licet, due sigillate, quarum tenor de verbo ad verbum continetur sub sigillo dãi episcopi diocesani et capitulorum suorum, ut infra inuenietur in titulo ecclesie de Whalleye. Et mem. quod prefatus dñus Nicholaus quartus electus fuit in summum pontificem anno gratie m.cc. lxxxvij. EXPLICIT TITULUS QUARTUS DE ECCLESIA DE RACHEDALE, ET DE BULLIS. BB 186 INCIPIT TITULUS QUINTUS DE ECCLESIA DE WHALLEYE. I. & II. In isto titulo quinto, primo ponitur carta, duplex, Edwardi Regis primi post conquest u de licentia data nobis accipere aduocationem siue ius patronatus ecclesie de Whalleye* de Henrico de Lascy, comite Lincoln. DWARDU S, Dei gratia, rex Anglie, dñus Hibernie, et dux Aquitanie, omnib; ad quos presentes litere peruenerint salutem. Licet de communi consilio regni nostri puiderimus, quod non liceat viris religionis seu alijs ingredi feodum alicuius. Ita quod ad manum mortuam deueniat sine licentia nostra * The early history of this church is curious, and so much light is thrown on it, and the general condition of the parish, by the Status de Blackburnshire that it is inserted here. Dr. Whitaker, indeed, impugns the accuracy of the Status in one only particular, and contends that for Augustine should be read Paullinus; but the point is not of much consequence to the present purpose; and when it is known that the Status is undoubtedly of the same age, and most probably from the same hand, as the Coucher Book, even such doubts must be received with hesitation. When the difference is between Abbot Lyndelay and Dr. Whitaker, a layman may well hesitate to pronounce a decision. The Status says, "In the time of King Ethelbert, who began to reign A.D. 596, the blessed Augustine, the apostle of the Angles, was sent by the blessed pope Gregory at the instance of the said king, and preached the gospel in England. Then was there a parish church at Whalley in Blagborneshire, constructed in honour of All Saints. In the cemetery of which church certain stone crosses were then erected, and called by the people St. Augustine's crosses, |