GIDEON
551
GIFPARD
portant of which is the Rook Academy under the
direction of M. Sitman. The poor are cared for in 3
asylums, and there are 2 orphan asylums (65) ; for the
aged, also, there is a house of the Little Sisters of the
Poor. Guido Remigio Barbieri, a former Benedic-
tine, born in 1S36, was consecrated Bishop of Theo-
dosiopolis and Vicar Apostolic of Gibraltar in 1901.
Missinnes CalhoKcm (.Rome. 1907). 73-74; Slalesman's Year- Book (London, 1909); English Catholic Directory (London, 1909).
Remigio Guido Barbieri. Gideon. See Gedeon.
Giffard, Bonaventure, b. at Wolverhampton, England, 1642; d. at Hammersmith, Middlesex, 12 March, 1734; second son of Andrew Giffard, of Chil- lington, Staffordshire. His father, who married Catherine, daughter of Sir Walter Leveson, was slain in a skirmish near his own home, during the Civil War. Owing to the religious persecutions, Bona- venture was sent, with his younger brother Andrew, to Douai to be educated. From Douai, in October, 1667, he went to Paris to pursue his theological studies, and was ordained for the secular mission. Some years later, he received the degree of Doctor of Divin- ity at the Sorbonne. Having attracted the attention of King James II by his piety and learning, he was appointed preacher to the court. Religion had been in sore straits in England for the previous fifty years. Dr. Smith had been appointed vicar Apostolic of the whole country in 1625, but such was the persecution that he was forced to withdraw to France in 1631, where he remained till his death (1655). For nearly thirty years more his place in England remained un- filled; finally, in 16S5, Dr. Leyburn was appointed to succeed him. Pope Innocent XI now entered into negotiations with James II; and, as a result, four vicariates were formed, Dr. Giffard being put in charge of the Midlands. He was consecrated bishop, at Whitehall, by the nuncio, on 22 April, 16S8. In re- ligious matters James II displayed too little prudence, and by his high-handed actions gave great otfence to the Protestants. Not only did he compel the authori- ties of Magdalen College, Oxford, to accept Bishop Parker as their president ; but, on Parker's death ( 1 688) , he had twelve Catholic fellows appointed, and made Dr. Giffard president, despite the fact that the college electors had selected a Protestant, John Hough. The king's nominee took up his residence there on 15 June, 1688. A storm of opposition arose, and he was ejected about five months later. The Revolution followed, and the bishop was seized and imprisoned at New- gate, where he remained nearly two years. He was released on bail, in 1690, and for more than twenty- four years led a perilous life, being frequently com- pelled to hide from the pursuivants. When Dr. Ley- burn died, in 1703, Bishop Giffard was charged to look after his district, and from 1708 till 1713 he had to govern the Western vicariate as well. In this he was aided by his brother Andrew, his vicar-general till the latter died, 14 Sept., 1714. Henry Howard was nominated as coadjutor to Dr. Giffard in 1720; but, as he died before his consecration, Benjamin Petre was appointed. The old bishop passed away fourteen years later, in 1734, at the age of ninety-two. He was buried beside his brother Andrew, in the churchyard of St. Pancras. A few of his sermons have been preserved, and many of his interesting letters were printed in the "Catholic Miscellanv" in 1826 and 1827.
LiNGARD, History of Enpland, X (Dublin, 1S49); Brady Episcopal Succession; Gillow, Bibt. Diet. Eng. Calh., s. v.
A. A. MacErlean.
Giffard, Godfrey, Bishop of Worcester, b. about 12.35; d. 20 Jan., 1,301. He was the son of Hugh Giffard of Boyton in Wiltshire, and Sybil, the daughter and coheiress of Walter de Cormeiiles. His
elder brother Walter became Archbishop of York
(d. 1279). During the earlier part of his life his
success was bound up with that of his brother.
When in May, 1264, Walter was elected BLshop of
Bath and Wells, Godfrey became canon and subse-
quently archdeacon of Wells; he also held many
other benefices, although only in minor orders, and, as
his enemies alleged, not learned. When in August,
1265, Walter became chancellor, Godfrey in 1266 was
appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, with leave to
appoint a substitute to act during his absence; and
when in October, 1260, Walter was translated to York,
Godfrey .succeeded him as Chancellor of England, and
received further benefices from the new Archbishop of
York, becoming archdeacon of York and rector of
Adlingfleet in 1267. When Bishop Nicholas of Ely
was translated from the See of Worcester to that of
Winchester, Godfrey was elected by the monks; he
received the temporalities of his see in June, 1268.
One of his first acts as bishop-elect was to obtain li-
cence to continue the work, begun by Walter Cante-
lupe, of building and fortifying Hartlebury Castle,
which has ever since been the principal palace of the
bishops of Worcester. His consecration took place at
Canterbury, 23 Sept., 1268, and his enthronement 25
December. During his chancellorship a parliament
was held at Marlbridge (52. H. 3) where many useful
laws were passed for restraining the abuse of dis-
tresses, regulating the incidence of tenure, and im-
proving civil and criminal procedure ; the knowledge
of general jurisprudence they display is remarkable,
and if he did not frame them himself, he deserves
credit for having had the wit to employ the superior
men who did. He continued in office as chancellor
until 28 Oct., 1269, when he handed over the seal to
the king.
As bishop Giffard devoted himself to the care of his diocese which he ruled for nearly thirty-four years. In the course of tho.se years two affairs caused him considerable trouble: the disputes with the monks of Worcester cathedral, and that with Malvern Priory. The Worcester feud lasted down to the bishop's death, and reached such a height that when, in 1300, Arch- bishop Winchelsey visited the priory, the monks pre- sentetl a formal accusation against the bishop contain- ing thirty-six articles of varying importance to which Giffard's satisfactory answers are still extant. The quarrel appears to date from 1288 when the monks considered that the rights of the church of Worcester had been infringed by the bishop's refusal to allow their precentor to summon those who were to be or- dained at an ordination at Westbury. The feeling aroused was intensified by the bishop's attempt, in 1288, to annex the churches in his gift to the prebends in the church of Westbury. This was eventually de- cided in thebi.shop's favour in the Arches Court in 1297. Relations were, moreover, strained because of the un- willingness of the priory to admit the bishop's visita- tions. The difficulty with the priory at Great Mal- vern was even more complicated. The cause was a claim made by the priory to be independent of the bishops of Worcester, and dependent upon the Abbot of Westminster. The relations between the two houses had been settled in 1217. Giffard's predeces- sors had had continual trouble with the same priory. The present struggle with Richard of Ware, Abbot of Westminster lasted from 1279 until 1283 and was not really ended then. The climax was reached in Sep- tember, 1282, when Giffard, as visitor, at the request of some of the monks, deposed the unworthy prior, William of Ledbury. A violent conflict followed, full of incidents, appeals, and counter-appeals and finally the king had to intervene to bring about a compro- mise.
Besides building the castle at Hartlebury, and re- building the church there, Giffard built magnificent mansions at Wick and Alvechurch. Moreover he
