3 - THE DIOCESAN BISHOP

Summary

HEREFORD 1317–1327

Adam Orleton's was no ordinary episcopate. As we have seen, its early stages were disrupted by frequent missions abroad, and when these came to an end with the bishop's alleged involvement in rebellion, there ensued the loss of his temporalities and some lengthy periods of exile at the Hereford chapter's rectory of Shinfield in Berkshire. In the circumstances it is remarkable that so much routine business was accomplished and equally remarkable that we know what we do about it, for the episcopal records were carried off by an over-zealous royal yeoman, John of Towcester – a fact which may account for some of the irregularities in the latter part of the register which has come down to us. More than twenty years later the then bishop, John Trillek, who had been only too well aware of his uncle's misfortunes, returned a royal writ to the effect that he did not have access to Orleton's registers, which had been stolen and never recovered. This despite the fact that Orleton had issued a commission – to be found among the entries for 1325 – for the absolution of the perpetrator of this sacrilege.

Having made profession of obedience at Canterbury and received his spiritualities, Orleton presented his bulls of promotion to the king at Nottingham. Despite his earlier irritation, Edward is said to have received him cordially (‘benigne’) and writs for the livery of the temporalities were issued on 23 July 1317.