A HISTORY OF NORFOLK exceptional. That many of the Norfolk parsons were men of university standing is also shown by the calendars/ William de Ayermin died in London 27 March, 1336, and two days after his death the monks of Norwich elected one of their number, Thomas de Hemeiihall, to succeed him. The election was annulled by Pope Bene- dict XII, who conferred the bishopric of Worcester on Hemenhall, and made Anthony de Bek, dean of Lincoln, at the time at Avignon, bishop of Norwich. He was consecrated at Avignon by the pope 30 March, 1337, and held his see for six years, dying 19 December, 1343. His first official act was to appoint William de Claxtone, prior of Norwich, and Master John de Fenton, archdeacon of Suffolk, to be his vicars-general.^ He made Benedict of Norfolk, prior of the Austin Friars of Norwich, his suffragan,' by the title of bishop of Sardis. He sued William de Ayermin's executors for dilapidations and recovered the enormous sum of 1,900 //.* which shows that a disgraceful waste of the property of the see had taken place. He asserted his own rights against Archbishop Stratford on his attempting to hold a visitation in his diocese,^ and when the king supported the archbishop appealed to Rome, with what result is not known. He also had a dispute with the priory of Norwich, which he endeavoured to make subject to the bishop. Six months before his death both the archdeacons of Norfolk and Norwich appear in a list of ecclesiastics against whom processes had been instituted on account of extortions.^ His successor, William Bateman, son of one of the principal citizens of Norwich, had been collated to the archdeaconry of Norwich by William de Ayermin 8 December, 1328,^ after he had proceeded doctor of civil law at Cambridge. He had been made dean of Lincoln, and had been employed by Edward III with Thomas Falstaff, archdeacon of Norwich, on a mission to negotiate for peace with France, when Pope Clement V bestowed on him the vacant see simultaneously with his election by the monks of Norwich. He was consecrated at Avignon 23 May, 1344, and his appointment was exceedingly popular in Norwich. Like many of his predecessors he was often employed on the king's service,* in negotiations with France and the pope. But he was a stern disciplinarian in his diocese, and shortly after his consecra- tion held a visitation, which he executed with great courage and vigour, going so far as to assert his visitatorial authority over the abbey of St. Edmund's, whose resistance brought him into collision with the judicial authority. The abbey proved its case against him, and under the provisions of an ancient charter he was condemned to pay the enormous fine of 10,000 //. He not only refused to do so, but excommunicated the official, Richard Froysel,' who delivered the letters of prohibition to him. He was then threatened with arrest, his temporalities were seized, and his goods and cattle distrained.^" He appealed to the council called by Archbishop Stratford at St. Paul's 25 September, 1347, though with what result is not recorded. But this action had been taken against him by the justiciars in the absence of the king," with whom he was ' cf. Cal. Papal Letters, ii, 352 ; Cal. Papal Petitions, i, 435. ' Goulburn, Hist, of Norwich Cathedral, 425. ^ Stubbs, Reg. Sacr. App. 5, p. 425. « Harl. MS. 3720, fol. xiii.
- Ryraer, Foedera, 29 Nov. 1343. « Close, 17 Edw. iii, pt. ii, m. 25 d.
' Le Neve, Fasti, ii, 479. « Rymer, Foedera, iii, 19, 62, 165, 173, 175, 182, 183, 184, 196, 225, 227, 253, 275, 283. ' Cal. Papal Letters, iii, 391. '» Blomefield, op. cit. iii, 363. " Cal. Papal Letters, iii, 391. 240
