Collectanea. Third series / edited by Montagu Burrows.

Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Collectanea. Third series / edited by Montagu Burrows. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    34/514 (page 12)
    south of the hall, evidently placed with the gables east and west before the idea of a quadrangle was contemplated, the upper one was the oratory of the small society ; and that the chambers first provided were some of those which appear in Loggan’s view to the north-west of the old quadrangle At last the most magnificent of the bishops of Durham, Thomas Hatfield, a statesman and architect of no mean capacity, undeterred by the complete collapse of Archbishop Islip’s plan for a college consisting partly of monks and partly of secular students determined to provide adequately for the independent maintenance of the Oxford cell. Towards the end of his long episcopate, c. 1379, he concerted measures with one of the ablest priors, Robert Berington or de Wal- worth, employing as his agent (‘ qui vobis viva voce plene referet, et eciam in scriptis ostendet, quid per nos factum fuerit et per vos fieri volumus in premissis ’) a monk of Dur- ham, John de Berington, probably the prior’s brother, ‘ qui erga nos et consilium nostrum pro Collegio Monachorum et Secularium, quod in profectum et honorem ecclesiae nostrae stabilivimus, diligencias laudabiles apposuit et labores ’ Hatfield was at this time living chiefly at his house at Alford (? Old Ford) near London, where he died May 8, 1381, after a lingering illness. William de Chambre’s statement about his foundation is certainly incorrect ; and, though the quin- quepartite covenant between him and the Convent was drawn up from his instructions and sealed in 1380, the design was not fully executed till some years after his death In the correspondence which has been preserved. Prior Robert states that the Convent, though rather short of money, will sup- port four monks, if the Bishop can provide for four more and eight scholars, and he offers some advice on the subject of investments: The following entries in Berington’s foundation compoti prove the existence of chambers : 1382, In reparacione domorum et claustire Oxonie per manus domini R. Blaklaw supprioris xl»; 1387-9, In petris emptis pro reparacione domorum died collegii vj“ viij'*; and In factura duorum caminorum in diuersis cameris xxx*. The last entry is a sign of the improved prospects of the com- munity. Canterbury College was founded in 1361-2 for four monks and eight secular scholars; in 1365 Islip ejected the regulars, and five years later his successor, Simon Langham, prevailed on Urban V to abolish the seculars in favour of twelve Canterbury monks (Maxwell Lyte, pp. 177-180). Letter in Hist. Dun. app. cxxviii. Some letters from the Prior to the Bishop were copied by Twyne (Collect, ii. 32-34) ‘ from the register of Robert de Lan- chester, chancellor and afterwards shrine-keeper of Durham.’ Hist. Dun., p. 138. It is not improved by Mr. Maxwell Lyte, who supposes it to refer to Richard de Bury’s efforts (Univ. of Oxford, p. 159)- Printed by Wilkins (Cone. ii. 614-6), and in part by Raine (Hist. Dun., p. 140).