Legal Instrument - Citatory Letter for the Election of a Bishop of Hereford [1847-12-18]

Legal Instrument - Citatory Letter for the Election of a Bishop of Hereford [1847-12-18]

Archbishops and Bishops

Ecclesiastical Law

Citatory Letter of John Merewether citing the Chapter of Hereford to convene on December 28, 1847 for the purpose of electing a Bishop of Hereford.

John Merewether (Dean of Hereford)

The Case of Dr. Hampden, the Official and Legal Proceedings Connected with the Appointment of Dr. Hampden to the See of Hereford (George Bell, 1848), 29-30.

Richard Jebb, A Report of the Case of the Right Rev. R. D. Hampden (William Benning & Co., 1849), 1-2.

1847-12-18

Jason Loch

Diocese of Hereford

From The Case of Dr. Hampden:

John Merewether, Doctor of Divinity, Dean of the Cathedral Church of Hereford, and the Chapter of the said Church, to our beloved in Christ John Davis, Richard Downie, and Edward Stanton Jones, literate persons, jointly and severally greeting: whereas the episcopal See of Hereford is now void and destitute of a Pastor by the translation of the Right Rev. Thomas Musgrave, the late Lord Bishop thereof, to the Archbishopric of York, we, therefore, the Dean and Chapter aforesaid, having received the Queen's Majesty's licence for electing another Bishop, have fixed and appointed Tuesday, the 28th day of December instant, for such election, to be made in the Chapter-house in our said Cathedral Church, between the hours of ten and twelve in the forenoon of the same day, with continuation and prorogation of the said hours, day and place, from thence following, if it shall be necessary, and have decreed that all and singular the Canons or Prebendaries of the said Church that have a right to vote on the said election, should be cited to appear at the said day, time, and place, to proceed and see proceedings made in the business of the said election, and in all and singular the acts and things which, according to the usage and custom of the said Cathedral Church, and the laws and statutes of England may be necessary; and as the present state and condition of the said Church may either allow or require. Wherefore, we empower and command you jointly and severally, to cite or cause to be cited peremptorily, all and singular, the Canons and Prebendaries of the said Cathedral Church, by showing to them severally these presents (if it may conveniently be done), and by publicly affixing the same on the door at the west end of the choir, and also on the door that openeth nto [sic] the Chapter-house of the said Church, and afterwards by affixing and leaving on each of the said doors respectively a true copy of these presents, and also by all lawful ways, means, and methods whatsoever, whereby you can or may better or more effectually, so that this citation may most likely come to the knowledge of them so to be cited (whom by the tenor of these presents we do also cite), that they and every one of them appear before us in the Chapter-house aforesaid on Tuesday, the 28th day of December instant, between the hours of ten and twelve in the forenoon, with continuation and prorogation of the days and hours from thence next following, and of places, if it shall be necessary, to proceed and see proceedings in the said business of election, and in all necessary acts, even to the finishing and perfecting thereof inclusively, to be done, and to do and perform all other things which the nature and condition of the said election may require. Moreover, that you intimate or cause to be intimated peremptorily to all and singular the persons aforesaid (to whom we do hereby also intimate) that if they do not appear at the day, time, and place aforesaid, we nevertheless will then proceed, according to law and custom, in the said business of election, and to finish the same, their absence in anywise notwithstanding, and that what you shall do in the premises you, or either of you, that shall execute this our mandate, shall duly certify to us at the day, time, and place aforesaid. In witness whereof we have caused our common seal to be set to these presents.

Dated this 18th day of December, in the year of our Lord, 1847.

RICHARD UNDERWOOD Chapter Clerk

From Jebb's Report:

John Merewether, Doctor of Divinity, Dean of the Cathedral Church of Hereford, and the Chapter of the said Church, to our beloved in Christ, John Davis, Richard Downie, and Edward Staunton Jones, literate persons, jointly and severally, greeting. Whereas the Episcopal See of Hereford is now void and destitute of a pastor, by the translation of the Right Rev. Thomas Musgrave, the late Lord Bishop thereof, to the Archbishoprick of York: We, therefore, the Dean and Chapter aforesaid, having received the Queen's Majesty's licence for electing another Bishop, have fixed and appointed Tuesday, the 28th day of December instant, for such election, to be made in the chapter-house in our said cathedral church, between the hours of ten and twelve in the forenoon of the same day, with continuation and prorogation of the said hours, day, and place from thence following, if it shall be necessary, and have decreed that all and singular the Canons or Prebendaries of the said Church that have a right to vote on the said election, should be cited to appear at the said day, time, and place, to proceed, and see proceedings made, in the business of the said election, and in all and singular the acts and things which, according to the usage and custom of the said Cathedral Church, and the laws and statutes of England, may be necessary, and as the present state and condition of the said Church may either allow or require. Wherefore, we empower and command you, jointly and severally, to cite or cause to be cited peremptorily all and singular the Canons or Prebendaries of the said Cathedral Church, by showing to them severally these presents (if it may conveniently be done), and by publicly affixing the same on the door of the west end of the choir, and also on the door that openeth into the chapter-house of the said Church, and afterwards by affixing and leaving on each of the said doors respectively a true copy of these presents, and also by all lawful ways, means, and methods whatsoever, whereby you can or may better or more effectually, so that this citation may most likely come to the knowledge of them so to be cited (whom by the tenor of these presents we do also cite), that they and every of them appear before us in the chapter-house aforesaid on Tuesday, the 28th day of December, instant between the hours of ten and twelve of the forenoon, with continuation and prorogation of the days and hours from thence next following, and of places, if it shall be necessary, to proceed and see proceedings in the said business of election, and in all necessary acts, even to the finishing and perfecting thereof inclusively, to be done; and to do and perform all other things which the nature and condition of the said election may require. Moreover that you intimate or cause to be intimated peremptorily to all and singular the persons aforesaid (to whom we do hereby also intimate), that if they do not appear at the day, time, and place aforesaid, we nevertheless will then proceed according to law and custom, in the said business of election, and to finish the same, their absence in anywise notwithstanding; and what you shall do in the premises you, or either of you, that shall execute this our mandate, shall duly certify to us, at the day, time, and place aforesaid. In witness whereof we have caused our common seal to be set to these presents.

Dated this 18th day of December in the year of our Lord, 1847.

RICHD. UNDERWOOD Chapter Clerk (L. S.)

These texts are taken from published transcripts and may not reflect the formatting of the original.