II. BOOK professed in a letter to the treasurer. " Protesting to de"vote himself and his service unto his honour for ever. Anno 1576." And as he had desired him now in that place to take some especial care of certain matters," (which, I suppose, was to watch any messengers or messages that might come from Scotland to the Scottish queen, or from her that way, and likewise for the service of religion, to check popery in those parts, where especially emissaries were sent to say mass, and to make proselytes, and to stir insurrections,) " he assured him, that he would not be unmindful to ac 66 complish his lordship's requests, as he trusted should "tend to the advancement of God's glory and her ma"jesty's good service. And that he doubted not he should "do it, if he were well backed at the beginning by her highness and that lord, and the rest of the privy-council. "And that he had served seven years at Carlisle, and he "trusted had discharged that promise that his lordship "then made unto her highness in his behalf." The whole 432 letter, with an &c. of shewing himself thankful, may be read in the Appendix, that I may preserve some memorial of bishop Barnes, as I do, as far as I meet with any matters of remark, concerning other bishops of these times. No. IV. The new for dilapi dations. But there followed a contest between the new bishop and bishop sues Mrs. Pilkinton, the former bishop's widow, about the dilapidations, which the bishop made to amount to a great sum, as by a brief of the special surveys appeared; which he sent up to the lord treasurer, who concerned himself in the same, in order to make some amicable conclusion between them; and was desirous to have the matter ended by arbitration. Which the bishop shewed himself ready to comply with: thus declaring to the said lord, "what he "had done touching his lordship's request to compromit to "order of indifferent men the controversy between Mrs. "Pilkinton and him, for dilapidations; that he did the last "summer appoint with Dr. Kingsmel, her brother, to send up some at Michaelmas term last, to deal with them in "that cause. And that accordingly he sent Mr. Richard "Frankland and another for him. Who waited there at "that term-time, and sought for Mr. Kingsmel. And de- CHAP. "clared unto Mrs. Pilkinton's proctors, that they attended III. "to that end. But none of them would for her deal that Anno 1576. 66 way, nor be known to have any direction to that end “from her and hers. But they had feed three doctors and "two proctors to answer him, as like would. Whereupon "they informed him to commence his suit: and that since they had used such delays, and so dallied in the suit, (the "judge more than indifferently inclining to them,) they "had driven him, he said, to appeal to her majesty. 66 "So that the next term, as he proceeded, his lordship "should see the original surveys under the hands and seal "of gentlemen, wise and right worshipful. And that at "his honour's request he would send up some for him, who "should attend upon his lordship four days before the next "term. And that it would please his lordship to command "those that were for Mrs. Pilkinton, then to be before his "honour also. And that those whom he should send "should deal with them; and offer such offers on his [the bishop's] behalf, as he doubted not but his lordship "should like of, and think to be reasonable and friendly. "Notwithstanding, he would not rehearse how ill he had "been handled at Mrs. Pilkinton's hands, and by hers: "which his lordship should know hereafter." This was written from Aikeland, the 11th day of February, 1577. Subscribing, "Your honourable good lordship's, "Ever in Christ Jesu, "At all commandments, Dr. Mey was at length made bishop of Carlisle, by the 433 intercession of his said friend the earl of Shrewsbury. Dr. Mey is bishop of Which favour he acknowledged by a letter of gratitude, Carlisle; dated June the 1st, 1577, from Huntingdon, being then bi- procured shop elect: importing, "that having received so many good earl of "turns at his honour's hands, he thought it his bounden Salop. duty to write these his humble letters of thanksgiving 66 him by the II. BOOK "unto his good lordship; assuring the same, that as he "took himself more bound unto his honour than he could Anno 1576." express, so he would never be unmindful of his duty to"wards his lordship, or any of his lordship's friends; but "to the utmost of his power would always be ready to gra Darfield rectory in com 66 tify the same any manner of way that should lie in him." Requesting further of the said earl, to obtain a commendam for him, where he might reside, Rose castle being at present taken up by a temporal lord, the lord Scroop. Therefore he beseeched him to move the earl of Leicester for his commendam, that among other things he might still enjoy the benefice of Darfield, which was the only place that he now had to stay in; considering that the lord Scroop had the use of Rose castle till Michaelmas next. And that he had also, at the said earl of Leicester's request, parted lately with his mastership of St. Katharine's hall in Cambridge, to one of his lordship's chaplains, [viz. Edm. Hound.] This Darfield was a rectory in Yorkshire, containing no less than two thousand souls, young and old: but not commendam. ing all to one church, there being two chapels annexed; the one at Wombe, the other at Worseborough. Which town might consist of six hundred souls more. To which parish belonged a parson (who was the bishop) and a vicar. Whose living consisted of a pension of twenty-two marks: the parson's, of six or seven score pounds by the year. He allowed to the curates of the two chapels (whereof the vicar was one) five pounds each yearly. And the bishop procured quarterly sermons for his head church. But for this, the bishop was unworthily slandered and clamoured at by the puritan faction after this manner: If one asked, why these stipendiaries took so little of the parson, and he receive so much, answer was made, that if they refused, the bishop would take one or other that came next to hand, and create him a shepherd in one day, that would be content to serve him for less. Such slanders were easily raised, and then studiously blown about among the common people. Part of a folio 277. This bi shop's coat armour, and family. Herald This bishop bore sable, a cheveron, or, between three cross croslets, fitche, argent. On a chief of the second Office. III. three roses. Which seemed to be an addition to the bi- CHAP. shop's coat; for his brother, Dr. William May, dean of Paul's, bore it plain. He married Amy, daughter of Will. Anno 1576. Vowel of Creke abbey in Norfolk, gent. and widow of John Cowel of Lancashire: and had issue, John, his son and heir; Elizabeth, married to Richard Bird, D. D. Alice, married to Richard Burton of Burton in the county of York; Anne, married to Richard Pilkington, D.D. John, the bishop's son and heir, of Shouldham abbey, comitat. Nor. esq. married to Cordela, daughter of Martin Bowes of London, esq. and had issue Henry, John, Stephen, Marga-434 ret, married to Richard Fawcet of Catericks, in com. Richmond, clerk; Frances, Fortunata, Frances, Dorothy. This bishop's death, place of interment, and memorial, His death. follow: being taken from the register of the parish of Dalston in Cumberland. Feb. 15, 1597. Reverendus in Christo pater, Johannes Mey, divina providentia episcopus Carliolensis, hora octava matutina decimi quinti diei Februarii, mortem oppetiit, et hora octava vespertina ejusdem diei, Carliolensi in ecclesia sepultus fuit. Cujus justa celebrabantur die sequenti Dal stonii. Rev. Tho. CHAP. IV. Rockrey, B. D. of Queen's college, Cambridge, inconformable to the apparel prescribed by statute: his case signified by the master of the college. One Gawton, a puritan, summoned before the bishop of Norwich. The matters laid to his charge. Is suspended. One Harvey, another puritan minister of Norwich, suspended. Gawton's letter to the bishop, disowning his jurisdiction. A sect of libertines. Dr. Laurence Humfrey made dean of Gloucester. Observation of the 17th of November. Irish priests, bastards. Dispensed with by the pope to take orders. WE turn now to the puritanical sort, and such as refused to the habits. BOOK conformity to the customs and practice of the church, enII. joined. Of this sort was one Rockrey, B. D. of Queen's Anno 1576. college, Cambridge. He was an enemy to the wearing both Rockrey of of the apparel required of the clergy and of the university. Cambridge, incompliant And so inconformable he had been some years before; and was cast out of the college for the same fault, by command of the queen's council. But such was the tenderness of the lord Burghley, chancellor of that university, that he prevailed to have him received again, in hopes of better compliance; being a person, it seems, of some merit. But instead thereof, he shewed himself afterwards more averse and obstinate than before. So that still complaint being made thereof by Dr. Chaderton, the master, some time still was allowed him to reform himself. The year being expired, and the man as perverse as before, or more, the said Dr. Chaderton stated the matter at large to the said lord, in a letter dated in October; and requiring his direction how to proceed with him, that would not yet conform to the rites and customs of the church and college, viz. 435 The master of Queen's "That Rockrey, S. T. B. still remained in the college; one not unknown to his honour: who, four years ago, by college, his "the public authority of the queen's council, was ejected "the college for contumacy; again admitted by his [the lord Burgh-❝ chancellor's] entreaty into his fellowship. But that he "from that time had been so averse, not from the rites report of him to the ley. 66 66 66 66 only, and ceremonies, but even a communi etiam vita, hardly conversing with the rest, that he had offended "very many honest men; and by his evil example had ex"cited others also to the same aragia. That he dealt, as it was fit, with the man at first friendly and piously, but profited nothing. That afterwards, as their statutes required, he admonished him three times that he should "compose himself as well in habitu as in vestitu, to the "common and approved customs of the university. But "he refused to wear either the ecclesiastical habit or the university cap. That this he had signified to his lordship "the last year, when he was with him at Theobald's. And "that then this was his decree, that he [the master] should 66 |