Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Malverne, John

1436125Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 36 — Malverne, John1893Charles Lethbridge Kingsford ‎

MALVERNE, JOHN (d. 1415?), historian, was according to Pits a student of Oriel College, Oxford; he was a monk of Worcester, and is no doubt the John Malverne who was sacrist, and became prior, 19 Sept. 1395 (Liber Aldus, f. 3806). There was a John Malverne who was ordained acolyte in Worcester in 1373 (Reg. Prior, et Conv. Wigorn. f. 171 ft). As prior of Worcester he was present in 1410 at the trial of the lollard, John Badby [q. v.], before the diocesan court (Foxe, Acts and Monuments, iii. 236). He seems to have died in or before 1415. Malverne was the author of a continuation of Higden's 'Polychronicon' from 1346 to 1394, which is printed in the edition in the Rolls Series, viii. 356-428, iv. l-283 from MS. 197 at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge : it is a work of considerable value. Stow makes him the author of ' Piers Plowman,' an error in which he is followed by Tanner [see Langland, William]. Prior Malverne's register from 1395 as far as 1408 is continued in the 'Liber Albus,' ff. 380-435, preserved in the muniments of the Worcester Cathedral chapter. The historian is clearly a different person from his contemporary and namesake the physician,

Malverne, John (d. 1422 ?), who was perhaps the true alumnus of Oriel. He is said to have been a doctor of medicine (Digby MS. 147), and of theology (Newcourt, i. 134). He was made rector of St. Dunstan's-in-the-East, London, on 8 March 1402, and received the prebend of Chamberlainwood at St. Paul's, 8 Jan. 1405; he also held the prebend of Holywell there, and may be the John Malverne who was made canon of Windsor, 20 March 1408 (Le Neve, Fasti, iii. 384). He was present at the examination of William Thorpe [q. v.] in 1407, and took part in the controversy. He is described as a ' phisician that was called Malueren person of St. Dunstan's' (Foxe, Acts and Monuments, iii. 251, 274-5, 278-80). He seems to have died early in 1422. He is no doubt the author of a treatise ' De Remediis Spiritualibus et Corporalibus contra Pestilentiam,' inc. 'Nuper fuit quedam scedula publice conspectui affixa continens consilia' in Digby MS. 147, ff. 53ft-56a, in the Bodleian Library. This tract also appears in Sloane MS. 57, ff 186-8 at the British Museum as 1 Consiliurn contra Pestem,' but there begins 'Ipsius auxilio devocius invocato.'

[Pits, p. 878; Tanner's Bibl. Brit.-Hib. p. 504; Lumby's Pref. to the Polychronicon; Newcourt's Repertorium, i. 134, 160,233; information kindly supplied by E. L. Poole, esq.]

C. L. K.

Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.193
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line

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8 i 16 Malverne, John: for (d. 1415 ?) read (d. 1414 ?)