 24th November 1331.[3]
Matthew
de Valencenis arrives in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
On 8th
November 1330 de Valencenis got a papal mandate to receive a canonry at Wells with
the reservation of a prebend in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The Abbot of
Dunfermline, the Prior of Newburgh, and Master Richard de Erjum, canon of York,
were to make good the provision.[4] It
seems that Matthew de Valencenis did get the canonry but not the prebend.
Another cleric to get a
papal mandate in the same November was Soerus de Valencenis who was almoner to
Queen Joan. By her sponsorship he was granted a canonry and prebend in the Diocese
of Salisbury.[5]
This connection with Salisbury would help give comfort to Matthew de Valencenis
many years later when his time in the Diocese of Bath and Wells came to an end.
We have no notice of the activities, if any, of Matthew de Valencenis as a
canon in Wells cathedral.
In the summer of 1333
Matthew’s anonymous career came to an end as he entered the full light of the
record books. His exposure was not in Wells cathedral but in the sister
cathedral of the diocese at Bath. In mid-September 1333 Ralph de Shrewsbury,
Bishop of Bath and Wells, visited the cathedral church of Bath. There he met
the prior and monks of the monastery before moving on to Keynsham Abbey the
following day. Although Thomas, Prior of Bath, had received mandates from
Bishop Ralph we have no indication that the position of Archdeacon of Bath
formed part of these instructions.[6]
Yet there was much
activity around the archdeaconry between mid-June and mid-September. Henry de
Sandwich was appointed Archdeacon of Bath in February 1309, earlier in the
episcopate of Bishop John de Drokensford. It appears that Henry de Sandwich
held the position until his death or shortly before his death. By 14th
June 1333 the archdeaconry was vacant while on 5th July 1333 de
Sandwich is described as lately deceased.[7]
Matthew
de Valencenis becomes Archdeacon of Bath
Shortly after the
archdeaconry became vacant Matthew de Valencenis stepped into the position on
the basis that the position would satisfy his papal mandate to receive a
prebend. De Valencenis was only given a canonry at Wells cathedral up until
that time. Bishop Ralph objected to this move and ordered Matthew de Valencenis
to desist from the occupation of the archdeaconry of Bath.
With no time wasted
Matthew de Valencenis appealed to the Canterbury and the archbishop’s court. On
12th September 1333 the official of the court wrote to Bishop Ralph
that he was to desist from any moves against Matthew de Valencenis pending the
appeal. Bishop Ralph was further ordered to appear before the Canterbury court
in early November.[8]
Before the bishop
appeared at court Matthew de Valencenis had withdrawn his appeal. The reason
for the withdrawal is not given. A letter from the official of the Canterbury
court to Bishop Ralph on 15th November 1333 dismissed the bishop
from appearing at court.[9]
Bath Cathedral:
source = cplondon.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/the_history_behind_bath_abbey
Improved
relations between the Bishop and the Archdeacon
Relations between
Bishop Ralph and Matthew de Valencenis appear to have improved over the
following months and years yet no formal collation of the archdeaconry to
Matthew appears to have been made. In August 1334 Bishop Ralph wrote to the Archdeacon
of Bath to execute an order from Edward III for an enquiry of any
ecclesiastical benefices occupied by aliens. This also included non-English
people if no outer worldly aliens could be found. Similar letters were sent to
the Archdeacons of Taunton and Wells.[10]
In February 1335 a
letter to Bishop Ralph from the papal nuncio, Bernard Sistre stated that the Archdeacon
of Bath owed £15 for the Peter Pence collection in the benefices within the
archdeaconry. Matthew de Valencenis was not alone in his late return as the Dean
of Wells owed £100.[11]
In July 1335 Master
John de Everdon, Canon of Wells died and his prebend of Combe Two became thus
vacant. By standard practice those canons without a prebend but who had letters
granting them a prebend were offered the vacant prebend. Bishop Ralph wrote to
the official of the deanery of Wells that papal letters of Pope John XXII were
issued, at various times, to Sir Matthew de Valencenis, Master Thomas de
Aungeruill, Benedict Boni of Florence, Thomas de Cruce, William de Nueport,
Thomas de Honsyngore, William de Colby, Master John de Ildeslegh and Master
Philip de Daventre to have a canonry and prebend at Wells but none accepted the
vacant prebend.
The official of Wells
was instructed to cite Matthew de Valencenis and the other eight to appear in
the chapel of the Blessed Mary near the cloister of Wells cathedral on Saturday
after the Nativity of the Blessed Mary (8th September) to show their
right to the prebend.[12]
It is not recorded if any of the named people turned up or who eventually got
the prebend. The prebend of Combe Two was valued at ten marks of which the
vicar received two marks.[13]
In November 1336 Master
John de Bokelonde, official of the Archdeacon of Bath made an oath that he
would satisfy William Cammel for five marks from the next issues of the Archdeaconry
of Bath.[14]
In September 1337 the
king ordered the Bishop of Bath and Wells to convene a conference at Wells of
all the prelates and clergy of the diocese to discuss the expenses for restraining
the French King and the Scots. The Archdeacon of Bath was to bring all the
abbots, priors, rectors and others beneficed in his archdeaconry to Wells for
mid-September. Mathew de Valencenis was also to appear at the conference.[15]
Early in 1338 the Archdeacon
of Bath was instructed to induct Aylmer le Botiler to the church of Kingston
Seymour.[16]
This seems a normal activity for the Archdeacon, who was by the late 1330s accepted
as archdeacon, even if Bishop Ralph and others were unhappy with the office
holder. But the dark clouds of trouble were beginning to come.
The
beginnings of trouble for Matthew de Valencenis
In July 1339 a royal
writ was issued to Bishop Ralph of Bath and Wells to cause Matthew de
Valencenis, Archdeacon of Bath, to come before the royal justices to answer a
debt to Robert de Tonge, clerk, for £100. Nothing further happened with this
writ until September. At Wookey in that month Matthew de Valencenis swore to
preserve Bishop Ralph from any loss.[17]
No mention was made of settling the debt. On 23rd October another
writ was sent by John de Stonor to Bishop Ralph to cause Matthew de Valencenis
to appear concerning the £100 of debt which was still outstanding.[18]
As no further writs
were issued for the £100 it would seem that the matter was settled. Yet the
affair had reawakened old tensions between Bishop Ralph and Matthew de
Valencenis. Over the winter months questions were raised about the legality of
Matthew’s position as Archdeacon of Bath. Unrecorded arguments were made with
both sides battling for position. On 25th January 1340 Bishop Ralph
conceded defeat by getting his official to write to Matthew de Valencenis. The
letter allowed Matthew to excise the position of archdeacon by himself or
through a deputy in the manner accustomed. Although the letter gave Matthew
formal authority as archdeacon, Bishop Ralph reserved the authority to make
future changes.[19]
Matthew
comes under pressure as Archdeacon of Bath
After January 1340
Matthew de Valencenis should have finally settled down to the good life. But it
appears he went over the top with enjoyment and his enemies saw blood. On 17th
January 1341 Matthew de Valencenis appeared before the bishop’s official at the
bishop’s manor of Blakeford. He was charged with the crime of incontinency with
Matilda Vakerel for which he pleaded guilty. As punishment he was to abstain
from the office of archdeacon of Bath for one year and pay a fine of 100 marks
towards the fabric fund of Wells Cathedral. One of those present at the hearing
was William Cammel, public notary, and one of Matthew’s creditors in 1336 as
noted above.[20]
Announcing punishment
was one thing; implementation was another. We are told that Matthew de
Valencenis could not execute the office of archdeacon for one year yet in early
July he was still in office and his presence was accepted. In that month he
presented Stephen Sage to the vicarage of Staunton Drew, a parish in the gift
of the archdeacon. This appointment was accepted by Bishop Ralph without any
notified objections and Stephen Sage became vicar.[21]
As in earlier occasions,
Matthew de Valencenis was slow in paying his debts. A warning letter was issued
on 2nd July 1341 giving Matthew ten days to pay the 100 marks to
Stephen Tripp, proctor of the dean and chapter of Wells. Shortly after, Matthew
de Valencenis came to the church at Chyw where he answered that he would pay
the money. But no money followed the promise. On 17th July Stephen
Tripp reported to Master John de Middleton, commissary for Bishop Ralph de
Shrewsbury that no money was received. Without further delay Matthew de
Valencenis was excommunicated.[22]
This should have been a
terrible blow for Matthew de Valencenis but the man from Hainault was not to be
blown over easily. Early in July, at the same time as he was promising to pay
the fine, Matthew had sent an appeal to the archbishopric court at Canterbury
and to the Pope in Rome. Matthew told the Pope how he had peacefully and
quietly held the archdeaconry of Bath with the jurisdiction of same. But now he
feared for his position and wanted papal authority to confirm the archdeaconry.
The official of the
Canterbury court wrote to Bishop Ralph on 14th July 1341 that Matthew
was not to be disturbed from his position while an appeal was at the papal
court. Bishop Ralph was to avoid all actions against Matthew de Valencenis.[23]
On 7th
November 1341 the official of the Canterbury court sent a letter to Master John
de Middleton, commissary of Bishop Ralph saying that Matthew had quietly and
peacefully possessed the archdeaconry of Bath but feared the security of his
position and had appealed to the Pope. The official cited Middleton for
pretending to be a commissary for Bishop Ralph and fining Matthew de Valencenis
100 marks. The official inhibited Middleton and Bishop Ralph along with the
dean and chapter of Wells from taking any further action against Matthew.[24]
The affair with Matilda
Vakerel seems not to enter the story or the excommunication but the 100 marks
is all important. A number of appeals by other clerics made to the Canterbury
court against the Bishop of Bath and Wells and his officials around the same
time suggest a battle of authority within in the diocese.[25]
We are not sure what
happened to Matthew’s appeal to Rome but no papal letter seems to have come
from it. His appeal to the Canterbury court did not progress satisfactorily. In
March 1342 the commissary for the official of the Canterbury court wrote to
Master John de Middleton, commissary for Bishop Ralph, that Matthew de
Valencenis had withdrawn his appeal to the Canterbury court.[26] A
separate document in May 1342 tells us that Matthew de Valencenis was under a
sentence of excommunication.[27]
Matthew
de Valencenis is forced out of Bath
By September 1342 a
deal was negotiated between the two sides. On 29th September Matthew
de Valencenis resigned from the Archdeaconry of Bath and the annexed parish
church of Staunton Drew. These were confirmed on Master Walter de Hull who
became the new archdeacon. Matthew de Valencenis was given Walter’s old
positions of the sub-deaconry of Wells and the attached church of Wookey.[28]
It was in that same church at Wookey in 1339 that the chain of events would
begin which ended Matthew’s career as Archdeacon of Bath.
St. Peter's church at Langley Burrell, Wiltshire
Matthew
leaves the Diocese of Bath and Wells
Matthew de Valencenis
didn’t stay long in his new junior position. He had few friends in Wells
Cathedral and little prospect of any promotion. On 5th December 1342
he left the Diocese of Bath and Wells for the Diocese of Salisbury where his
countryman had become canon back in 1330. Matthew took up the position of
rector of the parish church of St. Mary of Langele Bourel (Langley Burrell,
just north of Chippenham, Wiltshire) on the presentation of Sir John de la
Mare, knight. The former incumbent at Langele Bourel, William de Lavyngton,
took up the position of sub-dean at Wells.
At his collation
William de Lavyngton swore to indemnify the bishop of Bath and Wells against
any writs obtained, or to be obtained, by Matthew de Valencenis in the King’s
court. William further declared that he would never go against the authority of
the bishop and would reside in the church as was the custom. The last point
would suggest that Matthew de Valencenis was a non-resident cleric.[29]
We have no direct evidence to prove or disprove this point. The overall
evidence would suggest that Matthew may not have resided at Wells as a canon of
Wells was supposed to do. Yet he must have stayed in the vicinity of Bath for
much of his time as archdeacon to keep the position without any formal
collation.
Walter de Hull served
for many years as Archdeacon of Bath and took up the prebend of Combe Two that
Matthew de Valencenis had turned down. In 1353 John Power succeeded Walter as Archdeacon
of Bath along with the canonry at Wells and the prebend of Combe Two.[30]
Shortly after leaving
the Diocese of Bath and Wells, Matthew de Valencenis swore to preserve Bishop
Ralph from prosecuting writs.[31]
Matthew’s new parish of Langley Burrell was only about 16 miles north-east of
Bath and so not too far away from the area he knew well. Here he should have
got some respite from uncertainty but such was not the case.
Matthew
at Langley Burrell
Within a year of
Matthew’s arrival in Langley Burrell, the owner of the manor, John de la Mare,
decided to sell the manor along with the advowson of the parish church to Sir
Thomas de Berkeley of Berkeley Castle. The first deed of transfer was made on 4th
September 1343. Sir Thomas de Berkeley quickly moved in to his new property and
made changes. On 5th November 1343 he presented Richard de
Malmesbury to the church of Langley Burrell, with the assent of John de la
Mare.
There was no mention of
Matthew de Valencenis in these transactions and it is unknown by what means the
church at Langley Burrell became vacant so fast. Maybe there was a disagreement
about what had happened as in the final deed of transfer (27th
January 1344) of the manor to Sir Thomas de Berkeley, John de la Mare kept the
advowson out of the sale. The advowson had earlier been part of the sale.[32]
After these events at
Langley Burrell our knowledge of Matthew de Valencenis goes cold. Did he died a
natural death sometime after or did the coming Death Black take him from our
view? Maybe Matthew de Valencenis returned to Hainault as the Hundred Years War
between England and France made people of French nationality feel uncomfortable
on the wrong side of the Channel. Perhaps at some future day we may again meet
the Archdeacon of Bath and tell another Canterbury Tale from the Lady of Bath.
[1]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, 1329-1363 (Somerset
Record Society, Vol. 9, 1896), p. xlii
[4]
W.H. Bliss (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Letters relating to Great Britain and Ireland, Volume II, 1305-1342 (Stationery
Office, London, 1895), p. 338
[5]
W.H. Bliss (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Letters relating to Great Britain and Ireland, Volume II, 1305-1342, p. 333
[6]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, nos. 593, 594
[7]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, nos. 579, 583
[8]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 616
[9]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 628
[10]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 695
[11]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 999
[12]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 935
[13]
Dom Aelred Watkin (ed.), Dean Cosyn and
Wells Cathedral Miscellanea (Somerset Record Society, Vol. 56, 1941), p. 15
[14]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1094
[15]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, nos. 1275, 1277
[16]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1199
[17]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1451
[18]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1458
[19]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1584
[20]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1590
[21]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1617
[22]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1590
[23]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1619
[24]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1627
[25]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, nos. 1625, 1628, 1662
[26]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1653
[27]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1656
[28]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1680
[29]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1690
[30]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, nos. 2811, 2812
[31]
Thomas Scott Holmes (ed.), The register
of Ralph of Shrewsbury, Bishop of Bath & Wells, no. 1690
[32]
Bridget Wells-Furby (ed.), A catalogue of
the medieval muniments at Berkeley Castle (2 vols. Bristol &
Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, 2004), Vol. 1, pp. 541-2
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