Morland
vicarage and the lost book
Niall
C.E.J. O’Brien
Introduction
The parish and church of Morland is
situated on the edge of the Eden Valley in the old County of Westmorland. It is
now within the modern County of Cumbria. The parish included the village and
civil parish of Morland along with the villages and civil parishes of King’s
Meaburn, Newby and Sleagill. [www. wikipedia.org/wiki/Morland,_Cumbria]
Morland village is twelve miles south east of Penrith in the old County of
Westmorland.
Map of the general area with Morland in the centre.
The parish was a vicarage in the Diocese
of Carlisle. For administrative purposes it was part of the deanery of
Westmorland. The parish paid 4 shillings in spiritual dues to the Bishop of
Carlisle. This was the average payment for parishes in that deanery. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332 (Canterbury & York Society & Boydell Press,
1993), no. 678, note 1, 842]
The parish was divided into a number of
different manors, the majority of which were owned by Robert de Clifford in the
second quarter of the fourteenth century. [J.E.E.S. Sharp (ed.), Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem
preserved in the Public Record Office (Kraus Reprint, Liechtenstein, 1973),
no. 531]
Another big landowner later in the century was John de Coupland. [J.B.W.
Chapman (ed.), Calendar of Inquisitions
Post Mortem preserved in the Public Record Office (Kraus Reprint, New York,
1986), no. 109] The present village of Morland is surrounded by
rolling hills with cattle, sheep and cereal farms situated among small woods
and forests. [http://www.morlandchurch.org.uk/morland/parish.htm]
The parish church of St. Laurence lies in
the centre of Morland village and the said village surrounds the graveyard on
three sides. The church is unique in Cumbria in possessing a Saxon tower. This
tower was built between 1041 and 1056. It was increased in height in 1588. The
nave and aisles date from the early and late 12th century,
respectively. The chancel and transepts were added in the 13th
century. [www.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Laurence%27s_Church,_Morland]
Morland church tower [photo from Wikipedia - Church of St. Laurence]
Robert
Boyvill, vicar of Morland
The first vicar of note at Morland was
Robert Boyvill. It is not known to this author when Robert was instituted as
vicar at Morland. The Benedictine Abbey of St. Mary’s at York had the patronage
of Morland parish along with six other parishes in the Diocese of Carlisle from
ancient times. St. Mary’s was one of the richest abbeys in the north of
England. [www.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary's_Abbey,_York]
In 1329 Robert Boyvill, chaplain, was
vicar of Morland but had grown tired of life in Westmorland County and the
vicar’s life. He asked for an upgrade. A patent roll was issued on 22 February
1329 from the king’s office presenting Robert to the rectory of Bolton-in-Allerdale,
Cumberland. [Calendar
Patent Rolls, Edward III, 1327-1330, p. 378]
The presentation of Bolton was then in the king’s hand after the forfeiture of
the estates of Sir Roger de Mowbray who had joined the Scottish rebels. [Calendar Patent Rolls, Edward II,
1313-1317, p. 185] Henry de Appleby was
then the rector of Bolton and an exchange of benefices was made. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, no. 163]
Robert Boyvill served for many years at
Bolton church without any notice of complaint. The church was a valuable
benefice as an inquest in 1342 reported its worth at £18. Robert Boyvill died
on 8 February 1342 and was replaced by John de Whytrigg, priest, on the
presentation of Sir Alexander de Mowbray. [R.L. Storey (ed.), The Register of John Kirkby, Bishop of
Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-1332,
nos. 651-2]
Henry
de Appleby, vicar of Morland
It is possible that Henry de Appleby was a
local man or had local connections. A few miles to the east of Morland is situated
the town of Appleby. A local item that Henry de Appleby would have been
associated with was the font in Morland church. The ancient baptismal font is
said to have been made around 1200. Even though the design and decoration of
churches change over time people usually retain the old font from the church’s
earliest days. In ways the baptismal font is the most important piece of
furniture in a church. It is where new members join the church and where
parents and others rejoice at the arrival of a new Christian into the world.
On 19 October 1332 Henry de Appleby, vicar
of Morland received a font of happiness in the form of a letter from John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle. Appleby had previously been cited to appear before
the bishop or his commissaries on the charge that he was living in concubinage
with Emma de Aula (Hall). This was contrary to the statutes of Otto and Ottobon
if not to many other statutes. The same statutes said elsewhere that abbots or
priors were not to allow their monks or canons regular to stay alone in manors
or churches. They were to recall the single cleric or provide a colleague.
Because it appears that St. Mary’s at York, the parish patrons, didn’t provide
a colleague for Rev. Appleby, Bishop Kirkby must have concluded that all
parties were at fault and decided to leave things as they were. Thus Bishop
Kirkby’s letter absolved Henry de Appleby from appearing at the bishop’s court.
[R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332 (Canterbury & York Society & Boydell Press,
1993), nos. 101, 677]
Yet there was still a cloud hanging over
Henry de Appleby. In the early months of 1334 Bishop Kirkby made a search of
the register of John de Ross, his predecessor as Bishop of Carlisle. There he
found the proper institution of Robert Boyvill as rector of Bolton and by
similar conclusion found Appleby as the proper vicar of Morland. Bishop Kirkby
then inscribed a certificate in his register confirming the proper procedure
and lifting the cloud of suspicion from Appleby’s shoulder. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, no. 163]
At the beginning of 1335 Henry de Appleby,
vicar of Morland, informed John Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle, that he was
suffering from gout and was unable to continue at Morland. The cloud over his
lifestyle and questions about his proper credentials to Morland made Appleby
seek another benefice. The talking clerics in the diocese of Carlisle convinced
Appleby that he didn’t just need a change of parish but a change of diocese.
Thus an exchange of benefices was arranged with Robert de Bury, Bishop of
Durham. [R.L. Storey (ed.), The Register of John Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the
Register of John Ross, Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-1332, nos. 247, 249]
South transept of Morland church [photo from Wikipedia - Church of St. Laurence]
Richard
de Havingdon, vicar of Morland
On 27 January 1335 a presentation was made
by Thomas, abbot, and the convent of St. Mary’s, York, of Richard de Havingdon,
vicar of the prebend church of Darlington, to the vicarage of Morland. On 28
February in the vicar’s hall at Darlington, Richard de Havingdon appointed
Robert de Elvyngton, chaplain, as his proctor in the exchange. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, nos. 246, 475, 248]
A few days later, on 4 March, in the
vicar’s hall at Morland, Henry de Appleby appointed Henry de Scorweton,
chaplain, as his proctor. This appointment was overseen by three witnesses,
namely; Master Robert de Suthayk, official of Carlisle, John de Carletoun, dean
of Westmorland and John de Hakthorp, notary. To have a notary in attendance was
a big thing as the Diocese of Carlisle was very short of notaries. The near
constant border wars with Scotland made Carlisle an unattractive place for
notaries to practice. In 1342 Bishop Kirkby admitted that he couldn’t issue a
legal instrument because he didn’t know where his register was. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, p. xiii, no. 249]
The two clerics then formally resigned
their benefices to their respective bishops. On 10 March 1335 Richard de
Havingdon, priest, was instituted as vicar of Morland. About the same time
Henry de Appleby, chaplain, was collated as vicar of the prebendal and
collegiate church of Darlington. On 11 March Bishop Kirkby issued a certificate
to Bishop Bury of Durham that the exchange had been fully affected. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, nos. 252-6]
Episcopal
visits
In June 1336 Bishop John Kirkby visited
Richard de Havingdon and Morland church. During that June Bishop Kirkby was
issuing various letters relating to the parish of Wigton, Cumberland, and the
patronage of the Abbey of Holm Cultram. Having spent the early half of the
month at the manor of Rose in Cumberland, Bishop Kirkby travelled to Kirkby
Thore church where he stayed on 17th June. By 20th June
Bishop Kirkby was at Shap in Westmorland. The following day, 21st June,
Bishop Kirkby was at Morland. While there he issued a mandate to the archdeacon
to induct the abbot and convent of Holm Cultram as rectors of Wigton. By 24th
June Bishop Kirkby was back at the manor of Rose. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, nos. 302, 308, 311]
Morland church [photo from Wikipedia - Church of St Laurence]
On 20th December 1337 Bishop
John Kirkby returned to Morland church to conduct a great number of
ordinations. This was a big day for the vicar, Richard de Havingdon, and the
local community. Eleven people were ordained as acolytes; seven people were
made subdeacons while eight people became deacons. There were at least two
people ordained as priests with the possibility of three or four more. The
folio recording this event in the episcopal register is partly cut off at the
place naming the ordained priests. [R.L. Storey (ed.), The Register of John Kirkby, Bishop of
Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-1332,
no. 425]
Richard
de Havingdon as vicar
We have little direct information on what
type of vicar Richard de Havingdon was but we can get an image of the man from
later entries in the archives. It seems that Richard de Havingdon settled in
comfortably to life in Morland because we find no document complaining about
his conduct. Documents speaking bad things of people survive better in the
archives than items of good news which still rarely enter the modern press.
Clerical
work outside Morland parish
As well as administrating to the
parishioners of Morland, Richard de Havingdon was sometimes called upon to aid
the administration of the diocese. On 9th October 1336 Richard
travelled to Appleby in Westmorland to attend a full chapter of clerics. The
chapter of five rectors and seven vicars under the direction of the official of
Carlisle discussed the resignation of the vicar of Barton and who was the proper
patron. They found no pension or title disputes relating to the vicarage and
approved the new vicar as a person of “good repute” and “suitable”. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, no. 326]
On 24th October 1336 Richard de
Havingdon was in Carlisle for a meeting of rectors and vicars from the deanery
of Westmorland. Without waiting for a full chapter meeting four rectors and
eight vicars met as a group to discuss the vicarage of Kirkby Stephen. The last
vicar had died and St. Mary’s at York had presented a new vicar but another
cleric occupied the vicarage by papal authority. The meeting found St. Mary’s
to be the true patrons and that the new cleric was a priest of good repute. The
financial position of the vicarage appeared to be in dispute but the meeting
did not reach a finding on this. [R.L. Storey (ed.), The Register of John Kirkby, Bishop of
Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-1332,
no. 341]
The
lost book
It would appear that Richard de Havingdon
was a vicar of good repute and a deeply religious man who sought out a better
understanding of God and Christianity. He possessed a book called a Journal for saying canonical hours. This
type of book was used by clerics associated with Durham where Richard first
served. Richard valued this book highly and carried it everywhere he went. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, no. 678] Other clerics would have left this book in
the parish church and gone off bird watching or other pursuits. At times
Richard should have followed their practice.
Sometime around 1342 de
Havingdon travelled the narrow country road to Penrith on some business, a
distance of about 12 miles. The modern country roads around Morland are
possibly no wider than in Richard’s day. We do not know if Richard walked the
journey or rode there or got a lift on a farmer’s cart. But somewhere along the
road or in Penrith, Richard lost his highly possessed book. He searched high
and low but it was nowhere to be found. With a heavy heart he returned home
without his book.
Later Richard de Havingdon told of his
loss to Bishop John Kirkby with a mournful face. The diocese of Carlisle did
not have many public notaries to record the episcopal registers in proper order
but they did include extra details not usually found in other such registers.
We can easily picture the scene of Richard with the mournful face. How often do
we get such a face when we misplace something of value and have no idea when
and where we lost it? [R.L. Storey (ed.), The Register of John Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the
Register of John Ross, Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-1332, p. xiii, no. 678]
A book in 1342 was a very valuable item
and not easily replaced. There was no local book shop or internet site from
where Richard could buy a new copy. The printing press was still sixty years
away from invention. In Richard’s time each book had to be individually copied
by hand. A canonical book of hours like what Richard de Havingdon had would
possibly also had fine illustrations accompanying the text and so make it more
difficult to copy a replacement and costly.
In response to Richard’s mournful face Bishop
Kirkby sent out a notice to all deans, rectors, vicars, parish priests and
celebrants about the circumstances of the lost book. It was ordered in all churches
that those who found the book, or have gained possession by fraud and concealed
it, were to restore it to Richard de Havingdon within eight days, under pain of
excommunication. [R.L. Storey (ed.), The Register of John Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the
Register of John Ross, Bishop of Carlisle, 1325-1332, no. 678]
We are not told if the book was ever
found. The absence of any further reference to it in the register of Bishop
Kirkby would suggest that it was recovered but as Mike Aston, of Time Team fame, said “The absence of
evidence does not mean the evidence of absence”.
Professor Mike Aston
The story of the lost book does provide us
with a presence of evidence not previously known. The Oxford English Dictionary said that such a book called a Journal was used in Durham as a
service-book in 1355-6. The story from Morland provides evidence of the book in
use over thirteen years before our previous information. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, no. 678, note 2] Thus a seemingly
aside story in an episcopal register adds to our knowledge of books in a way
that could not be possible by other means.
After
the lost book
We hear no more details on Richard de
Havingdon after the incident of the lost book in 1342. An entry in the
episcopal register records the vicar of Morland as attending a full chapter
meeting at Crosby Garret in July 1345 to discuss a new vacancy in the vicarage
of Barton. It is suspected that de Havingdon was still vicar of Morland at that
time. [R.L.
Storey (ed.), The Register of John
Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle 1332-1352 and the Register of John Ross, Bishop of
Carlisle, 1325-1332, no. 806] Later registers of
the bishops of Carlisle may continue the story but as yet I do not have them.
May be someday one or two more guests may enter my library and we are writing
again. But for now our story is concluded, if it can ever be said for a history
story to be concluded, because there is always new material to be found to
reinforce the story or change its character.
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The end
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