Walter de Bedwyn
Walter de Bedwyn was the man who paid the expenses and fees of Nicholas Tingewick at Lanercost. His origins are obscure; he may, as his name suggests, have originated from Bedwyn, or he may have been associated with Bedwyn through the church. In the last decade of the 13th century, he had already qualified as a priest, but he soon established a career as a royal clerk in the Treasury.
After the successful invasion of Scotland in 1296, the English occupation was enforced by a number of appointments. One of these was the appointment of Walter de Bedewynde on the 26th July 1298 as minister of the church at Old Kilpatrick, Glasgow. However by this time, the ebbing tide of English fortunes dashed his hopes:
“Letter to Walter de Bedewynde from William of Dumfries, his clerk, he has lately been to the bishop of Glasgow to obtain Walter’s institution [to the church of Old Kilpatrick] but the bishop told him that he could not carry it out because of the Scots among whom it is situated. The bishop said that the writer may keep possession of the church [of Bothwell] which he has on behalf of Ralph de Manton, until he [the bishop] shall come to these parts”
He may eventually have received the living of the parish, for there are reports of his resignation in 1309. Although the award of offices or estates in Scotland may have been of nebulous value, there was one Scottish estate which proved of more enduring benefit to Walter de Bedwyn. After the rebellion of Robert the Bruce in 1306, he received a estate at Tottenham in Middlesex, one of several Bruce estates which king Edward I had confiscated.
In 1301, Walter de Bedwyn was a clerk in the royal household. He accompanied the king on campaign in Scotland, but was despatched to England on account of a funding crisis. The following is one of several writs concerning the financing of the campaign:
“Writ from King Edward [I] to the treasurer or his lieutenant and the barons and chamberlains of exchequer, complaining of the continuing shortage of money; so many of his troops, both horse and foot, have deserted that he has not enough left to complete his campaign, and is in danger of losing what he had previously won. He is now going to Linliscu [Linlithgow] to spend the winter, hoping not to lose any more ground. The addressees are to send him as much money as possible in the future, otherwise, by their default, he will be dishonoured for all time. He will not accept the excuse that it is dangerous to transport large quantities of [coin]. Also, provisions are very scarce, and must be sent to him. Further information will be given by the bearer of this letter, Walter de Bedwynde, who is to take a reply back telling what steps are being taken to raise the money” [October 22 1301 Edward I at Priory of Emmanuel E159/75 ]
Walter de Bedwyn was Cofferer in the Royal Wardrobe from June 20, 1303 to July 7, 1307, and was responsible for the payment of wages and expenses of the royal household. He succeeded Ralph de Manton who had been captured in Scotland and subsequently killed. Shortly after his appointment, he assisted the keeper of the Wardrobe, John de Drokenford, in investigating the recent theft of crown jewels at Westminster, and in making an inventory of surviving jewels.
In 1305, crossbowmen and archers who had served the king at Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow, petitioned Walter de Bedwyn for arrears of pay:
“The crossbowmen and archers, namely forty-seven request remedy as they show that, whereas they ought to have been paid £180 and more for their wages at Kirkintilloch which are in arrears they have not received more than £48 15s. Nor are Droxford nor Bedwin willing to pay more, but keep back their bills in the wardrobe, so that they may not have recovery of any more and keep back the wages of eighteen crossbowmen who were at the siege of Stirling which amount to forty shillings“
The petitioners formed part of the garrison of the castle at Kirkintilloch, and the non-payment of wages seems particularly irresponsible in the middle of the war. Yet the crown was short of funds, and therefore slow to meet financial commitments. With his own experience of extracting payments in 1301, Walter de Bedwyn would have been fully aware of the underlying causes of their greviances. [ National Archives SC 8/326/E715 ]
The death of king Edward I probably ended further opportunities for Walter de Bedwyn to progress his career in the royal Wardrobe. However from March 1308 to March 1310, he remained in royal service as the king’s Remembrancer, responsible for keeping a record of paid and unpaid casual revenue of the crown.
As cofferer of the Royal Wardrobe, one last service was required of Walter de Bedwyn. With his master, John de Drokenford, Keeper of the Wardrobe, who surrendered his office to be bishop of Bath and Wells, he was required to present the accounts for the last year of the reign of king Edward I to the Exchequer. The presentation was not made until November 1322. Although John de Drokenford presented the accounts, much of the work was completed by Walter de Bedwyn. However, although the contents were beautifully written and arranged, the contents exposed accounts which were riddled with debts and expenses. The document was all about presentation, and not substance, for closer inspection could only reveal the parlous state of royal finances in 1307. As Cofferer, Walter de Bedwyn was one of many men in the Treasury responsible for this state of affairs.
In January 1307, he was appointed as Treasurer of St. Peter ‘s church, i.e. York cathedral, where he remained in office until 1328. He had first been appointed in 1304, but the then Archbishop of York refused his appointment as Francisco Gaetani held this office. However Gaetani was absent, failed to answer a summons and was deprived of office at the end of 1306. In 1311, king Edward II ensured that his clerk would remain in office:
“Protection for Walter de Bedewynd, king's clerk, in possession of the treasurership of the church of St. Peter, York. All persons attempting to disturb him are to be arrested”
In December 1328, Walter de Bedwyn exchanged his office of Treasurer with William de la Mare for the benefice of North Ferriby on the Humber. This was perhaps one of his last acquisitions, for he had died by 1330, when William de la Mare was removed from office:
“Provision of the treasurership of York, about which there was a suit between Francis Caetani, papal chaplain, and Walter de Bedewynde. After several hearings Walter died pending his appeal to the pope; and on Francis proposing to marry, his benefices were reserved by the pope. William de la Mare is said to hold the office, but notwithstanding this, or if Francis has placed his suit in the hands of the archbishop, or any other technical impediment, Peter is to be made treasurer of York”
[1330 Kalends April at Avignon. To Peter, cardinal of St. Stephen’s on the Cselian]
Few mediaeval royal clerks retired in the modern sense; many continued until infirmity or age prevented the execution of their office. However, Walter de Bedwyn’s surrender of the office of Treasurer may have been the first step in retiring from his business affairs. He held a number of benefices throughout his career. Between 1305 and his resignation in October 1310, he was Dean of St Editha church, at Tamworth in Staffordshire.
In 1305 he was also a prebendary in the king’s free chapel of Hastings. He resigned from the prebend of Momerfield (or Morville, part of the king’s free chapel at Bridgenorth in Shropshire) in 1317, which he had held since 1306. In 1322 he was prebend of Barmby near Durham. These offices were acquired as a reward for royal service, or through patrons such as John de Drokenford as bishop of Bath and Wells. In 1309, Walter de Bedwyn received a papal indulgence to retain the many offices and benefices he held in pluralism.
The following were recorded : Treasurer of St. Peter's church, York cathedral, the deanery of Tamworth, the rectories of Aughton in Humberside and Catton near Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire, canon and prebendary of Howden in Yorkshire, and Bridgenorth in Shropshire. By the standards of the day, these acquisitions were the hallmark of a remarkably successful civil servant. Sadly we cannot confirm him as a son of Bedwyn other than by evidence of his name.
After the successful invasion of Scotland in 1296, the English occupation was enforced by a number of appointments. One of these was the appointment of Walter de Bedewynde on the 26th July 1298 as minister of the church at Old Kilpatrick, Glasgow. However by this time, the ebbing tide of English fortunes dashed his hopes:
“Letter to Walter de Bedewynde from William of Dumfries, his clerk, he has lately been to the bishop of Glasgow to obtain Walter’s institution [to the church of Old Kilpatrick] but the bishop told him that he could not carry it out because of the Scots among whom it is situated. The bishop said that the writer may keep possession of the church [of Bothwell] which he has on behalf of Ralph de Manton, until he [the bishop] shall come to these parts”
He may eventually have received the living of the parish, for there are reports of his resignation in 1309. Although the award of offices or estates in Scotland may have been of nebulous value, there was one Scottish estate which proved of more enduring benefit to Walter de Bedwyn. After the rebellion of Robert the Bruce in 1306, he received a estate at Tottenham in Middlesex, one of several Bruce estates which king Edward I had confiscated.
In 1301, Walter de Bedwyn was a clerk in the royal household. He accompanied the king on campaign in Scotland, but was despatched to England on account of a funding crisis. The following is one of several writs concerning the financing of the campaign:
“Writ from King Edward [I] to the treasurer or his lieutenant and the barons and chamberlains of exchequer, complaining of the continuing shortage of money; so many of his troops, both horse and foot, have deserted that he has not enough left to complete his campaign, and is in danger of losing what he had previously won. He is now going to Linliscu [Linlithgow] to spend the winter, hoping not to lose any more ground. The addressees are to send him as much money as possible in the future, otherwise, by their default, he will be dishonoured for all time. He will not accept the excuse that it is dangerous to transport large quantities of [coin]. Also, provisions are very scarce, and must be sent to him. Further information will be given by the bearer of this letter, Walter de Bedwynde, who is to take a reply back telling what steps are being taken to raise the money” [October 22 1301 Edward I at Priory of Emmanuel E159/75 ]
Walter de Bedwyn was Cofferer in the Royal Wardrobe from June 20, 1303 to July 7, 1307, and was responsible for the payment of wages and expenses of the royal household. He succeeded Ralph de Manton who had been captured in Scotland and subsequently killed. Shortly after his appointment, he assisted the keeper of the Wardrobe, John de Drokenford, in investigating the recent theft of crown jewels at Westminster, and in making an inventory of surviving jewels.
In 1305, crossbowmen and archers who had served the king at Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow, petitioned Walter de Bedwyn for arrears of pay:
“The crossbowmen and archers, namely forty-seven request remedy as they show that, whereas they ought to have been paid £180 and more for their wages at Kirkintilloch which are in arrears they have not received more than £48 15s. Nor are Droxford nor Bedwin willing to pay more, but keep back their bills in the wardrobe, so that they may not have recovery of any more and keep back the wages of eighteen crossbowmen who were at the siege of Stirling which amount to forty shillings“
The petitioners formed part of the garrison of the castle at Kirkintilloch, and the non-payment of wages seems particularly irresponsible in the middle of the war. Yet the crown was short of funds, and therefore slow to meet financial commitments. With his own experience of extracting payments in 1301, Walter de Bedwyn would have been fully aware of the underlying causes of their greviances. [ National Archives SC 8/326/E715 ]
The death of king Edward I probably ended further opportunities for Walter de Bedwyn to progress his career in the royal Wardrobe. However from March 1308 to March 1310, he remained in royal service as the king’s Remembrancer, responsible for keeping a record of paid and unpaid casual revenue of the crown.
As cofferer of the Royal Wardrobe, one last service was required of Walter de Bedwyn. With his master, John de Drokenford, Keeper of the Wardrobe, who surrendered his office to be bishop of Bath and Wells, he was required to present the accounts for the last year of the reign of king Edward I to the Exchequer. The presentation was not made until November 1322. Although John de Drokenford presented the accounts, much of the work was completed by Walter de Bedwyn. However, although the contents were beautifully written and arranged, the contents exposed accounts which were riddled with debts and expenses. The document was all about presentation, and not substance, for closer inspection could only reveal the parlous state of royal finances in 1307. As Cofferer, Walter de Bedwyn was one of many men in the Treasury responsible for this state of affairs.
In January 1307, he was appointed as Treasurer of St. Peter ‘s church, i.e. York cathedral, where he remained in office until 1328. He had first been appointed in 1304, but the then Archbishop of York refused his appointment as Francisco Gaetani held this office. However Gaetani was absent, failed to answer a summons and was deprived of office at the end of 1306. In 1311, king Edward II ensured that his clerk would remain in office:
“Protection for Walter de Bedewynd, king's clerk, in possession of the treasurership of the church of St. Peter, York. All persons attempting to disturb him are to be arrested”
In December 1328, Walter de Bedwyn exchanged his office of Treasurer with William de la Mare for the benefice of North Ferriby on the Humber. This was perhaps one of his last acquisitions, for he had died by 1330, when William de la Mare was removed from office:
“Provision of the treasurership of York, about which there was a suit between Francis Caetani, papal chaplain, and Walter de Bedewynde. After several hearings Walter died pending his appeal to the pope; and on Francis proposing to marry, his benefices were reserved by the pope. William de la Mare is said to hold the office, but notwithstanding this, or if Francis has placed his suit in the hands of the archbishop, or any other technical impediment, Peter is to be made treasurer of York”
[1330 Kalends April at Avignon. To Peter, cardinal of St. Stephen’s on the Cselian]
Few mediaeval royal clerks retired in the modern sense; many continued until infirmity or age prevented the execution of their office. However, Walter de Bedwyn’s surrender of the office of Treasurer may have been the first step in retiring from his business affairs. He held a number of benefices throughout his career. Between 1305 and his resignation in October 1310, he was Dean of St Editha church, at Tamworth in Staffordshire.
In 1305 he was also a prebendary in the king’s free chapel of Hastings. He resigned from the prebend of Momerfield (or Morville, part of the king’s free chapel at Bridgenorth in Shropshire) in 1317, which he had held since 1306. In 1322 he was prebend of Barmby near Durham. These offices were acquired as a reward for royal service, or through patrons such as John de Drokenford as bishop of Bath and Wells. In 1309, Walter de Bedwyn received a papal indulgence to retain the many offices and benefices he held in pluralism.
The following were recorded : Treasurer of St. Peter's church, York cathedral, the deanery of Tamworth, the rectories of Aughton in Humberside and Catton near Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire, canon and prebendary of Howden in Yorkshire, and Bridgenorth in Shropshire. By the standards of the day, these acquisitions were the hallmark of a remarkably successful civil servant. Sadly we cannot confirm him as a son of Bedwyn other than by evidence of his name.