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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 July 2008
Anyone coming across the fourteenth-century church of St Cornelius in Lyndewode, now Linwood, a short distance from the Lincolnshire town of Market Rasen, is struck by its stark isolation—it virtually stands alone in fields. Anyone entering the church will most likely be struck by two interesting objects which have some bearing on this lecture. The first, at the west end of the north aisle, are two fine excellently preserved brasses, both of wool men. They had clearly prospered in the economic development of Lincolnshire in the later middle ages. One of these brasses is of John Lyndwood, who died in 1419, with his wife, four sons and three daughters under smaller canopies. The other represents another John Lyndwood, the son of the former, who died in 1421.
1 For the brasses, see Druitt, H, A Manual of Costumes as Illustrated by Monumental Brasses (London, 1906), pp 132–133Google Scholar, and Norris, M, Monumental Brasses, The Memorials (London, 1977), vol I, p 79Google Scholar. For Lincolnshire's economic development and its implications for wool production, see Platts, G, Land and People in Medieval Lincolnshire (History of Lincolnshire IV, Lincoln, 1985), pp 180–181.Google Scholar
2 On Lyndwood in general, see Ferme, B E, Canon Law in Late Medieval England. A Study of William Lyndwood's Provinciale with particular reference to Testamentary Law (Studia et Textus Historiae Iuris Canonici 8, Rome, 1996)Google Scholar. See also Baker, J H, ‘Famous English Canon Lawyers IV: William Lyndwood’ (1992) 2 Ecc L J 268–272CrossRefGoogle Scholar: Cheney, C R, ‘William Lyndwood's Provinciale’ (1961) 21 The Jurist 405–434Google Scholar: Reeves, A C, ‘The Careers of William Lyndwood’. in Documenting the Past. Essays in Medieval History presented to George Peddy Cuttino. eds Hamilton, J S and Bradley, P J (Woodbridge, 1989), pp 197–216.Google Scholar
3 For Lyndwood's will, dated 22 November 1443, see (1852) 34 Archaeologia 418–420. At p 418 we read: ‘Item lego ecclesie de lyndewod ubi natus sum, antiphonarium meum minorem de tribus’
4 John Lyndwood's will is found in Jacob, E F, The Register of Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1414–1443 (Canterbury and York Society, vols. 42, 45–47, Oxford, 1938–1947)Google Scholar, vol. II, pp. 185–186. See also Foster, C W, ‘Lincolnshire Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1348–1468’ (1932) 41 Associated Architectural Societies Reports and Papers pp 71–72.Google Scholar
5 See in general Boyle, L E, ‘Canon Law before 1380’, in The History of the University of Oxford, vol. I, The Early Oxford Schools, ed. Catto, J I (Oxford, 1984), pp 531–564.Google Scholar
6 In general, see Venn, J, Biographical History of Gonville and Caius College, 1349–1897 (Cambridge, 1897), vol. 1, p 8Google Scholar. and Brooke, C, A History of Gonville and Caius College (Woodbridge, 1985). pp 21–22. 26–27.Google Scholar
7 See Fuller, T, The History of the Worthies of England (London, 1811), vol II, p 10.Google Scholar
8 See Horn, J M, The Register of Robert Hallum (Canterbury and York Society, vol. 72, Torquay, 1982). p 139Google Scholar. See also Emden, A B, A Biographical Register of the University of Oxford to AD 1500 (Oxford, 1957–1959), vol II, p 1191.Google Scholar
9 For the benefices held by Lyndwood, see Ferme, B E, Canon Law in Late Medieval England, pp 149–151.Google Scholar
10 For the legal machinery of the Archbishop of Canterbury, see Churchill, I J, Canterbury Administration (London, 1933)Google Scholar. The commission as Chancellor and Auditor of Causes is printed in vol II, pp 214–215.
11 As well as the indispensable study of Churchill, I J, Canterbury Administration (London, 1933)Google Scholar. see also Woodcock, B L, Medieval Ecclesiastical Courts in the Diocese of Canterbury (Oxford, 1952).Google Scholar
12 Reg. Chichele, vol I, pp lxxxviii.
13 For various suits in which Lyndwood was involved, see Ferme, B E, Canon Law in Late Medieval England, pp 23–35.Google Scholar
14 For an account of his election, on 24 April 1425, see Reg. Chichele, vol III, p 103. See also a reference in the Provinciale, p 192a. a.v. Provinciam: ‘Me tune existente praelocutore ipsius cleri’.
15 See Ferme, B E, Canon Law in Late Medieval England, pp 33–34.Google Scholar
16 See Reg. Chichele, vol III, pp 118–57, 157–73. Other cases in which Lyndwood was involved includ ed that of John Claydon, Reg. Chichele, vol IV, pp 132–138: John Barton, idem, vol III, pp 15, 16, 25: and Ralph Mungyn, idem, vol III, pp 195–205.
17 See Rymer, T, Foedera, Conventiones et Litterae (London, 1727–1735), vol X, p 167Google Scholar. and Wylie, J H, History of England under Henry the Fourth (London, 1884–1898), vol II, p 330.Google Scholar
18 See the Dedication to Chichele in the Provinciale: ‘Demumque post Hispanici Littoris sulcata maria. & a Regno Portugalliae reditum (piissimae memoriae Henrico Rege Angliae Quinto, in cujus Legatione tune eram, ultimo die Augusti, Anno Domini 1422, apud Boscum Vicemarum in Francia vita functo) reassumpto Officialitatis officio, anno tunc sequenti eadem Statuta glossare proposu’.
19 See Griffiths, R, The Reign of Henry IV (London, 1981), p 192.Google Scholar
20 See Storey, R L, ‘English Officers of State. 1399–1485’ (1958) 31 BIHR p 87Google Scholar. and Baldwin, J F, The King's Council in England during the Middle Ages (Oxford, 1913), p 185.Google Scholar
21 See generally Dickinson, J G, The Congress of Arras (Oxford, 1955)Google Scholar. For other diplomatic missions involving Lyndwood. see Ferguson, J, English Diplomacy. 1422–1461 (Oxford, 1972), pp 45–46, 190, 196.Google Scholar
22 See Weiss, R, ‘Henry VI and the Library of All Souls College’ (1942) 57 EHR pp 102–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23 See Lyte, H C M, History of Eton College (4th edn.London, 1911), pp 1–6Google Scholar. and Griffiths, R A, The Reign of Henry VI, pp 242–248.Google Scholar
24 See Willis, R and Clark, J W, The Architectural History of the University of Cambridge and of the Colleges of Cambridge and Eton (Cambridge, 1896), vol I, p ixGoogle Scholar. and Griffiths, R A, The Reign of Henry VI, p 247.Google Scholar
25 The recommendation is printed in Williams, G, Correspondence of Thomas Bekynton Secretary to Henry VI and Bishop of Bath and Wells (Rolls Series, London, 1872), vol I, pp 1–3.Google Scholar
26 See Cheney, C R, ‘Provincial’, p 161. n 4Google Scholar. where it is pointed out that at the very time of Lyndwood's writing. Archbishop Nicholas of Gniezno had published in 1420 a collection of provincial statutes in five books sub certis et consuetis titulis.
27 See Provinciale, p 95a, a.v. Commenta.
28 Provinciale. p. 356a. He also seems to have prepared an index or ‘tabula compendiosa’ completed ‘in festo conversionis sancti pauli, anno domini MCCCCXXXIIΓ’
29 Maitland, F W, Roman Canon Law in the Church of England (London, 1898), p 38.Google Scholar
30 10 See Cheney, C R, ‘Legislation of the Medieval English Church’ (1935) 50 EHR pp 193–224CrossRefGoogle Scholar, and ‘Textual Problems of the English Provincial Canons’, in idem. Medieval Texts and Studies (Oxford, 1973), pp 111–137.Google Scholar
31 See Provinciale, p 22b, a.v. Interpretatione; p 32a, a. v. Quia quidam el infra; p 90a, a.v. Excussis; p 191b, a.v. Quoniam; p 167b, a.v. De Lambeth.
32 See (1852) 34 Archaeologia pp 419–420: ‘Item, volo quod liber meus quem compilavi super constituciones provinciales reponatur in cathenis et inferratus sit, ut salvo et secure custodiatur, in superiori parte capelle sancti Stephani predicte vel alias in vestiario eius capelle, ut quociens opus fuerit pro veritate scripture primarie eiusdem pro correctione aliorum librorum ab eodem tractatu copiandorum recurri poterit dum sit opus’.
33 For a list of manuscripts, see Ferme, B E, Canon Law in late Medieval England, pp 147–148.Google Scholar
34 ibid., pp 52–53.
35 Provinciale, p 298b, a.v. Fore praestanda.
36 See Bale, J, Index Brittaniae Scriptorum, ed Poole, R L and Bateson, M (Oxford, 1902), p 133Google Scholar, and Bale, J, Illustrium Maioris Brittaniae Scriplorum (Ipswich, 1584), fol 158b.Google Scholar
37 See Ferme, B E, ‘William Lyndwood’, The Caian, November 1989, pp 62–68.Google Scholar
38 See Griffiths, R, The Reign of Henry VI, p 265, n 47.Google Scholar
39 For discussion of the dispute see, Ch Donahue Jr, ‘Roman Canon Law in the Medieval English Church: Stubbs vs Maitland Re-examined after 75 yeas in the Light of some Records from the Church Courts’ (1974) 72 Michigan Law Review, pp 647–715; Elton, G R, F W Maitland (London, 1985). pp 69–79Google Scholar; Gray, J W, ‘Canon Law in England: Some Reflections on the Stubbs-Maitland Controversy’, in Studies in Church History, ed Cumming, J G, (Leiden, 1966), pp 46–88Google Scholar; Helmholz, R H, Roman Canon Law in Reformation England (Cambridge, 1990), pp 4–12CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Idem, ‘The History of English Law. Centenary Essays on Pollock and Maitland’ (1996) 89 Proceedings of the British Academy pp 145–169.Google Scholar
40 Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Constitution and Working of the Ecclesiastical Courts… (London, 1883), vol I, p xviii.Google Scholar
41 Maitland's views are collected in F W Maitland, Roman Canon Law. The first chapter is dedicated to Lyndwood.
42 Roman Canon Law, p 2.
43 ibid. p 12.
44 For examples, see Adams, N and Donahue, Ch, Select Cases from the Ecclesiastical Courts of the Province of Canterbury c 1200–1301 (Selden Society, vol. 95, London, 1981)Google Scholar, and Helmholz, R H, Canon Law and the Law of England (London, 1987).Google Scholar
45 For examples of Lyndwood's underlining papal authority and the ‘plenitudo potestatis’, see Provinciale, p 28b, a.v. Expresse; p 104a. a.v. Fratrum nostrorum Consilio; p 292b, a.v. Declarentur: p 297a. a.v. Decretalibus: p 320b. a.v. interdicto.
46 Helmholz, R M. Roman Canon Law in Reformation England, p 19.Google Scholar
47 ‘The testamentary executor in Lyndwood's Provinciale’ (1989) 49 Jurist pp 632–678.Google Scholar
48 Stubbs, W, Seventeen Lectures on the Study of Mediaeval and Modern History (3rd. edn., Oxford, 1900), p 351Google Scholar: ‘As we proceed, however, we are struck more and more with the prominence of the scientific element in legal education’.
49 ‘The History of English Law’ (cited in note 39 above), p. 165.Google Scholar
50 See Kuttner, S., ‘Pope Lucius III and the Bigamous Archbishop of Palermo’, in Medieval Studies Pnosented to Aubrey Gwynn, S J ed Watt, J A, (Dublin, 1961). pp 409–453.Google Scholar
51 See I Tim 3:2,12: fit 1:6.
52 See Provinciale, p 31a. a.v. Bigamos.
53 ibid.
54 See Hostiensis, , Summa Aurea (Lyons, 1588). f 50dGoogle Scholar: ‘Hoc tamen “non potest”, idest non congruit potential’ suae’, The reference is to the decretal cum ad monasterium. X.3.35.6.
55 See Provinciale, p 91b, a.v. Teneatur: ‘Alium casum habes. si Mandatum vergat in periculum animae, utputa, si papa mandat provideri impuberi de Beneficio curato’.
56 Provinciale, p 273a, a.v. Solennem Editionem. ‘… hic vero tenet, quia non est potestas Papae in dissolvendo carnale matrimonium, sicut spirituale’.
57 See Provinciale, p 180a, a.v. Decedentium. For further examples, see Provinciale, p 173b, a.v. Voluntatem ultimam: p 172a, a.v. Intestatis: p 176b, a.v. Inventarium.
58 See Ch Donahue, ‘Lyndwood's Gloss propriarum uxorum: Marital Property and the ius commune in Fifteenth-Century England’, in Europaisches Rechtsdenken in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Festschrift fur Helmut Coing zum 70. Geburtstag. ed Horn, N, (Munich, 1982), vol I, pp 19–37.Google Scholar
59 Summa Aurea. I. De officio ordinarii, n 4. See Gallagher, C, Canon Law and the Christian Community (Rome, 1978). pp 126–138Google Scholar. For Hostiensis concept of equity, see Brugnotto, G, “L'Aequitas Canonica”. Studio e Analisi del Concetto negli Scritti di Enrico da Susa (Cardinal Ostiense)’. unpublished doctoral dissertation. Universitá Pontificia Gregoriana, Rome 1996.Google Scholar
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