In 1430, Henry Ciprian and Roger Bukke, two Augustinian canons, fled from their priory at Waltham, Essex, and sought sanctuary at the collegiate church of St. Martin le Grand in London. Their request for asylum sparked a major conflict between the dean of St. Martin’s and the mayor and aldermen of London over the church’sContinue reading “Apostasy and sanctuary, 1430”
Tag Archives: Clerical sanctuary seekers
A quarrel between two priests
On 19 November 1435, a London chaplain, William Burght, was found dead in the parish of St. Gregory, right by (attached to, really) St. Paul’s cathedral. The coroner’s inquest jurors reported that Thomas Curteys, parson of Shere, in Surrey, had lain in wait to kill Burght, brutally stabbing him many times with a “trencherknife” –Continue reading “A quarrel between two priests”
An apostate monk and royal defence of sanctuary
An odd story of another apostate monk, and flipping of assumptions of sanctuary as church encroachment on royal power: an “enemy” abbey (Citeaux in Burgundy) allegedly interfered in the king’s sanctuary at Westminster. Allegations and counter-allegations in this case are contradictory, so it’s impossible to discern “what happened,” but what follows is my best guess.Continue reading “An apostate monk and royal defence of sanctuary”
Felonious monk
William Lane, a monk at Abingdon Abbey, fled to a church after having been indicted of horse theft. He abjured the realm, but did not actually leave; when he was caught and brought before the king’s justices, he then claimed benefit of clergy. He was delivered into the custody of the bishop of London, whoContinue reading “Felonious monk”
Thiefcatchers and felonious priests
One day John Kirkeham, a London “catchpoll” (thief-catcher) arrested Geoffrey Warmyngton, “vicar of St Martin’s,” for an unspecified offence. Warmyngton twisted out of Kirkeham’s grasp and ran to St Martin le Grand for sanctuary. It’s unclear which church dedicated to St Martin was Warmyngton’s place of employment, as there were six churches dedicated to StContinue reading “Thiefcatchers and felonious priests”
Homicide and the Canons of Egglestone Abbey
In 1496, three canons and a servant of a Premonstratensian Abbey in Yorkshire, Egglestone Abbey, took sanctuary at Durham after they had an altercation with Richard Appleby of Cotherstone and killed him. It’s not quite clear what was happening here, but it’s worthy of note that a number of Applebys of Cotherstone and region wereContinue reading “Homicide and the Canons of Egglestone Abbey”
Murder with a twist
An interesting twist and a frustrating lack of conclusion in this case: In 1505 an inquest was held over the body of Edward ap Evan ap Tidder – called “of London, yeoman,” but presumably originally from Wales. The inquest jurors reported that in the parish of St Bride, Fleet Street, between 10 and 11 atContinue reading “Murder with a twist”
Monk on the run
In 1512 George Akeryg, a “monastic oblate” (novice monk) of St Mary’s abbey, Merevale, Warwickshire, sought sanctuary at St Leonard’s Hospital in York. He evidently wasn’t happy about his religious vocation. Akeryg, on the run from his abbey, ended up in the city of York. He went to St Mary’s abbey, where he stole aContinue reading “Monk on the run”
Sanctuary Seekers in England, 1394-1557 