Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bottisham, William of

1313824Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 05 — Bottisham, William of1886Reginald Lane-Poole

BOTTISHAM or BOTTLESHAM, WILLIAM of (d. 1400), bishop of Rochester, was a Dominican, D.D., and fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and, it would seem, a preacher in high repute with King Richard II. In 1332 he was resent at the council of Blackfriars in London, under the style of ‘episcopus Nanaten[sis],' but the designation is doubtful. Wilkins (Concilia Magnæ Britannicæ, iii. 158) proposed the emendation ‘Landaven[sis],’ which is impossible for chronological reasons. There is considerable confusion about the bishops of Nantes at this time (see Baluze, Vitæ Paparum Avenion. i. 943, Paris, 1693); and there is an interval between 1382 and 1384 during which Bottisham may have been bishop: but Dr. Stubbs (Registrum sacrum Antlicanum, p. 144), following Strype (Memorials of Cranmer, p. 36, ed. 1694), reads the title as 'Navat'ensis,' which he translates 'Pavada.' Bottisham is next mentioned in 1385 with the title of bishop of Bethlehem ; but here too his name does not appear in the regular series printed in 'Gallia Christiana,' xii. 680 et seqq. Still it was certainly as bishop of Bethlehem that he was translated in the following year to the see of Llandaff; whence finally, in 1389, he was translated to that of Rochester. Both these latter appointments were made by papal provision, and the last expressly in cons.iaeration of his fidelity to Urban VI during his troubles at Nocera in 1386. The bishop died in February 1399-1400, and was succeeded by John of Bottisham. Between these two prelates a natural confusion has arisen. Walsingham and Bale call both 'John,' and it is probably to some such cause that we are to attribute the notice cited by Tanner (Biblioth. Brit. Hib. s. v.), which makes William a Carmelite instead of a Dominican. A Nicholas Bottisham died prior of the Carmelite house at Cambridge in 1435. William's works consist wholly of sermons and scholastic compilations.

[Walsingham's Hist. Anglic, ii. 124, 180 seq., 248, ed. H. T. Riley, 1864. Rolls Series ; Faaciculi Zizaniorim. p. 498 ; Rymer's Fœdera, vii. 478 ; Bale's Script. Brit Catal. vi. 70 ; Le Neve's Fast. Eccl. Anglic, ii. 247, 665, ed. Hardy; Echard, Scriptores Ordinis Pædicatonmi, i. 717 ; Le Keux's Memorials of Cambridge, i. 56, ed. Cooper, 1856.]

R. L. P.