Untitled

Documents: 3. 9 265
bentes introitu ecclesie, super pallium post missam, et super thorum
in sero, ideo notandum quod omnes benedictiones sive orationes benedictionales
que dicuntur in primis nuptiis, dicuntur etiam in secundis,
etiam ubi uterque coniugum vel alter prius fuerat benedictus, preter
illam que incipit Deus qui tam [fo. 147ra] excellenti misterio coniugalem
copulam consecrasti etc., usque Deus per quem mulier, in qua agitur
de unitate Christi et ecclesie que figuratur in primis nuptiis non in
secundis, ut Extra, De Bigamis, capitulo Debitum. Ideo in secundis
nuptiis illa oratio penitus omittenda est, ubi videlicet alter nubentium
est bigamus prius benedictus vel vidua prius benedicta.
9. Si vir et mulier contrahant in facie ecclesie et benedicantur, et postea
divortietur inter eos ante carnalem copulam propter aliquod impedimentum
legitimum, neutrius secunde nuptie benedicentur si convolent
ad secunda vota, quia benedictio spiritualis tante ecacie est quod
semper operatur nisi recipiens fuerit contrarie voluntatis, et benedictio
semel accepta non potest amitti: quod enim factum est, nequit non fieri,
secundum Hostiensem in Summa, rubrica ‘De secundis nuptiis’.
3. 10. A ‘bigamy’ case from the gaol delivery rolls (6 June
1320)
This document shows how the rules about ‘bigamy’ could be a matter of life
and death. The Second Council of Lyons ruled that clerics in minor orders
who married widows or were otherwise ‘bigamous’ lost their clerical status,
and hence their immunity from secular justice. This was rapidly adopted
in England. Because he was married to a widow, John of Worcester was
unable to plead his clergy and escape hanging for his very considerable
felonies.
For a brief mention of this case see J. R•ohrkasten, Die englische Kronzeugen
1130–1330 (Berliner historische Studien, 16; Berlin, 1990), 345 and
n. 837. For gaol delivery rolls as a genre of source see ibid. 44–58.
The National Archives, JUST 3. 41/1
The manuscript consists of long strips sewn together, varying in length
but very approximately 700ÿ220 mm., with cases recorded on both
sides. The following summary is attached to the document on a modern
etc.] c. ms.
X. 1. 21. 5.
benedicantur] benedicuntur ms.
et] om. ms.
divortietur] divortiatur ms., with a mark over the a
Hostiensis (Henricus de Segusio), Summa aurea (Lyons, 1548 edn.), fo. 225VB.
I owe this reference to Dr Susanne Jenks.