LIST 5 CHANCELLORS
CHANCELLERY
Dignity established and endowed by bp. Hilary 1154 × 4 June 1163, from the
chapelry of Pevensey (Acta no. 31): churches of St Nicholas, Pevensey, and St
Pancras, Arlington, and rents in Pevensey and 'Silvestroda' (all E. Suss.). Conf.
by pope Alexander III 4 June 1163 (PUE II no. 113, cal. Chart. Chichester no.
62). Church of St Pancras, Arlington, united with preb. Woodhorn temp. Eustace
de Leveland, chanc. (Chart. Chichester no. 272; list 40).
Endowment augmented by addition of a house formerly belonging to preb.
Aldingbourne and the church of Chiddingly (E. Suss.) 11 June 1229 (Chart.
Chichester no. 42). Church of Chiddingly had been granted to cathedral by John
de Monte Acuto before summer 1214, when advowson was in dispute (Curia Regis
Rolls VII 198-9); conf. to cathedral by William de Monte Acuto after March 1224
(Chart. Chichester no. 537); (fn. 46) further dispute Jan. 1235 (Curia Regis Rolls XV
no. 1394).
The chancellor's house was near the west porch of the cathedral; it was ruined
in 1642 and only a fragment remains (see Tatton-Brown, in Chichester Cathedral
p. 234).
For the properties of St Nicholas, Pevensey, in 1405 and 1455, see Chart.
Chichester nos. 1072, 1113. For property of the dignity in 1535, see Valuation
1535 p. 162.
Duties of the office detailed in statute of 29 Oct. 1232 (Walcott, Statutes pp.
163-4; but see above, Introduction, n. 55). Cf. Reg. R. Rede p. 103 for visitation
articles of 1397.
Valuation 1291 Chancellery with church of Chiddingly £53 6s. 8d. (Taxatio p.
137b).
CHANCELLORS
M. Jocelin
(fn. 47) preb. unident., list 41
Occ. without title 3 Aug. 1147 × 1157 (Acta no. 28). First chanc., appointed by
bp. Hilary to newly endowed chancellorship 1154 × 4 June 1163 (ibid. no. 31).
Nephew of bp. Hilary (ibid.). Occ. several times. Messenger of English bps. to
abp. Thomas Becket at Sens Dec. 1167 (The Letters of John of Salisbury II The
Later Letters, ed. C. N. L. Brooke and R. A. B. Mynors (OMT, 1979) no. 236, p.
442). Last occ. as chanc. presum. between 25 March and 30 Apr. 1173 (Cart.
Oseney, ed. H.E. Salter, V (Oxford Historical Soc., xcviii) 3-4; for date see John
'de Greenford', dean, list 2). Archdcn. of Lewes from before 6 Oct. 1174 (list 9).
Peter preb. unident., list 41
Occ. three times: 6 Oct. 1174 × Dec. 1178 (Acta no. 61), (fn. 48) and in two chs.
issued on a single occasion, c. 1177 × c. 26 Apr. 1180, perhaps c. 15 Jan. 1179/80
(ibid. no. 58 and Chart. Chichester no. 1068: these chs. are prob. connected with
a ch. dated 15 Jan. 1179/80, Acta no. 60). Presum. to be identified with M. Peter,
archdcn. of Chichester from before 15 Nov. 1181 (list 8).
Geoffrey Aguillon
(fn. 49) preb. unident., list 41
Canon from before c. 26 Apr. 1180 to after 1187 (list 41). First occ., as G.
chanc., in or soon after 1191 (Chart. Chichester no. 284, which refers to the fourth
year after the fire [of 1187]), and with full name and title 1192/3 (Acta no. 84).
Occ. several times. Issued ch. in favour of his clerk, M. Vincent de Palingeham
(Chart. Chichester no. 1064). Last certain occ. 5 Feb. 1207, in settlement of dispute
with dean over tithes of deanery preb. of Westgate (Acta no. 146; cf. Chart.
Chichester no. 407). Died by 29 Nov. 1213 (Rot. Litt. Pat. p. 106a).
M. Robert of Gloucester preb. unident., list 41
Royal clerk, royal collation to archdcnry. of Stafford 5 March 1213 (Rot. Litt.
Pat. p. 97b). Royal collation to chancellorship of Chichester, sede vacante, 28
July 1213 (ibid. p. 102b). No other occ. as chanc. Still alive, occ. as archdcn. of
Stafford 24 March 1216 (ibid. p. 171b) and 12 Sept. 1216 (Rot. Litt. Claus. I
287b). Perhaps died by 18 Feb. 1217 (Reg. Hon. III no. 350, not in CPL I). Had
been succeeded as archdcn. of Stafford by 16 Apr. 1221 (cart. Kenilworth: BL,
Harley MS 3650 fo. 34r-v).
Ralph de Neville preb. unident., list 41
Royal clerk; (fn. 50) royal collation to deanery of Lichfield 11 Apr. 1214 (Rot. Litt.
Pat. p. 113a). Preb. of London (1 Fasti I 86). Royal collation to succeed M. Robert
of Gloucester as chanc. of Chichester, sede vacante, 28 Oct. 1222 (Pat. R. 1216-
25 p. 349). Also canon of Lincoln (J. and L. Stones, in Archives xvi (1984) pp.
243, 248-9; not in 1 Fasti III). Bp., el. by 1 Nov. 1222, temps. 3 Nov. 1222, cons.
21 Apr. 1224 (list 1).
M. Thomas of Lichfield preb. unident., list 41
Royal clerk prob. as early as 1212; canon of York by May 1221 (see York
Minster Fasti I 17-18; also Russell, Dict. of Writers, pp. 165-6). Prob. a protégé
of bp. Ralph de Neville, formerly dean of Lichfield (above; and see note on Thomas
as dean, list 2). Almost certainly chanc. of Chichester by 5 June 1224, when he
occ. as 'cancellarius ecclesie' in copy of a ch. of Richard de Marisco, bp. of
Durham, in which 'Cicestrensis' is prob. omitted (Reg. Walter Gray, ed. J. Raine
(Surtees Soc. lvi, 1872) p. 148; see commentary by C. T. Clay in York Minster
Fasti I 17-18). Also occ. after 21 Apr. 1224 (Chart. Chichester no. 208); (fn. 51) 1226/
7 (Walcott, Statutes p. 207, cal. Chart. Chichester no. 40); and Nov. 1227 (Chart.
Chichester no. 410; for the date, see above, Dating). Became dean, prob. el. on or
shortly after 11 June 1229 (list 2).
Eustace de Leveland preb. Woodhorn, list 40
Archdcn. of Lewes (last occ. 11 June 1229; list 9). First occ. as chanc. soon
after 11 June 1229 (Chart. Chichester no. 210; for the date, see above, Dating).
Occ. frequently; for full name see, e.g., Curia Regis Rolls XVI nos. 194, 500,
XVII no. 2409. Last occ. 1246/7 (Chart. Chichester nos. 502, 508, 562). (fn. 52)
M. John of Climping preb. unident., list 41
Canon by 7 Nov. 1231 or 1232 (list 41); archdcn. of Chichester by Dec. 1242,
last occ. 1246/7 (list 8). First occ. as chanc., called M. John of Arundel, 17 July
1247 (Chart. Chichester no. 595). Rector of Climping (ibid. no. 220 of 9 Oct.
1248), and so identical with John of Climping (see list 41). Last occ. as chanc. 19
Apr. 1251 (Walcott, Statutes p. 213) and 6 Oct. 1251 (Liber E fo. 98v, omitted
from Chart. Chichester). Bp. of Chichester, el. 14 Apr. x 21 May 1253, temps. 27
May, cons. 11 Jan. 1254 (list 1).
William of Bracklesham preb. Woodhorn, list 40
Canon by 26 Feb. 1254; still canon 27 Aug. 1254 (list 40). Called rector of St
Pancras, Arlington, so therefore chanc. before 2 Aug. 1256 (Chart. Chichester nos.
261, 620), (fn. 53) and first called chanc. 4 Nov. 1256 (Chart. Chichester no. 1080). Occ.
frequently. Full name and title on several occasions (e.g. ibid. nos. 66, 241-2, 451,
638). Last occ. 27 Dec. 1271 (Walcott, Statutes p. 222). Dean by 1275/6 (list 2).
M. Richard of Pagham
(fn. 54) preb. unident., list 41
Canon by 28 Dec. 1264 (list 41). First occ. as chanc. c. 1275 (Chart. Chichester
no. 663, closely related to no. 664, which bears date 1275/6). Occ. several times.
Last occ. 25 Nov. 1286 (Suss. Fines II no. 994, cf. no. 993).
M. John de Lacy
(fn. 55) preb. unident., list 41
First occ. as chanc. 15 Sept. 1288 (Foedera, ed. T. Rymer (1745) I iii 26). Also
preb. of Lincoln (1 Fasti III 90, 105); preb. of Wells (2 Fasti VIII 68). Last occ.
as chanc. of Chichester 20 May 1300 (Records of Antony Bek, ed. C. M. Fraser
(Surtees Soc. clxii, 1953) p. 68). Died by 11 Nov. 1301 (Lincoln, Reg. II fo. 276v).