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* 1.1TThomas de Bekinton Doctor of Law and Deane of the Arches, writ a ve••y learned discourse in confutation of the Law Salique of the Frenchmen; (An argument very necessary for those times) and being as well taken by other, as handled by himselfe; got him such fauour with that vertu∣ous king Henry the sixt, as it was a meanes to aduance him, first, vnto the place of principall Secretary, then to the kée∣ping
of the priuy seale, & then to this Sée, whereunto he was consecrat in the chappell of Eaton, October 13. 1443. at what time, the foundations of that chappell being but newly laid, it was hollowed, and hee sung the first masse in the fame. This man built the ranke of houses on the North side of the market place at Wells, called the new workes Hee made a conduit in the market place, bringing the water ••rom S. An∣drews well. He built (as to me it least wise seemeth) the west side of the cloyster. Hee was a great benefactor to Lincolne Colledge in Oxford; and a great builder of his owne houses, vpon the repayring and beautifying of which, he spent first & last (as himselfe professeth in his wil) 6000. markes. Percei∣uing himselfe sickly and not like long to continue, hee made his will: & doubting least K. Edward the fourth should make it void by picking some quarrel of treason vnto him; (a thing no doubt easie to be done, for that this bishop had beene al∣waies a constant follower of the house of Lancaster) with great cost he procured from the saide king a confirmation of his wil, dated Nouember 3. 1464. In it he bequeathed to the Church of Wels 20, l. in mony, fower very sumptuous vest∣ments, 400, l. to buy copes, a vessell for holy water of siluer waighing 10, l. Troy, a crosse of siluer parcell gilt of the same waight, a chaire for the Bishop to vse in the Church (which yet remaineth) and certaine cushions with other ornaments. To the Church of Bathe he bequeathed a cup, a censor and a paxe of siluer, all waighing 30. ounces, beside 30. coapes and other vestments. To New colledge in Oxford (where hée was brought vp although by a note I haue séene it should appeare he had his education in Merton Colledge) a siluer crosse of ten pound waight, a faire bible in foure volumes, a siluer bason of 10, l. waight, certaine coapes and other tri∣fles. To Winchester Colledge a siluer crosse double guilt, waighing 9. pound and ten ounces, two siluer candlestickes of the same waight, and a number of v••stments. To the hos∣pitall of S Katherines in London (whereof hee had bin ma∣ster) many vestments & 50. shillings in mony. To the church of Sution Courtney (a benefice of his) hee gaue many vest∣ments, beside 5. l. in money to bee diuided to the poore of the parish; as also the like summe to the poore of Bedwyn, of
which Church it is saide hée w•••• Prebendary: and so much more (beside certaine vestments) to the poore of Bekington, of which place (as being borne th••re) most men suppose he tooke his name. For my part I thinke not so; for I per∣swade my selfe, his liberality in that case (I meane to the place of his natiuity) could not haue béene contained within so narrow a scantling. But (to proceed) vnto the Austin Fry∣ers of Bristoll he gaue 20. s. and to the F••yer Minors of Bridgewater 20, s. To ten priests that should study at Oxe∣ford, and daily say masse for the soules of himselfe, his pa∣rents & benefactors, especially of Humfrey Duke of Gloce∣ster, William Wickam Bishop of Winchester Iohn Elmer and Walter Thurston 5, l. a péece: and to tenne poore scollers of the same vniuersity for fiue yeeres 10, d. a wéeke. To his seruingmen of the better sort he bequeathed 5, l. a péece; to his meaner yeomen fiue markes; to euery boy of his house∣hold 40, s. and to so many of his seruants as were not proui∣ded of abiding places, meate, drinke and woonted wages for thrée moneths after his decease. To his successor hee gaue 100, l. vpon condition he would accept it in lieu of all dilapi∣dations, otherwise willing his executors to spend it in lawe against him: and lastly vnto his executors he left onely 20, l. a piece, requiring them to imploy all the rest of his goods to good vses at their discretion. They answered very iustly, the trust ••eposed in them, & that with such discretion as well as fidelity, that I should do them wrong not to remember them. The one was Richard Swanne, Prou••st of Welles, and parson of Yeuelton, that heretofore had beene executor after the same sort vnto Richard Praty Bishop of Chichester (this man dwelt in the canonicall house that is neere the market place.) Another was, Hugh Sugar Doctor of lawe and Trea∣surer of Welles (hée built the chappell all of frée stone, which was of wood before, adioyning to the great pulpit, and dwelt where I now do, in the middle house of the thrée that ioyne vpon the Cambray.) And the third was Iohn Pope Doctor of Diuinity Prebendary of Saint Decumans and ••arson of Shyre. These thrée (as I haue beene told by old men) lye bu∣ried in a ranke together, ••••er against the great pulpit, vnder thrée Marble stones of one ••ashion. The Bishops goods that
remained vnbequeathed, they bestowed for the most part, in building the Uicars close at Wels, which had béen begun by Bishop Ralfe long before; a lumptuous and beautifull worke. This great Benefactor of our Church departed this life. Ianuary 14. 1464. and was buried in a goodly toombe built by himselfe, long before his death, situate vpon the South side of the Presbytery. In his life time hee mad•• a graunt (as appeareth by a déede which I haue séene) of cer∣taine lands belonging to the Bishopricke, called Greene ca∣stle, Forsbutts, Garslade, Bolehurst, and Frogmer, vnto one Thomas Dawbridgecourt Esquier, that had maried one Beatrix a kinswoman of his, signifying in the same deed that Agnes Raby the sister of Ralfe Erghum his predecessor, had formerly held them, as also Emma had done, that was mo∣ther, and Agnes Bradley the sister of Iohn Stafford, whom he immediately succéeded.
1443 Hen. 6.22.