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The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
Around 1245 Bishop Antony Bek was born to Walter Bek of Ereseby, Lincolnshire.
In February 1282 John Vesci was sent with Bishop Antony Bek (age 37) to negotiate a marriage between Alfonso (age 16), son of King Peter III of Aragon (age 42), and King Edward's (age 42) daughter Eleanor (age 12), which resulted in the signing of the contract as proxy at Huesca.
On 9th July 1283 Bishop Antony Bek (age 38) was elected Bishop of Durham.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. In the same year, namely on the Sunday within the octave of the Epiphany of the Lord, which that year fell on the ninth of January [1284], Saint William, Archbishop of York, was translated, and reverently placed in a silver and gold reliquary by the venerable father William de Wickwane, then Archbishop of York, along with the other bishops of England who had gathered there for the occasion. The king and queen were present, together with other nobles of the realm, clergy, and a great crowd of people. On that same day, Antony de Bek (age 39) was consecrated Bishop of Durham in the same place, by Archbishop de Wickwane. Shortly afterward, the king set out for Wales, in order to stabilize and organize that land. While he was at Caernarfon, the queen gave birth to a son, whom they named Edward; this occurred in the year 1284. That same year, Alfonso (age 10), son of the king, died at Windsor.
Eodem anno, scilicet dominica infra octavas Epiphaniæ Domini, quæ fuit anno illo V idus Januarii, translatus fuit sanctus Willelmus Eborum archiepiscopus, et in capsa argentea et aurea reverenter reconditus, per venerabilem patrem Willelmum Wichewange tunc Eborum archiepiscopum, et cæteros Angliæ episcopos qui ob hoc ibidem convenerant, assistente rege et regina cum cæteris magnatibus terræ et clero et populo. Eodem etiam die consecratus est ibidem et ab eodem de Bek, archiepiscopo Antonius de Bek Dunolmensis episcopus. Et profectus est exinde rex in Walliam ut terram illam et stabiliret et ordinaret; ubi cum esset apud Carnarvan peperit ei regina filium, et vocavit nomen ejus Edwardum, scilicet MCCLXXXIV; et eodem anno obiit Alfonsus, filius Prince Alregis, apud Windesover.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. And when at length the election of the bishop of Durham was completed, the archbishop opposed the election of Anthony (age 39), saying that he had been elected by persons under excommunication, and therefore should not be admitted. The lord king, however, sent his own trusted servant, Sir John de Vescy, to the archbishop to say, and to threaten under heavy forfeiture, that he was not to hinder the election and promotion of his most special clerk; rather, if the archbishop had a legal case against the monks who had made the election, he should bring and pursue it in due place and time, but the elect was not to be punished for the offence of the others. And so the archbishop was afraid for himself, and gave way, fearing man more than God, and consecrated him, as has been said, on the day of the Translation of Saint William [9th January 1284]. Later, however, he repented of it. After him, Archbishop John Romanus wished to make a visitation; but because he was greedy, they bought him off with money for the whole of his term. After him, Archbishop Henry of Newark did not begin such proceedings, because he lived only a short time, and besides this, he was a friend of the bishop of Durham. After him, Archbishop Thomas of Corbridge, although he visited his own province twice within four years (except for his own chapter), nevertheless did not approach Durham, because he feared the king and the trouble it would bring.
Factaque demum electione Dunolmensis, opposuit se archiepiscopus contra electum Anthonium, dicens ipsum esse electum ab excommunicatis, et propter hoc non fore admittendum. Et misit ad archiepiscopum dominus rex familiarem suum, dominum Johannem de Vescy, qui diceret, et sub gravi forisfactura comminaret, quod electionem et promotionem specialissimi clerici sui non impediret: imo si actionem haberet contra monachos eligentes, institueret et persequeretur eam pro loco et tempore; et non puniretur electus pro delicto cæterorum. Timuitque sibi archiepiscopus et adquievit, magis timens hominem quam Deum, et consecravit eum, ut supradictum est, in die translationis sancti Willelmi; postea tamen poenituit. Post hunc archiepiscopus Johannes Romanus voluit visitasse; sed quia avarus erat extinxerunt eum pecunia data pro toto tempore suo. Post illum archiepiscopus Henricus de Newerk non incepit talia, eo quod parvo tempore vixit, et præter hoc fuit familiaris domini Dunolmensis episcopi. Post quem archiepiscopus Thomas de Corebrigge, qui licet provinciam propriam infra quatuor annos, excepto proprio capitulo, duabus vicibus visitasset, Dunolmum tamen non petiit, eo quod timuit regem et vexationem.
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On 9th January 1284 Bishop Antony Bek (age 39) was consecrated Bishop of Durham at which time he also had the remains of Saint William of York moved to a new shrine in York Minster [Map].
On 25th December 1285 Bishop Antony Bek (age 40) was enthroned at Durham Cathedral [Map].
On 15th June 1298 Archbishop Henry of Newark was consecrated Archbishop of York by Bishop Antony Bek (age 53) at York Minster [Map].
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. [1300] In the same year, a detestable quarrel arose between Lord Antony (age 55), Bishop of Durham, and Richard de Hoton, Prior, and the monks of Durham, in the following manner. The bishop, having sent his letters regarding the visitation of the chapter, was admitted on the morrow of the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. After a brief sermon delivered by the bishop, the theme of which was, "Your visitation has preserved my spirit," certain secular individuals were dismissed, but many remained with him. For he had with him Bishop Jubileus, who had been expelled from his bishopric by the Saracens and was living with him, along with six mounted attendants, partly exercising spiritual care, because the lord bishop did not celebrate ordinations unless in armour. Also remaining with him were many knights and clerics. Seeing this, the prior said to the bishop: "Be not displeased, Father, but the brethren all urgently ask that, following the custom of your predecessors, the ancient bishops of Durham, you would please appoint some of the brethren as your special ministers to carry out your visitation. For it is neither fitting nor expedient, and indeed would be prejudicial to us and our privileges, if so many clerics and laymen who remain were to act as inquisitors of each individual [monk]." To which the bishop replied: "Sit down, Prior, and understand for certain that we wish to have all those who are of our counsel with us here present." For he had brought with him Master John de Lacy and Master Reginald de Brandon, famous lawyers, and certain others by name, intending and planning to carry out extraordinary actions. Because of this, the monks, sensing that they were being unjustly oppressed at the outset, read aloud a proxy letter and immediately appealed to the court of York, and to the protection of that see, and also, in supplement of justice, to the Roman court. Thus, being armed with this appeal, they all withdrew, and the bishop remained alone with his counsel. He immediately had the prior and certain persons of the convent peremptorily cited to appear the next day in the same church, to answer him regarding such contempt.
Eodem anno orta est execrabilis dissensio inter dominum Anthonium Dunolmensem episcopum et Ricardum de Hoton priorem et monachos Dunolmenses, sub forma quæ sequitur. Episcopus enim, missis literis suis pro visitatione capituli facienda, admissus est in crastino Ascensionis Dominicæ; factoque brevi sermone per eundem episcopum, cujus erat thema, "Visitatiotua custodivit spiritum meum, recesserunt jussi quidam seculares, sed remanserunt cum eo quamplurimi. Habebat enim secum episcopum Jubileum, qui ab ejus episcopatu per Saracenos expulsus morabatur cum eo cum equitaturis sex, curam spiritualitatis in parte agens, eo quod dominus episcopus non celebraret ordines nisi forte loricatus; remanserunt etiam cum eo milites et clerici numerosi. Quod videns ipse prior, ait episcopo: "Non displiciat vobis, pater, quia cum instantia rogant fratres omnes, quod more prædecessorum vestrorum antiquorum patrum episcoporum Dunolmensium procedentes, placeat vobis aliquos ex fratribus, tanquam speciales ministros, admittere ad officium visitationis vestræ exercendum. Non enim condecet nec expedit, imo etiam præjudicaretur nobis et privilegiis nostris, si tot clerici et laici remanentes essent scrutatores singulorum." Cui episcopus: "Sede, prior, et pro certo intellige quod omnes istos qui de consilio nostro sunt, nobiscum habere volumus in præsenti." Adduxerat enim secum magistrum Johannem de Lasci, et magistrum Reginaldum de Brandun famosos advocatos, et quosdam alios nominatos, volens et disponens mirabilia facere; propter quod monachi, sentientes se sic in primordiis injuste prægravari, lecto procuratorio, statim appellarunt ad curiam Eborum, et ad tuitionem sedis ejusdem, et in supplementum justitiæ curiam Romanam; et sic appellatione muniti recesserunt omnes remansitque solus episcopus cum consilio suo, statimque fecit peremptorie citari priorem et certas personas de conventu, quod in crastino comparerent in eadem ecclesia, sibi super hujusmodi contemptu responsuri.
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On 31st January 1308 King Edward II of England (age 23) and a group of England's leading nobles signed the Boulogne Agreement that attempted to curtail King Edward's rule. The signatories included Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham and Patriarch of Jerusalem (age 63), John Warenne 7th Earl of Surrey (age 21), Aymer de Valence 2nd Earl Pembroke (age 33), Henry Lacy 4th Earl Lincoln, Earl Salisbury (age 57) and Guy Beauchamp 10th Earl Warwick (age 36).
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The Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough, a canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: "In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed." Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
On 3rd March 1311 Bishop Antony Bek (age 66) died.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. In the year of our Lord 1311, Antony, Bishop of Durham and Patriarch of Jerusalem, fell ill at Eltham at the beginning of Lent, at the close of the tenth year [of Edward II's reign]. He died and was honourably buried in his church at Durham on the morrow of the feast of the apostles Philip and James [3rd May 1311], which that year fell on a Sunday, in the fifth year of his patriarchate and the twenty-eighth of his consecration as bishop. He was succeeded by Richard de Kellaw, chosen from among the chapter of the same church of Durham, elected on the Friday before Palm Sunday, and consecrated on Pentecost in the cathedral church of York by Archbishop William. The said archbishop himself carried out the burial office for the aforesaid Antony, Bishop of Durham and Patriarch, on the Sunday mentioned above, and on the morrow of the Invention of the Holy Cross visited the chapter of Durham in peace and without any opposition, preaching in full chapter on the text: "Ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." On the very next day he visited the archdeaconry of Durham, that is, the whole clergy, in the church of St Nicholas, and on the following Saturday he visited Darlington1. And thus he managed matters cautiously and arranged them well, so that before the bishop-elect of Durham was confirmed, he [the archbishop] had carried out his visitation without disturbance, something which for many years past had always been opposed.
Anno Domini MCCCXI Anthonius Dunolmensis episcopus et patriarcha Jerosolimitanus, apud Eltham, in principio Quadragesimæ, in finem anni decimi, infirmatus decubuit; sepultusque est honorifice in ecclesia sua Dunolmensi in crastino apostolorum Philippi et Jacobi, quæ erat dies Dominica, anno patriarchatus sui quinto, et consecrationis episcopatus sui vicesimo octavo. Cui successit Ricardus Election of de Kellaw, de gremio ejusdem ecclesiæ Dunolmensis electus die Veneris proxima ante Dominicam Palmarum, die Pentecostes in ecclesia cathedrali Eborum per Willelmum archiepiscopum consecratus. Qui quidem archiepiscopus officium sepulturæ prædicti Anthonii Dunolmensis episcopi et patriarchæ personaliter fecit die Dominica supradicta, et crastino Inventionis Sanctæ Crucis capitulum Dunolmense pacifice et absque aliqua contradictione visitavit, prædicaVisitation of vitque in pleno capitulo, et erat suum thema: Saturday, "Eratis aliquando sicut oves errantes, nunc autem May conversi estis ad pastorem et episcopum animarum vestrarum. Die vero sequente proximo visitavit archidiaconatum Dunolmensem, totum scilicet clerum, in ecclesia Sancti Nicholai, et die sabbati proximo sequente visitavit Dernyngton; et sic caute fecit et bene ordinavit, quod antequam confirmaretur electus Dunolmensis habuit suam pacificam visitationem, quæ a multis retroactis temporibus fuerat contradicta.
Note 1. Darlington, in the county of Durham, a college of St. Cuthbert, founded by Hugh Pudsey. Durham.
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