DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6886#0217
WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 185
Henley had a long contest with the king's treasurers*, concerning the right to
visit the hospital of St. James-f-, which originated in the following circumstance.
Several abbots had officially visited this hospital; but as some of them had been
treasurers to the king, it was insisted that they had acted in their lay character, and
not as conventual dignitaries. It was pleaded, on the contrary, by Henley, that
several abbots of Westminster, who had not been treasurers, and, in particular,
his immediate predecessor, had not only visited there, but formed regulations,
corrected abuses,, and directed punishments for offenders.
In June, 1342, the trial came on to a hearing, and the jury gave a verdict
for the abbot, on the grounds that the hospital was within the parish of St. Mar-
garet, where the abbots had the sole and an immemorial jurisdiction, confirmed
to them by certain bulls of Pope Clement III.; and because the abbots had
exclusively exercised every kind of visitatorial power in it. But this verdict was
not conclusive; for the treasurer contrived to prevent any judgment being given
upon it, and prolonged the suit beyond the lives of the persons who commenced
it. It has indeed been represented that the next treasurer, William de Edynden,
taking advantage of the indolent disposition of the succeeding Abbot Byrcheston,
deprived the abbey of the long contested claim}:.
It may be observed, that from this verdict, which is still on record§, Stow and
other modern writers have taken the history of this hospital. From them we
learn, on this authority, that it was first founded, and endowed with two hides of
land, by some citizens of London who held them of the abbots of Westmin-
ster, for fourteen leprous maids; but the names of the benefactors, and the time
when they formed this charitable establishment, are no longer known. They also
* Flcte.
+ Appendix, No. V.
X Bibliolh. Cotton. Cleopatra, A. 16.
§ Niger Quaternus, fol. li>7.
Vol. I. Bb
Henley had a long contest with the king's treasurers*, concerning the right to
visit the hospital of St. James-f-, which originated in the following circumstance.
Several abbots had officially visited this hospital; but as some of them had been
treasurers to the king, it was insisted that they had acted in their lay character, and
not as conventual dignitaries. It was pleaded, on the contrary, by Henley, that
several abbots of Westminster, who had not been treasurers, and, in particular,
his immediate predecessor, had not only visited there, but formed regulations,
corrected abuses,, and directed punishments for offenders.
In June, 1342, the trial came on to a hearing, and the jury gave a verdict
for the abbot, on the grounds that the hospital was within the parish of St. Mar-
garet, where the abbots had the sole and an immemorial jurisdiction, confirmed
to them by certain bulls of Pope Clement III.; and because the abbots had
exclusively exercised every kind of visitatorial power in it. But this verdict was
not conclusive; for the treasurer contrived to prevent any judgment being given
upon it, and prolonged the suit beyond the lives of the persons who commenced
it. It has indeed been represented that the next treasurer, William de Edynden,
taking advantage of the indolent disposition of the succeeding Abbot Byrcheston,
deprived the abbey of the long contested claim}:.
It may be observed, that from this verdict, which is still on record§, Stow and
other modern writers have taken the history of this hospital. From them we
learn, on this authority, that it was first founded, and endowed with two hides of
land, by some citizens of London who held them of the abbots of Westmin-
ster, for fourteen leprous maids; but the names of the benefactors, and the time
when they formed this charitable establishment, are no longer known. They also
* Flcte.
+ Appendix, No. V.
X Bibliolh. Cotton. Cleopatra, A. 16.
§ Niger Quaternus, fol. li>7.
Vol. I. Bb