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A BISHOPRIC OF FOUNTAINS PROJECTED. 275
as regarded the foundation of new bishoprics. ^
The
paper is corrected by the king's own hand, and is
accompanied by a hst, altogether in his handwriting,
of thirteen new sees which he contemplated.
One of these was to be endowed out of the possessions
of Fountains Abbey and the revenues of the
archdeaconry of Richmond. Its bishop was to have
jurisdiction over that archdeaconry and the county of
Lancaster. The scheme must have been pretty well
matured, for a specific detail of the intended foundation
may be seen amongst the Augmentation Office
Papers. Another paper, respecting the erection of
certain new bishoprics,^ mentions his intention of
founding a see for " Gysborowe cum Beverley."
Six
only, as we know, were actually erected ; Chester
(to which was assigned the district intended for
Fountains), Gloucester, Bristol, Oxford, Peterborough,
and Westminster.
The scheme for the redistribution of the revenues of
Fountains is very precise, with the sole exception of
the amount of income to be assigned to the bishop,
which is left blank. But he was probably intended
to have an annual income of ^^333. 6s. 8d., as was
proposed for the sees of Chester, Colchester, Dunstable,
Shrewsbury, Bodmin, and Southwell.
The Dean was to have p^ioo a year. Six prebendaries
had each ;^20 per annum, and six petty canons
each j£io, the one who acted as sacristan having
'
Cotton MSS. Cleop. E. iv. f. 305. See " Letters Relating
to the Suppression," &c., pp. 262, 263.
"Chapter House Records," vol. cclxiii. p. 43. Cf. "Memorials
of Fountains," &c., pp. 304, 305.
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