This writ, which, it would seem, has never yet been printed, is subsequent, not only to the one which is given above (p. 110), but to the death of the bishop of Salisbury in December, 1139.[278] From it we learn that the deanery of St. Martins, which had been held by Roger, was given by Stephen, at Roger’s death, to his own brother, the bishop of Winchester. It is probable that this deanery was a very lucrative appointment, and that its estates were separate from those of the canons of the church. Count Eustace, in his charter addressed to Hugh d’Orival bishop of London, speaks of retaining for himself the lands “quæ propriæ fuerunt Ingelrici et ad decanatum pertinere debeant,” and a charter of the Empress similarly speaks of the houses and lands in London “quæ pertinent ad decanatum.”
The subject of these deaneries of houses of secular canons seems to deserve working out. As the great bishops of Salisbury and Winchester held successively the deanery of St. Martin’s, so the protégé of the latter prelate, Hilary bishop of Chichester, seems to have held that of Twynham both before and after his elevation to the South-Saxon see, while the bishops of Exeter, from Osbern the Norman, seem to have combined the deanery of Bosham with their episcopal office. Maurice bishop of London (1085) held the deanery of Wimborne. In Normandy, similarly, Philip of Harcourt, who had been Stephen’s chancellor, was, as a bishop, dean of the house of Holy Trinity of Beaumont before its annexation to Bec.
We next come to a writ of the Empress, which must belong to the year 1141, and which similarly recognises Osbert Huitdeniers as the leading man in London at the time, and, as I maintain, its Justiciar.[279]
Imperatrix Henrici regis filia et Angliæ domina Osberto Octodenar[ii] et vic[ecomiti] et civibus London[ie] salutem. Precipio quod saisiatis Henricum episcopum Winton[iensem] et apostolicæ sedis legatum de domibus illis London[ie] et terris ubi Petrus ... mansit (quæ pertinent ad decanatum Sancti Martini London[ie] et ecclesiam suam, et ipsi disseisati sunt), sicut Rogerus episcopus Saresberiensis decanus ejusdem ecclesiæ et Fulcherus saisiti fuerunt vivi et mortui, et domos suas, et omnia quæ inde post mortem Rogeri ablata sunt, facite illi reddi, et terram ipsam et cetera omnia pertinentia ecclesiæ Sancti Martini in pace illi tenere facite.
The connection of this great prince-bishop with St. Martin’s leads me to speak of his striking mandate on the subject of the schools of London:
H. Dei gratia Wintoniensis ecclesie minister capitulo Sancti Pauli et Willelmo archidiacono et ministris suis salutem. Precipio vobis pro obedientia ut trina vocatione sententiam anatematis in eos proferatis qui sine licentia Henrici Magistri Scolarum in tota civitate Lundon legere presumpserint preter eos qui scolas Sancte Marie de Archa et Sancti Martini Magni regunt. Teste Magistro Ilario apud Wintoniam.[280]
No date is assigned to this charter, for Henry’s long rule at Winchester lasted till 1171. But my paper on “Hilary bishop of Chichester”[281] enables us to identify him with “Magister Ilarius” the witness, and to date the charter as previous not only to 1147, but also, in all probability, to 1141, by which time he was dean of Christchurch. This then carries back our charter to the vacancy in the See of London (1134–1141), which explains the bishop of Winchester interfering thus forcibly in its affairs.
I have now proved the existence under Stephen, in accordance with Henry’s charter,[282] of three Justiciars of London, all leading citizens, namely, Andrew Buchuinte, Osbert Huitdeniers, and Gervase of Cornhill.[283] But we must not forget the grant of the office to Geoffrey de Mandeville, earl of Essex, a grant made by Stephen[284] and confirmed by the Empress. Here again the charters of St. Martin’s enable us to complete our evidence. For in one of them, issued from his stronghold the Tower, we find Geoffrey taking, as if he were proud of it, the style of “Justiciar of London.” We may safely date it 1142–3.
Galfridus dei gratia comes Essex[ie] et Justiciarius London[iæ] Roberto eadem gratia Londoniensi episcopo et Arch[idiacon]o et omnibus baronibus et hominibus suis, et omnibus tenentibus et amicis suis London[iæ] et Essex[iæ] tam clericis quam laicis, salutem. Quam[285] super modum peccavi, et male vivendo et bona ecclesiastica præter rationem diripiendo Deum offendi, ex penitencia mea immerita dampna ecclesiæ Sancti Martini London[iæ] quodam modo restituere, et voluntati canonicorum satisfacere proposui, etc....