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VOWESSES.
world, or regarded in any sense as a member of a
religious order ;
though in some cases it would seem
that, for the sake of leading a stricter life, she took up
her abode in or near some religious house. The
taking of this vow was a thing of very common occurrence,
both in the higher and lower ranks of society.
In the case of ladies of rank or high descent, the
vow was commonly made before the Archbishop, as
in the case of Margaret of Slingsby, whom Archbishop
Scrope received at Bishopthorpe, himself celebrating
mass in his chapel there, and going through all the
customary formalities. When the Archbishop was
absent his suffragan usually officiated. We have
several of their names. William, Bishop of Pharos,
Nicholas, Bishop of Uromore, John, Bishop of the
Isles, William, Bishop of Dromore, John, Bishop of
Ross, and John, Bishop of Negropont, are amongst
those who occur. Bishop William, of Dromore, seems
to have acted as suffragan for many years. He was
suffragan to Archbishop Neville in 1469, and he was
acting in the same capacity for successive prelates
down to 1 50 1.
A record occurs of the vow being made under
peculiar circumstances, whilst the husband was still
living. One Henry Andrew comes before Archbishop
Booth in 1479, solemnly vows to live in chastity
from that day forward, and to give himself to
"fastyng, prayer, and workes of pety," and to abide
stedfastly by his vow, " after the order of hermettes,"
for the remainder of his life.
Mistrsss Alice, his wife,
then comes forward and makes her vow, taiupiaju
vidua ; each, no doubt, having agreed with the other
P 2