XI.—Notes on the Buildings, Books, and Benefactors of the Library of the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Wells

C. M. Church

doi:10.1017/S0261340900014119

XI.—Notes on the Buildings, Books, and Benefactors of the Library of the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Wells

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 November 2011

C. M. Church

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In the thirteenth century Wells was a place of some educational equipment in connection with the cathedral church of secular canons, an academic town of the times. There was a school for choristers, there was also a schola grammaticalis of a higher grade under the chancellor's authority. Since bishop Jocelin's time in 1240, the chancellor, by the terms of his office, was required to give lectures on theology at stated times. There were many boys and many vicars choral and younger canons more or less under some education of the time. There were books for worship and for use of the canons, which required safe keeping. Records, registers, etc. were kept of the acts and statutes of the chapter, and copies were made of the charters and important documents, the originals of which were kept in the treasury, all which required a scriptorium.

Type: Research Article
Information: Archaeologia , Volume 57 , Issue 2 , 1901 , pp. 201 - 228

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261340900014119 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1901

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^{page 202 note a} R. 1, f. 126. “De hostiis aperiendis.”

^{page 202 note b} R 1, f. 216 in dors.

^{page 202 note c} R. 1, f. 97. On one occasion “in capella B.M. juxta claustrum,” in 1244.

^{page 203 note a} Annals of S. Paul's, 88–90.

^{page 203 note b} In 1536 the first-fruits of London were £1,000, Salisbury £1,385, Bath and Wells £1,843.

^{page 203 note c} Lord High Treasurer 1401, Feb. 27. Archdeacon of Dorset 1401, June. King's Secretary 1402, May 14. Keeper of Privy Seal, Master of the Rolls ]402. Bishop of London 1406, Sept. 26. Lord High Treasurer, second time, 1406. Bishop of Salisbury 1407, August. Bishop of Bath and Wells 1408, April 1. Rymer, Fœdera, viii. 451, 496, 512.

^{page 204 note a} Rymer, Fœdera, ix, 167.

^{page 204 note b} Charter 556, date 1419; Charter 565, date 1422.

^{page 205 note a} It is a further question whether the present chantry chapel was not the work of his executor, chancellor Storthwayt, who united himself with the bishop by endowing a chantry there for himself.

^{page 205 note b} Pro emendatione debilium et profundarum viarum.

^{page 205 note c} Will at Lambeth Library (Register Chichele, 378), 1414.

^{page 206 note a} R. 3, f. 331, “quoddam clausum decani et capituli vulgariter nuncupatum ‘camery’ quod jacet in australi parte chori ecclesiæ.”

^{page 206 note b} I am indebted for this to Mr. E. Buckle.

^{page 207 note a} R. 1, f. 116 indors.

^{page 208 note a} R. 1, f. 143. 1318.—“Because of the number of canons who are present at the services, and there is too much walking about and conversation, it is proposed that those who attend the night services may have their books and a light in choir, and this is allowed to canons, but not to vicars.”

R. 1, f. 163.1323.—“Ratification by the bishop of the permission of the Dean and Chapter for the use of candles for reading in the choir at night services, and now also for the use of books in the day services.”

^{page 209 note a} Clark, Medieval and Renaissance Libraries, 27.

^{page 209 note b} “Willis and Clark, The Architectural History of the University of Cambridge, &c. iii. 413.

^{page 210 note a} Wells charters, 637.

Hec indentura facta apud Wellis tercio die Aprilis Anno regni Regis Henrici sexti post conquestum quarto [inter reverendissimum] patrem et dominum dominum Johannem Stafford Bathonensem et Wellensem Episcopum ex parte una et discretos viros Johannem [Forrest decanum] et ejusdem ecclesie Capitulum ex parte altera testatur quod predicti decanus et capitulum ecclesie [predicte liberaverunt predicto] reverendo patri ad usum ejusdem reverendi patris durante vita sua decem libros ipsorum decani et capituli subscriptos videlicet unnm librum vocatum Policronicon qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo de Bonifacio vni. Item unnm librum vocatum primam partem Hostiensis in summa qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo Nichil contrarium. Item unum librum vocatum Casum Bernardi qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo mee divino Item unum librum vocatum Hugonem super decretalibus qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo Quod in. Item unum librum vocatum Johannem Andree super regulis juris qui dicitur novella qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo Civi Cum Item unum librum quartum Inno ^c quintum qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo alias C sicut Item unum librum vocatum secundam partem Hostiensis qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo qui Offeratur Item unum librum Hostiensis in summa qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo Calcaret pes Item unum librum decretalium qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo ver tantum fuit Item unum librum apparatus Johannis de deo una cum questionibus Bartholomei Bricsensis in eodem volumine qui sic incipit in secundo folio suo Cum actes archus. Quos quidem libros predictus Reverendus pater nuper dedit et realiter liberavit prefatis decano et capitulo Ita quod remaneant penes eundem reverendum patrem ad usum ejusdem durante vita sua et post mortem ipsius reverendi patris remaneant prefatis decano et capitulo et successoribus suis imperpetuum. In cujus rei testimonium partes predicte sigilla sua alternatim hiis indenturis apposuerunt. Datis die et anno predictis.

^{page 210 note b} Leland, , Collectanea, iv. 155, Hearne's edition, 1770.Google Scholar

^{page 210 note c} Sic for “Immo ” or “Imo.”

^{page 212 note a} There is no known translation into Latin verse of Dante's Divina Commedia, but I have been informed that the facsimile of Serravalle's commentary and translation lately republished in Italy (Prato, 1891) makes the Latin correspond line by line with the text, and so it might have the appearance of a verse translation. There was an earlier translation into Latin by Matteo Ronto of Pistoia 1381, but not a verse translation.

^{page 213 note a} There is an instance of action being taken under this Act as late as 1765, when Robert Wilson, canon residentiary, delivered up a MS. copy of the ‘Statuta et Ordinale’ to the mayor as a superstitious book ‘in obedience to the Act 3 & 4 Ed. VI., cap. x.’

^{page 214 note a} It is described in Herberb's Ames, i. 415. The name of Thos. Pymme is in it. It was given to the library “ex dono Saræ uxoris Will: Westley, Arm. e civitate Wellen.” with more than thirty other books.

^{page 216 note a} The document reciting the dedication of the abbey and the names of the bishops present is in the library. Charter 82.

^{page 216 note b} He was the scribe of Dean Colet's MS. de Sacramentis and the Hierarchia of Dionysius —Hist. MSS. Report, xi.

^{page 217 note a} Lately given by a generous benefactor.

^{page 217 note b} Wharton, Anglia Sacra, i. 588. “Hornm accuratus, si usquam alias, Indiculus expectari merito potuisset a Godwino, qui plusquam 30. annis Canonicus Residentiarius Ecclesiæ Wellensis erat, & archiva ejus adhuc integra inspexit … Integris tamen monumentis usus vir eruditus plerosque errores admisit; ” “consueta deceptus incuria ” (i. 553).

^{page 217 note c} 1549—4 candelabra of brass 23s. 9d. cujuslibet, at the high altar. Tabernacle work in choir near the altar, sold to the lord suffragan of Wells. Two figures of bishops in brass in the choir, weighing 310 lb., sold for 21s. 2d. a lb. and a great quantity of lead.

1564–67 lbs. of brass candlesticks at one time, 48 lbs. at another. Tabulae of white glass 7 shillings for 100 feet. 2 silver gilt pelves orischalchie for 3s. 4d.

^{page 218 note a} I am indebted for this reference to Mr. R. C. Browne, who has given me kind assistance in the library.

^{page 218 note b} Reg. Land, 107a, quoted in Reynolds' Wells Cathedral.

^{page 219 note a} H. E. Reynolds, M.A., Wells Cathedral.

^{page 219 note b} The book is in the library, given by his son the Precentor.

^{page 221 note a} Wharton, Anglia Sacra, i. 588, speaks of charters having been pillaged at the time: “Nuper enim direpta sunt, et impio furore mutilata ac discissa a Schismaticis in rebellione Somersetensi anno 1685. mota.”

^{page 222 note a} There does not seem any ground for the statement in the Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects for May, 1898 (3rd S. v. 382) that Dean Bathurst “evidently wished the library of his cathedral to be fitted with book-cases like those of his College ” of Trinity. The book-cases at Trinity are of the date 1618, those at Wells are of a different pattern. Dean Bathurst is thus commemorated in the Catalogus Benefactorum:

“Rad: Bathurst Med.D^r. Coll. Trin.: Oxon: præsidens, & hujus Ecelesiæ decanus in bibliotheca hac instauranda έργοδιώκτης contulit libros.”

^{page 223 note a} Cf. note on p. 214.

^{page 224 note a} Appendix, Dean Plumptre's Life of Bishop Ken, ii. 206.

^{page 225 note a} A somewhat parallel but more varied collection of contemporary pamphlets made by the late Very Rev. J. W. Burgon, Dean of Chichester, during his lifetime, was given to the library by his nephew, Rev. W. F. Rose, in 1896.

^{page 225 note b} Overton, , Life in the English Church, 338.Google Scholar

^{page 226 note a} This manuscript book has been printed and incorporated in Wells Cathedral, by H. E. Reynolds, 1881.

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XI.—Notes on the Buildings, Books, and Benefactors of the Library of the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Wells

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