ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY the worst evil of the period was the traffic in benefices by means of exchange or of papal provision ; in London the former was the commoner method. These practices were often accompanied by simony and fraud, and led to much litigation. Archbishop Courtenay in 1391 declared that the clergy com- monly known as ' choppe-churches ' dwelt chiefly in London," and the Patent Rolls and Episcopal Registers *^ record an enormous number of exchanges affecting London churches during the 14th century. About 1405 they began to grow less frequent, and the abuse seems to have greatly diminished during the next twenty years,*' A very common entry in the Patent Rolls at this time is the ' ratification of the estate ' of some City parson. The reason for the insecurity is seldom given, but it may be inferred that he had obtained his position by some irregular transaction, probably in most cases an exchange or a papal provision. For example, St. Botolph Bishopsgate, which had at least fifteen rectors between 1362 and 1404, was exchanged five times between 1361 and 1370, and again in 1383. John Porter was presented in 1391, but a year after the king presented another man, and Porter had to obtain a ratification in 1393. In 1395 he exchanged it for a church in Monmouthshire ; the new rector at once obtained a ratification, but he also exchanged it for a country church three years later, while his successor exchanged in less than a year with Roger Mason, whose position was secured by a ratification in March 1400.** Soon after the passing of the second Statute of Provisors (1390), apriest named Thomas Goldyngton, who claimed the benefice, along with two laymen, ' inflicted divers injuries' on Thomas Tollerton, the pope's nominee to St. Martin Orgar. When cited to appear before a papal official, they assaulted Tollerton and the messenger, saying, ' We defy you, ribald knaves (scurras) and losels, and don't care for your apostolic letters and citation,' and procured their arrest and imprisonment by a secular court ; but in the end Tollerton obtained a ratification from the king.*^ In other cases of provision the king pardoned the papal nominees and granted a licence for the execution of the bull.** Twelve papal dispensations to permit the holding of two or more benefices together were granted between 1391 and 1405 to clergy occupying City livings." Non-residence on the part of " Wilkins, CowiT. iii, 215-17.
- ' Cal. Pat. passim ; Hennessy, Novum Repcrt. passim. Other exchanges of this period are mentioned in Cal.
of Papal Letters, v, 209, 297 ; Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. ix, App. i, 22a. " As late as 141 1, however, the Archdeacon of London and others procured the imprisonment of the rector of St. Michael le Querne for refusing to observe an agreement made before he was presented to that church that he would exchange it or pay them ;(^300. The history of this case also affords examples of the two other abuses of papal provision and pluralities ; Cal. of Papal Letters, vi, 290, 297, 300 ; cf. ibid. 369, vii, 4.71 ; and Hennessy, op. cit. 71, 107, 436. " Cal. Pat. 1391-6, pp. 65, 245, 567; 1399-1401, p. 137; Hennessy, Novum Repert. It is surprising that Bishop Braybrook apparently took no steps to prevent such transactions in the case of St. Botolph, of which he was patron. Cf. the cases of St. Margaret Moses, Cal. Pat. 1377-81, pp. 497, 609, 616; St. Stephen Walbrook, ibid. 1388-92, pp. 368, 393 ; 1391-6, pp. 619, 685 ; St. Andrew Hubbard, ibid. 1399-1401, pp. 54, 391, 504 ; St. Magnus, ibid. pp. 7, 136 ; I401-5, p. 13 ; 1405-8, pp. 247, 370 ; St. Mary Woolchurch, ibid. 1401—5, pp. 306, 401, 460, 463 — with the corresponding entries in Hennessy. A suit about a presentation is referred to in Cal. Pat. 1405-8, p. 14. " Cal. of Papal Letters, iv, 363 ; Early Chan. Proc. bdle. 7, no. 316 ; Cal. Pat. 1388-92, p. 497; cf Sharpe, Cal. of Wills, ii, 370. ^ Cal. Pat. 1391-6, p. 3 (cf p. 39, and Cal. of Papal Letters, iv, 338, 368) ; 1405-8, pp. 1 1 (cf Cal. of Papal Letters, vi, 38), 1 16, 277. Other provisions to London clergy at this period are in Cal. of Papal Letters, iv, 325, 388, 426, 529 ; v, 464, 579.
- ' Cal. of Papal Letters, w and passim. For another case see Cal. Pat. 1405-8, p. 403. The career of the
rector of St. Swithin's there mentioned is also an example of the practice of exchanges ; Hennessy, Novum Repert. I 217 28
