Reviews

( 187 ) REVIEWS. Registrum Roberti Winchelsey. Parts I., II., III. Transcribed and edited by Miss ROSE GRAHAM, P. R. Hist. Soc. The Canterbury and York Society, 1917—1925. Archbishop John Pecham died 8 Dec. 1292. On 13 Feb. 1293 the monks of Christ Church, Canterbury, elected to the primacy Robert Winchelsey, Archdeacon of Essex, and sometime chancellor of the University of Oxford. The King's consent arrived three days later, and the elect at once set off to Rome to obtain confirmation. On his arrival —three months later—he found the chair of St. Peter empty and the sacred college divided by the factions of the Orsini and Colonna families. Por more than twelve months the elect of Canterbury lingered on in Rome. At length the vacancy was filled by the election of Peter Morrone, the hermit pope, who, as Ccelestine V., publicly confirmed the election of Winchelsey 5 July 1294. The return journey, since there was war between England and Prance, had to be made by a circuitous route through Germany and Holland, so that it was not until 2 Peb. 1295 that Winchelsey was able to take the oath of allegiance to King Edward I., whom he found in camp at Conway engaged in quelling the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn, late prince of Wales, whose excommunication is the first act we find recorded in the archiepiscopal register. The transcribing and editing of the register is the work of Miss Rose Graham, who has performed her arduous task in a.n admirable manner. In a prefatory note the Editor reminds us that, as Archbishop Winchelsey took a leading .part in the constitutional struggles of the reigns of Edward I. and Edward II., his register contains valuable documents for the study of general history, as well as much interesting material for the study of the diocese and province of Canterbury. Perhaps to the majority of the members of our Society the latter class of documents will make a premier appeal. We propose, therefore, to confine our 188 REVIEWS. notice to a brief indication of the chief acts having reference to matters relating to the diocese. Sevenoaks.—On 14 April 1295 the Archbishop grants a commission to his official to enquire into the case of Thomas Capel, a clerk of the royal chancery, who claimed to have been presented to the rectory by the King during the vacancy of the See. Roger of Sevenoaks, the late rector, however, was still in possession of the benefice, and it was not until 20 Nov. 1296 that Thomas Capel could get institution. Rolvenden.—A similar, but more curious, case of disputed patronage occurred at Rolvenden. Stephen of Chertsey, a deacon, presented himself for institution to the rectory. The Archbishop subjected the candidate to an examination, and finding him somewhat deficient in learning (aliquantulum tenuis in litteratura), enjoined upon him a year's course of study at a university. Nevertheless he gave him institution (12 June 1295). Stephen's right to the benefice, however, was disputed by William, son of Sir Robert of Halsted, knight, on the plea thnt he had been presented by the King, who, as guardian of the lands of John of Sandwich, deceased, was the true patron. In the absence of his rival, who presumably was studying at some university, William intruded himself into the benefice and took possession of the tithes. Eor this act the Archbishop not only excommunicated William, but laid the parish of Rolvenden under an interdict. But later a commission of six rectors and six vicars of the neighbouring churches declared William to be innocent of the charges brought against him, with the result that the Archbishop was constrained not only to take off the excommunication and interdict, but to institute the said William of Halsted to the benefice. What happened to Stephen of Chertsey is not recorded. Staplehurst.—Thomas de Somery instituted on the presentation of John de Somery 22 June 1295. Milton next Canterbury.—Commission to induct Thomas de Schireburn, chaplain, to the rectory of Meleton, patron Sir Robert de Sevauns, knight, 28 June 1295. REVIEWS. 189 Canterbury Cathedral and Priory.—The Archbishop writes to the prior that at his recent visitation (6 Feb. 1296) he had noticed with sorrow a slackness amongst certain junior monks who do not take their share of divine service, and draws attention to the fact that the number of monks is less than it ought to be. In a postscript he adds that he has heard that certain monks who had been "gated" for misconduct had asserted mendaciously that he had remitted the punishment, for which crime the prior is directed to double the said punishment. Canterbury, St. Andrew's.—Symon, rector of St. Andrew's, who has been suspended from his office, is restored on condition of going to a university after celebrating mass in his church. Canterbury, St. Michael's, Westgate.—Commission to the commissary to enquire into the value of the church of St. Michael, Westgate; and the claim of the prior and convent of St. Gregory, Canterbury, to a yearly pension of eight marks from it. This is a puzzle; possibly Westgate is a mistake for Burgate. Sheppey.—Injunctions to be observed by the prioress and convent of Sheppey. (1 May 1296.) Thanet, All Saints' parish.—Declaration by the Archbishop's commissaries that North Street in the Isle of Thanet is in the parish of the chapel of All Saints. The church of All Saints and the church of St. Nicholas (at Wade) were chapels of the mother church of Reculver. That of All Saints has long since been destroyed. Hasted says it stood about one mile to the north of the church of St. Nicholas—in the neighbourhood of Shoart House. Aldington.—New ordination of the vicarage 3 Peb. 1295. Dover.—Mandate to the commissary to hold an inquisition at Dover into the death of a little boy who was injured by a shovel which a chaplain was carrying. (24 Sept. 1296.) Sandhurst.—Letters dimissory to Robert de Bardelby, sub-deacou, rector of Sandhurst, to receive orders from the hands of any bishop of the province. (5 Dec. 1295.) Tonge.—Mandate to the Dean of Sittingbourne to seques190 REVIEWS. trate the fruits in the rectory barns of Tonge until the repairs to the church and houses of the rectory chargeable to the estate of Gilbert, the late rector, have been executed. (6 Oct. 1296.) Snave.—Commission to William, rector of Sturry, to take custody of the fruits and church of Snaves on account of the weakness and ill-health of the rector, and to make provision for the spiritual care of the parish. (21 Oct. 1296.) Newchurch.—Ordination of the vicarage of Newchurch. John de Bertham, rector, and Thomas, vicar. (30 May 1297.) Friars.—Letter from the Archbishop, acting for the bishops and clergy of the province, to the Provincial Prior •of the Preachers in England, complaining that the Eriars •exceed their papal privileges, and thus subvert ecclesiastical •discipline. (22 Aug. 1297.) There are also similar letters to the Provincial Minister of the Eriars Minor and the Provincial Priors of the Augustinian Eriars, and of the Carmelites. (22 Aug, 1297.) Romney Hospital.—Mandate to Master Symon, rector of •St. Mary by Romney, and Master Thomas, rector of Bilbington, and the vicars of Lydd and Romney to hold an inquisition about the administration of the property of the hospital of Romney, aud especially into the conduct of the Lady of Snergate and of her son William, who is patron of the said hospital. (18 Jan. 1298.) Dover.—Mandate to the Dean of Dover to excommunicate .all those persons who took part in the assault at Dover on William the Archer, rector of Saltwood, and Robert of Glastonbury, rector of Cheriton. (25 Jan. 1298.) On 12 March 1298 a mandate was issued to the official of the Archdeacon of Canterbury to publish an interdict on Dover, etc. Lenham.—Mandate to the official of the Archdeacon to publish the sentence of excommunication against those persons who set on fire the church of Lenham. (27 Feb. 1298.) Lydd.—Commission to proclaim in the parish church of REVIEWS. 191 Lydd and neighbouring churches that fifteen men of Lydd (names given) are under sentence of excommunication for procuring the renewal of a charter prejudicial to the rights of the church of Canterbury. (12 June 1298.) Cliffe at Hoo.—Mandate to the Bishop of Rochester to publish sentence of excommunication at Cliffe and the neighbouring churches on all who assaulted the household and servants of Master John de Bestan, rector of Clyve, and now besiege them in the rectory. (Undated.) Orpington.—Mandate to the Dean of Shoreham to cite Reginald de Brandon, rector of Orpington, to appear before thij Archbishop to answer on what pretext he holds the rectory together with the church of Littlebury in the diocese of London. (Undated.) Reculver.—Settlement by the Archbishop of the contention between the vicar and the parishioners of Reculver about the custody of the offerings in a money box placed near the great stone cross between the church (nave) and chancel of the church of Reculver. The parishioners contended that the contents of this box were for the maintenance of the fabric of the church and chancel, and for the repair of the books, ornaments and vestments, and that they had sole control over the money thus collected. On the other hand, the vicar complained that the parishioners were in the habit of inducing people to place in this box their offerings at weddings, "churchings " of women and at burials, which offerings really belonged to him. The Archbishop ordered that the box should be provided with a lock having four different keys, of which one should be held by the vicar, two by two parishioners chosen by the parish, and the fourth by a parishioner of the church or chapel of Heme. Whenever the chest was opened it must be done in the presence of the vicar and some of the parishioners, who shall make a note of its contents, and entrust the money to two of the parishioners chosen by the whole parish, who shall expend it on the fabric and on necessary repairs to the books and ornaments, and once in every year render an account of their expenditure to the vicar and parishioners. 192 REVIEWS. Concerning legacies and the maintenance of the seven lights in the chancel of the church, which were also matters of contention between the vicar and the parishioners, the Archbishop ordered that the two parishioners chosen by their fellow parishioners shall collect the offerings, maintain the lights, and render a yearly account, and that the vicar shall maintain six lights and two "processionals" in the chancel. (11 April 1296.) Penance.—Examples of penances inflicted for incontinency occur in this register with some frequency, and they are sufficiently severe. Thus the convicted adulterer (if he confessed the penalty was lighter) had to submit to three floggings through the market and as many round his parish church. On sorcerers the church was still more severe, since conviction of the crime meant no less than six floggings in the market and a like number round the church (see p. 102). * * * * * * We hope that these notes, though they are by no means exhaustive, even within the narrow limits to which we have confined our survey, may at any rate direct the attention of our members to the value of this register for the study of the ecclesiastical history of the period, and remind those engaged in compiling parochial histories of the wealth of material which lies ready to hand in the publications of the Canterbury and York Society. C. E. W. Sir John Morden and his College. By A. E. MARTIN HARVEY, with a Preface by Col. and Alderman SIR J. VANSITTART BOWATEB, BART., with a Supplement concerning a proposed by-pass road from Kidbrook to the Heath, with Hlustrations by E. B. HOYTON and MILNER GRAY. London: Published by the Morden Societj-, Blackheath Village, 1925. In this little pamphlet of 24 pp. Mr. Harvey gives a brief but interestiog sketch of the career of Sir John Morden, a Turkey merchant, who after experiencing some REVIEWS. 193 strange vicissitudes of fortune acquired wealth, and in the last decade of the seventeenth century built and endowed the College for " decayed merchants" which still bears his name. The original buildings were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and are good specimens of that great architect's work. The College has been enlarged in recent times, so that it now contains accommodation for forty pensioners, but has lost little of its original charm. I n the supplement Sir George Hume, Professor Armstrong, Professor Littlejohns, Professor de Montgomery, and Mr. Hubert Ord protest vigorously against a proposal to cut an arterial road across the Heath, on the ground that thereby the playing area would be much curtailed and the present amenities of the College destroyed, with which protest most of our members will probably concur. This little brochure is beautifully printed, and contains good drawings of the entrance to the College and of the Chaplain's Corner in the quadrangle. A fancy pot-trait of Sir John Morden, which forms the frontispiece, might with advantage have been omitted. The Twysden Lieutenancy Papers, 1583—1668. Edited with an Introduction by GLADYS SCOTT THOMPSON, M.A. Privately printed for the subscribers to the Record Branch of the Kent Archaeological Society, 1925. There is ambiguity about the above title which might have been avoided by calling the book " Sir Roger Twysden's MS. collections concerning the Lieutenancy of Kent." These collections are no longer in one depository. Some of -Sir Roger's papers are at Bradbourne, others are in the British Museum (Additional MSS. Nos. 34,147—78); a third, and the most important part, are in Lambeth Palace Library. Miss Scott Thompson has drawn upon all three sources for material for this book. Sir Roger Twysden of Roydon Hall in East Peckham (b. 1597, d. 1672) is renowned as much for his antiquarian and constitutional learning as for his loyal and exemplary life. Lambert Larking, who edited his VOL. xxxvin. o 194 REVIEWS. Journal for Archceologia Cantiana (Vols. I. to IV.), describes him as " a man of thorough independence of thought and action, equally opposed to the tyranny of one as to that of many. The invasion of the Constitution, from whichever side it came, at once aroused all his energies in its defence." Though he had refused ship-money and was as much opposed as Hampden himself to the encroachments of the Crown, he remained loyal to the King during the great struggle, incurring thereby the inveterate enmity of the Parliamentary Committee, which vented itself in imprisoning bis person and sequestrating his lands. On the restoration of the monarchy Sir Roger was one of the earliest gentlemen of the country to receive a commission of lieutenancy by beingnominated as deputy to the Earl of Winchelsea in a commission dated 1 August 1660. It was natural that the conferment of this honour should cause a man of Sir Roger's temperament to turn attention to the origin of the office. He had much material for its history at hand, partly in papers inherited from his grandfather and partly collected by himself, and it was his intention to write a history of the office. " I have," he writes in one of the Lambeth volumes containing his papers, " a n intention, God inabling me, to say somewhat of the first raising of Lord Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants." Unfortunately, owing perhaps to the pressure of other literary work, this intention was not carried out. It is, however, a matter for congratulation that his collections have at length found a competent editor. Miss Scott Thompson is a highly trained historical scholar with an acute perception of what is of real significance to constitutional history in the documents she handles. A photograph of Lambarde's " Carde " of the Beacons in Kent, reproduced from the copy of the 2nd Edition of his Perambulation in our Library at Maidstone, forms the frontispiece to this book. Twysden refers to Lambarde's Account of the Beacons (p. 72), but apparently had never seen the " Carde." He gives also an account of the guard maintained at the several signalling stations, whioh, however, vary considerably from those enumerated by Lambarde. REVIEWS. 195 Index of Wills proved in the Rochester Consistory Court, 1440— 1561. Compiled by LELAND L. DUNCAN, with Introductory Note and Bibliography (of Mr. Duncan's works) by F. W. COCK, M.D., F.S.A. Issued to the subscribers of the Record Branch of the Archaeological Society, 1924. This Index is a worthy monument of the industry of the late Leland Duncan and of the thoroughness which characterises all his literary work. That a man endowed with so much intellectual ability should have been engaged on a task which, however important, must always be to a great extent a mechanical one, we might be disposed to regret, had not Dr. Cock told us that the work was undertaken in spare half hours during brief recesses from office work, during which •short intervals tasks demanding serious intellectual effort -could scarcely have been undertaken. I n addition to the Index of Testators, there is one of Tlaces, by the aid of which the topographer can without •difficulty obtain references to all the wills relating to a particular parish. Moreover, since the wills of the clergy frequently contain bequests of special ecclesiological interest, a, list of the names of clerks whose wills are preserved at Rochester is added. The names in this list are scarcely so numerous as one might expect; and here it may be well to remind those who may have occasion to refer to this Index, that although a testator lived and died in the diocese of Rochester his will was proved in the Consistory Courts of the diocese only when the ivhole of bis estate lay within that •diocese; whenever part lay without the diocese the will was proved in the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop. Hence the wills of many of the more important people who lived ;.and died within the diocese of Rochester are not preserved in the diocesan registry, and consequently obtain no place in the present calendar. Dr. Cock in a prefatory note gives an admirable appreciation of the late Mr. Leland Duncan's good qualities, both -as a man and as an antiquary, and a useful bibliography of l i i s literary work. o 2 196 REVIEWS. Roman Folkestone.- A record of excavation of Roman Villas at East Wear Bay, with speculations and historical sketches on related subjects. By S. E. WINBOLT, M.A. Methuen, 1925. The publication of this monograph may be said to set the coping-stone to what must be regarded as a notable achievement. Mr. Winbolt, who for many years has been a classical master at Christ's Hospital, is also a Romano-British enthusiast who spends his vacations in tracking Roman roads and excavating Roman houses. He came to Folkestone for a casual holiday in August 1923, without any special knowledge of the district, but a hint from the Curator of the local museum directed his steps to the slope overlooking East Wear Bay, where his practised eye almost at once detected indications of a Roman settlement. A few trial holes convinced him t h a t here were the foundations of a Romano- British house of considerable extent. Ascertaining that the site was the property of the Corporation of Folkestone, Mr. Winbolt at once notified his discovery, pointing out that the investigation of the site, if carefully done, might be of considerable educational value, and possibly lead to the acquirement of antiquities which would be of much interest both to the inhabitants and to visitors to the town. With so much tact did Mr. Winbolt state his case, and so successful was he in impressing upon the local authority the importance of his find and his competence to undertake the work of excavation, that not only was the requisite permission granted, but an adequate staff of excavators was placed at his disposal. The confidence of the Municipality in Mr. Winbolt was not misplaced. In the short space of eight weeks a careful and thorough investigation of the site had been made, the foundations of the house laid bare, the objects of antiquity discovered deposited in the Folkestone museum, and arrangements made for erecting a permanent shelter for the protection of the more important parts of the site. Finally Mr. Winbolt has given us in this book a complete account of his researches, accompanied by many REVIEWS. 197 acute if not always quite convincing speculations—surely a remarkable achievement! The Roman villa at East Wear Bay, as laid down in the Plan (drawn by E. Nichols, M. Inst. C. E.), shows that it consisted of two ranges of buildings. The principal block, which faced seawards—towards ihe south-east—contained no less than thirty-three rooms and corridors, and was a long but narrow structure measuring 160 feet by 36 feet, with projecting wings at either extremity. In the central apartment of this block a tessellated pavement of geometrical design was discovered, but in a much mutilated condition. At right angles to the principal block of buildings and near its southern extremity, another range of buildings was discovered, the eastern end of which abuts upon the precipitous slope towards the sea. Both blocks had separate baths and hypocausts, and the secondary one was doubtless an annexe in which the servants were accommodated. For purposes of comparison Mr. Winbolt gives brief but instructive accounts of some of the chief Roman villas that have been discovered in the south of England, viz , Darenth, Chedwortb, Witcombe, Bognor, North Leigh, Brading and Woodchester. The Darenth villa, which was excavated in 1894—96 aud reported in Archceologia Cantiana, Vol. XXIL, though larger in area, contained not so many apartments as the Folkestone villa. Woodchester, which recently has been again uncovered, is larger still, and has a magnificent mosaic floor, 25 feet in diameter, adorned by many figures. But it is in the ground plan of the Roman villa of Nennig, near Treves, that Mr. Winbolt finds the closest resemblance to the Folkestone villa. He reproduces this plan in his book, and the general lay-out of the two buildings certainly is remarkably similar. Mr. Winbolt, however, need not have gone so far afield as Germany for his example. Two within the county of Kent might have been cited •exhibiting a ground plan not unlike that of the East Wear Bay villa, namely, the Roman villa at Hartlip, excavated by Willhini Bland about eighty years ago and reported in Roach Smith's Collectanea Antiqua, vol. ii., and that at 198 REVIEWS. Boxted in the parish of Lower Halstow, of which George- Payne gave a description in Archceologia Cantiana, Vol. XV. There is evidence, Mr. Winbolt states, iu the main buildingat East Wear Bay that an earlier but smaller house onceoccupied part of the site, the walls of which were constructed of tufa blocks laid on foundations of big flints and ironstone, while the later walls are of green sandstone laid in regularcourses and on footings of rounded sea-stones, and he suggeststhat the date of the reconstruction of the house dates from about A.D. 100, a conclusion which appears to be founded on the discovery of two coins of Domitian (A.D. 81—96), Antonine "Samian" ware, aud tiles bearing the stamp Glassis Britannica. But such evidence must be received with extreme caution. It is true that much progress has been made during the last twenty years in dating, with some degree of accuracy, the signed " Samian" ware,, towards which Messrs. Oswald and Price's Terra Sigillata is a valuable contribution. It would, however, be unsafe to • assign an early date to a building on the ground that a fragment of early " S a m i a n " was found within its walls,, since there is abundant evidence that the finer and earlier specimens of this ware were so much prized by their owners, that broken vessels were carefully rivetted together, and hence may have been preserved in the same family through several generations. Coins, too, may have had a sentimental intez-est to their owners, and for that reason may have been stored up long after the date of issue. The discovery of the tiles stamped CLASSIS DRIT' is of considerable archasological interest, since most of the tiles'- found at Dover, Lymjme, Pevensey and elsewhere bear merely the letters CL. BR., SO that there has been uncertainty as to whether these letters stood for Classis Britannica or for Classiarii Britannici. On one of the tiles found at East- Wear Bay the first word is mis-spelt CLASIS, suggesting, Mr. Winbolt thinks, a provincial pronunciation, or that of' some semi-barbarous auxiliary detachment serving in theneighbourhood. But this ingenuity is scarcely necessary toaccount for an omission due more probably to the carelessREVIEWS. 199 ness of the man who made the stamp. Concerning the organisation and employment of the Classis Britannica, we have not much certain knowledge. What is recorded of its activities by classical and other writers is conveniently summarised by Mr. Winbolt, who, however, in his chapters headed respectively, "The British Fleet in being" and " Life as lived in these Villas," allows considerable latitude in his imagination, his lucubrations reminding us of that old friend of our youth, Becker's Gallus. But since these speculations are the outcome of real scholarship we by no means resent their introduction, especially in a book which is intended to make appeal to a wide circle of readers. When we ask, as we are bound to do, what addition has been made to historical and archasological knowledge by Mr. Winbolt's researches, the answer is that not much which is actually new has been brought to light. The almost exclusive use of tufa in the walls of the earlier villa is unusual in Romano-British buildings. Among the smaller finds Mr. Winbolt mentions the following as seeming to be unique :— (i.) The circular brick stamp CLASIS BRIT. (ii.) The " Samian " potter's mark Sacroticus, hitherto unrecorded. (iii.) A number of earthenware bellows-nozzles. (iv.) A little bronze screw-bolt with its thread well preserved is also a rarity, if not a unique example. (v.) Two British (or Gaulish) copper coins inscribed SVE (on one followed by TUSD) which seem not to have been recorded before, and to indicate an unknown Celtic prince. The book contains good chapters on the Forts of the Saxon Shore, aud on the Roman roads of East Kent. He appears to have actually discovered the causeway which led' from Richborough towards Ash across the swampy ground to the west of the castrum. But we are almost inclined to suspect Mr. Winbolt of "leg-pulling" when he asks concerning Fleet Farm: "Why Fleet? Is this name the remnant of old tradition that once in the marshy inlet 200 REVIEWS. a Roman fleet could ride?" Surely the farm received its name in Saxon times simply from the fact that it was in close proximity to the fleet or shallow estuary separating Richborough from the mainland? The book contains twenty-one plates in addition to a number of illustrations in the text. Of the former perhaps the most notable is a view of the Villa site taken from the air by Mr. Manston, R.A.F., from which an excellent idea of its general lay-out may be obtained. The Index is somewhat meagre.