The question which immediately interests us is the limit of the period, here vaguely described as 'viginti fere annos vel ultra', during which Bishop Robert had quiet possession of the disputed properties. The revived controversy began, we are told, in Dean Ivo's time and after K. Henry II had come to the throne; and the church was troubled for a considerable time ('diutine vexata') before the settlement was arrived at under Dean Richard in 1165. We may perhaps infer from this narrative that Bishop Robert had recovered the properties about 1143; but if other evidence should be found pointing to a rather earlier date, say 1140, it would not be inconsistent with the story we have been considering.
We may also note that the author of this narrative states at an earlier point (p. 24) that in regaining the estates Bishop Robert was aided by Henry bishop of Winchester, who was at the time legate of the Holy See. Now Bishop Henry's legatine commission dated from 1 March 1139, but he did not immediately make it known: it lapsed with the death of Innocent II on 24 September 1143. Thus we are again pointed to the years 1140-3 as the probable period of the re-foundation of the chapter at Wells.
If we have been obliged to reduce Ivo's tenure of the deanery by cutting off five or six years at the beginning, we shall make some compensation by adding three or four years at the end. It has been generally assumed that Richard 'de Spakeston' succeeded him as dean in 1160: but the Bruton chartulary (p. 29) contains a confirmatory grant by Thomas archbishop of Canterbury, made in presence of the king and his court at Woodstock, and followed by a royal confirmation which is attested by Ivo dean of Wells.[1] Another witness is Richard archdeacon of Poitiers. This is Richard of Ilchester, who afterwards became bishop of Winchester. He does not appear to attest charters as archdeacon of Poitiers until about March 1163. W T e may take it therefore as practically certain that the occasion here referred to was the famous council held at Woodstock in the first week of July 1163.
Our earliest charter evidence for Richard as dean of Wells is the composition made with the precentor's nephews at Bath on 14 March 1165. But we have a letter addressed to him as dean by Henry de Beaumont the dean of Salisbury, which perhaps belongs to the preceding year.[2] Philip de Harcourt bishop of Bayeux died 7 Feb. 1164: Henry de Beaumont attests a charter as 'elect of Bayeux'
