Unfortunately we have but one letter of Pope Innocent which bears upon this controversy: and that would seem to be his response to Peter's appeal. On 4 Feb. 1209 the pope writes to the bishop of Ely to cause the precentor of London to hold such dignity in the church of London as shall not infringe the rights of the dean and others.[1] We may take it that this brought the incident to a close. The archdeacon of London retained his pre-eminence, and the precentor had to be content with the second stall on the north side.[2]
Besides his archdeaconry Peter held the prebend of Hoxton. We do not know at what time he obtained it. Le Neve gives, but without dates, the following series of prebendaries of Hoxton for this period:
John Cumin (cons, archbp of Dublin, 1182)
Robert de Camera
Peter of Blois, archdeacon of London
Walter, archdeacon of London.
It is a curious coincidence that John Cumin, whom Peter succeeded in the archdeaconry of Bath, should have been one of his predecessors in this particular prebend. Peter's successor in the archdeaconry of London was also his successor in the prebend of Hoxton. [3]
The date of Peter's death is indicated approximately by a writ of K. John (Rot. Litt. Claus. i. 117), dated 20 May 1212 (14 John). By this writ Brian de Insula is directed to permit the executors of Master Peter of Blois, late archdeacon of London, to have free and full disposal of his goods and chattels. From this it would be natural to assume that he died early in 1212. But a Rouen Necrology has the following entry: '29 Jun. Magister Petrus Blesensis, sacerdos et canonicus'.[4] If this is to be trusted, the year must be 1211. The only objection to this date is the long interval between his death and
- ↑ At this time the bishops of London and Ely were in exile abroad on account of the publication of the Interdict.
- ↑ See Newcourt, Repertorium (1708), p. 53; and Dr. Sparrow Simpson, Statutes of St Paul's, p. 24.
- ↑ We find Peter attesting the following charters as archdeacon of London: (1) Cal. of Doc. in France, p. 30; an Inspeximus by Dean Alard of an agreement between William bishop of London and the monks of St Ouen, which had been made in 1205: there is nothing to show how soon afterwards the Inspeximus was drawn up: the agreement itself was confirmed by K. 1 John, 30 May 1206. (2) Hist. MSS Commission, 9th report, app. I, 9 a (St Paul's charters): this is attested by ten out of the fourteen witnesses to the preceding document. (3) Ibid. 39 b. (4) 5th report, 481 b (Wadham Coll.). We also have (9th report, app. I, 30 a) an agreement made 'in the Lent after the death of Mag. Peter of Blois, archdeacon of London'.
- ↑ Bouquet-Brial, Recueil, xxiii. 364. The earlier form of this Necrology, drawn up under Odo Rigaud (1248-75) has the entry as above in the text. At 20 Mar. we find the entry 'Magister Guillermus de Blois'.
