this Cittie of Exon and alwaies hath béen and presently is a tribute paid vnto the Cittie for all kindes of wares and Merchandise discharged within that Port and called by the name of the pettie town costome And albeit the water course thus destroyed can hardely be restored to his olde pristinate naturall estate for that through long continuaunce the olde course cannot be discerned yet now at length after many attempts and great expences a water course and passage begun in the yéer 1564. is recouered and by sluces Botes and vessailes of xx tunnes tight are brought to the Citie and there discharged at the olde and ancient place called the VVater gate ▪ Where is buylded a fair and a large Key or Wharf as also an engine called a Crane fit for the purpose Within this Cittie were sometime but few parish Churches but when that Innocencius tertius in the yéere of our Lord. 1198. had established the Article of Transubstanciation adding the same to the Simbole as appéereth in the Decretal titulo de summa trinitate canō firmiter thē his next successor Honorius Anno. 1218. did not onely confirme the same but also decreed Reseruation Candlelight and praying for the dead as appéereth Decret titulo de celebratione missarum canon sane cum et sane cum creatura by which meanes the number of Préests did not onely increace but Churches also in all places begā dayly to be buylded And therfore in this Cittie in the yéer of our Lord 1222. béeing the .vj. yéere of Henry the third the parish Churches therin were limitted out and augmented to the number of xix Churches within the Cittie and suburbes of the same And moste certain it is that in times past they were liuings competent and sufficient to maintain an Incumbent but that kinde of Religion now auoyded the Gospel preched the liuelihods are so small as not sufficient to maintain a poore Clark or Scoller which is the cause that so many of them doo ly vacant without Incumbents Besides these parish Churches there was also a Monastery sometime of Monkes of Saint Benets order but sithence a Cathedrall Church béeing very fair and sumptuously buylded with frée Stones and the Pillers of grey Marble standing and scituated in the East parte of the Cittie which as some doo reporte that Etheldred the third Sonne of Ethelwolphus should first found and buyld Some think that King Edgar did it trueth it is that bothe the said Kings buylded euery of them a house of Religious persons within this Cittie but the first was vtterly burnt and destroyed by the Danes and th' other in processe of time vnited to the Monastery which now is a Cathedrall Church which is moste certain and trew that King Athelstane the Sonne of King Edvvard the elder did bothe foūd and buyld it as it dooth plainly appéer in the history of the said Church where it is written Athelstanus subiugatis cornuquallensibus reuersus est ad ciuitatem que antiquitu ▪ Muncketon vocabatur nunc autem Exeter ac ibi sedens Anno. 932 ▪ non tam lacerata eiusdem Ciuitatis maenia reparabat quin et mansum quoddam dedit ad fundandum Monasterium pro monachis Deo et Sancto Petro famulantibus This King besides his expences charges in building of this Church which at the first was but small placed therin Munkes of S. Benettes order prouided liuelehodes for them and made vnto them a gouernor and Ruler called by the name of an Abbote towards whose liuelihodes he gaue Morckshull and Treasurers Beare which at these presents doo yet remain beeing annexed to the dignitie of the Tresurership The Church thus begun Kings Princes and noble men from time to time were gladly contributors to the absoluing and finishing of the same For about lxxx and od yéeres after Adlestene King Knoght called Cahutus or Canutus at the sugestion of one of his Dukes named Athelred did confirme and graunt to Athelwolde then Abbot of the said Church to his successors many and sundry priuileges and liberties vnder his Letters Patentes dated the second yéer of his reign Anno domini ▪ 1019. After him néer about xxx yéeres King Edward the confessor remooued the Munkes vnto VVestminster and made this a Cathedrall Church remoouing the Sea thē at Crediton to this Cittie making Leofricus Bishop therof as appéereth by his letters Patents dated the viy yéer of his reign An. 1050. Howbe it the Munck of Bury and Polidorus others doo affirme and write that the setling of this Bishops seat in this Cittie was in the xij yéer of VVilliam the Conquerour for thus they write Habitum est Londini sub Lanfrāco Antistitum et sacerdotū comitium quo decretum est quod aliquot sedes Episcopales que in opidulis et pagis ante fuerant in vrbibus et locis celeberrimis collocarentur quo factum est vt Bathonia Lincolnia Sarisburia Exonia Cestria et Cicestria vrbes huiusmodi nouis Episcoporū domiciliis sunt nobilitate But the reuerence of these writers reserued this cannot be so of this Church the Charter therof witnesing the contrary declaring how y King Edward Edith his wife did put Bishop Leofricus in possession of this Sea them selues Likewise VVilliam the Conquerour in the third yéer of his reign Anno. 1069. did not onely confirme the former Charter but also at the instance and sute of VVilliam vvareweste then his Chaplain and after Bishop of the same Sea did giue vnto it the segniory of Plimpton Brampton and S. Stephens in Exeter which the said VVilliam béeing Bishop did distribute giuing Plympton to the Channōs there Brampton was afterward annexed to the Deanry but Saint Stephens with a Court Baron to the same was alwaies reserued to the Bishop and his successors wherby they are Barons and so Lords of the Parlement It was also enlarged from time to time with possessions reuenewes buildings riches priuileges by Kings Princes Prelates Bishops and sundry others ▪ as héerafter I shal particulerly touch declare by Gods grace at large in a perticuler Book therof And this one thing is to be noted y albeit there were néer iiij hundred yéeres distant from the foūdation to the absoluing therof yet is so vniformely and decently compact as though it had béen buylded at one instant The Bishop is distinct from the Channons bothe in house and reuenew his liuelihods béeing no parcel of that which doth appertain to the Church and Channons It was sometimes of great large reuenewes but the more parte therof prodigally hath béen exhaunsed by a wastful Bishop The Bishop and Chānons haue very fair houses which are situated about the Church and Cemitory and are inclosed euery night by shutting fast of certain gates wherby they claime them selues to be exempted from the iurisdiction of the Cittie In the middle therof is a very fair Conduict or fountain wher into waters by certain pipes are conueyd from
THE DISCRIPTION OF the Cittie of Excester collected and gathered by Iohn Vowel alias Hooker gentleman and Chamberlain of the same Cittie EXcester or Exeter is a famouse and ancient Cittie béeing the Metropole and Emporium of the west parts of England scituated in the Prouince called Deuonia which is Deuonshéer Of the first foundation therof by reason of the sundry inuations of forrain and straunge nations and of their hostilities and mortall warres in burning and destroying this Cittie there remaineth no certain memoriall neither emong the records of the said Cittie nor yet in any other writer But moste certain it is that it was first builded by the Brutes or Britons for the names which they gaue vnto it are yet at these presents had in remembraunce as wel emong the Cronographers of this Realme as also emong the Cornish people who sometimes were one with this Prouince but are now in a Prouince of themselues and borderers to this béeing the remanent of the blood of Brutus For when Cadwalader King of this land by reason of a great famin and Pestilence was inforced to forsake the same and flée into little Britain which now is vnder the dicion of the French King diuers and moste parte of his people fled also some into Wales and some into Cornwall wher euer sithēce they and after them their posteritie haue remained and continued The olde Cronographers serchers and writers of antiquities doo finde that this Cittie was called Corinia and therof the Monaltary of this Cittie was called Ecclesia Coriniensis whiche name if it were first giuen as it should seem by Corineus who after the ariuall of Brutus into this land was made the first Duke of these two Prouinces of Deuon and Cornwall and who thē after his owne name called it Corinia but now Corinibia wherof this Cittie euer hath béen and is the Metropolie and Emporium and alwaies parcel sometimes of the kingdome then of the Duchie afterwardes of the Earledome and now again the Duchie of Cornewall out of all dout it is of no lesse antiquitie then the said names doo importe The Britons in their fung call it by sundry and diuers names The first and eldest in remembraunce in their spéech is Cairpenhulgoyte that is to say the prosperous chéef Town in the wood as it dooth appéer by Geftery of Monmoth and Ponticus Virimus It was also called Penhaltcayr that is to say the chéef Cittie or Town vpon the hil as appéereth in the trauerse betwéen the Bishop Dean and Chapter of this Cittie and the Mayor and comminaltie of the same in a long sute concerning their liberties But the names which the Cornish people doo at these presents remember retain are Pencayr Cayrruthe Cayrriske Pencayr is to say the chéef Cittie Cayrruthe signifieth the red Cittie taking that name of the soyle of the ground whervpon it is situated which is red Cayrryske is the Cittie of Iske béeing so called and taking his denominatation of the Riuer whiche fléeteth by the said Cittie called in Brittish Iske And of this name Houedon in his Cronicle maketh mentiō saying thus Anno domini 877. Excercitus danorum ab warham nocte quadam federe dirupto ad Exancester diuerterunt quod brittannice dicitur Caerwiske Ptolomeus the famose Astronomer who was about the yéer of our Lord. 162. Coel béeing King of this land nameth the Cittie Isca and the Riuer Isaca And Bale the sercher of antiquities folowing the same opinion dooth also name the Cittie Isca and the in habitant or dweller therin Iscanus But vnder corection and with reuerence be it said a man may think that Ptolomeus béeing in Alexandria and so farre distant from this Realme was happely misinformed or els the Printer mistaken because it is moste likely that the Riuer should be called Isca according to the Brittish spéech in those dayes when it was called Isca which name by trāsposing of two middle letters dooth yet remain being now named Icsa or Ecsa. But whatsoeuer Ptolomeus or Baleus censures and iudgements be héerin it is moste certain that the names which the Britons gaue were of longest continuance and this Cittie called by their dominations by the space of xv hundred yéeres vntil the comming of the Saxons the Pictes and Scots into this Realme whiche was about the yeer of our Lord 450 for they as they preuailed and conquered did alwaies alter and chaunge the names of all places and Townes accounting it a great parte of their glory aud renown to giue new names of their owne deuice or of their owne natiue Contries for so write the Cronographers Picti Scoti Angli Daci et Normandi in hac insula rerum potiti cuncta immutarunt pro trophaeis habentes Locis a se deuictis noua imponere nomina Wherfore as of all other Citties and Townes few excepted so of this also they chaunged and altred the olde names and called it Muncketon by which name it was so called by the space of thrée hundreth and od yéeres vntil the time and comming of King Adlestane For he about the yéer of our Lord. 932. beeing muche gréeued with the Rebellion of the Cornish people because they refused and denyed to acknowledge him for their lawful King did bend his power and conducted his armie against them and with force when he had subdewed them returned to this Cittie and for a perpetuall memory to this common welth whiles he soiorned him self therin repaired and new builded the Cittie and the walles therof whiche before with force and fire were vtterly destroyed And then altred and chaunged the name therof calling it after the name of the Riuer Esseterra or Exeterra that that is to say Exeter For so writeth Polidorus Est Exonia vrbs Deuonie comitatus loco precelso ad occidentem versus posita abluiturque flumine Exi a quo nomen habet Others therbe which name it Excestrum and thinketh it to be so called of the Riuer whiche is named Exestrum for this write they Clarissima vrbum est Excestria que ab amni Excestro qui eandem preterfluit est sic nuncupata I finde it also in an olde written Cronicle that it is named Exancestria or Exancestre which name should séem to be so giuen by the Saxons at their abode and béeing in this land for commonly the names which they gaue to such Townes Citties and Fortes as they either builded or reedified did end in Cestre as Chestre as Glocestre Lecestre Māchester winchestre worcestre Oscestre Colchestre Cicestre Ilcestre Bicestre and this Cittie of Exancestre with others for Cair in British and Cestre ïn Saxony is in English a Fort Town or Castle This Cittie is walled round about and so is thought was from the begininig It is all togither foure square but declineth towards a roundnes and containeth in circuite or compasse xvj hundred whole paces after fiue foot to the pace which
preuail and had such conquests ouer him that he was fain and driuen to forsake his Realme of Wales and flée into Ireland where Cadvvallo béeing careful to recouer his land cuntreye repaired his Armye and gathered a new force and often times did attempt to land there within his owne Contreye but all was in vain for Edvvin was euer in redines and alwaies resisting him would not suffer him to land in any place For this Edwin had about him a certain man named Pellitus who was a Magitian skilful in Nicromancie and by his science and Art did for show declare vnto Edwin what thingê were a dooing and attempted against him Cadwallo hauing such euil successe was in vtter dispair to recouer or auail against Edwin wherfore he sailed into Armorica now called Britain vnto the king therof named Salomon to whom he disclosed his miserable estate fortune as also coÌ„plained much of Pellitus of his Sorceryes WheÌ„ these two Kings had consulted of the matter it was at length coÌ„cluded thought best that some wittie and bolde man should be sent ouer and giue the attempt to kil Pellitus whervpon Brienus Nephew to king Cadwallo taketh vpon him to attempt this matter appareling him self in poor mans wéed saileth ouer into EnglaÌ„d and traueleth vnto York where King Edwin lay kept his court And there he ioyned and accompanyed him self emong the poor people whose custome and maner was to lye about the Kings gates at dinner and Supper times awayting for the Almes after Dinner and Supper Pellitus béeing the Kings Alomener and hauing the charge to distribute the almes commeth foorth and setteth the poor people in order Brienus by his béeing there watcheth his time to woork his feat and sudainly in the prese of the people with his weapon which he had prepared for the purpose thrusteth Pellitus into the body and killeth him and foorth with the thing in such a throng not perceiued shifteth him self away priuely and through woods thickets hilles and Dales commeth to Exeter where he discloseth and declareth vnto the Britons what he had doon they glad and reioysing héerof and hoping that now their King Cadwallo would return doo prepare and make redy bothe them selues and the Cittie aswell for the resisting of their enemyes as also for the receiuing and ayding of their King. Penda hearing of this iniury doon to King Edvvin his contreye man and minding to reuenge the same gathered a great armye of Saxons marcheth vnto Exeter and beseegeth the same round about minding the vtter subuertion of the Cittie and nation but the Citizens and Britons manfully withstanding his force defended bothe them selues and their Cittie vntil that king Cadwallo beeing héerof aduertised did with his force come ouer who not onely reskewed deliuered bothe his Cittie and contrey but also ioyning battel with his enemyes gaue them the ouerthrowe 3 It was also in great trouble in the time of King Allured or Alphred the fourth Sonne of Ethelvvolphus for Polidorus and others doo write that in the fifth yeer of the said Kingê reign the Danes concluded a peace with the King and gaue hostages for the kéeping therof notwithstanding contrary to the same moste perfideously they assembled theÌ„ selues and with all haste marched towards this Cittie perforce entred took the same Daci etenim qui Religionem et fidem pre suo commodo postponendam ducebant Londino se mouentes maximus iti neribus Exoniam proficiscuntur vrbemque per vim capiuÌ„t but long they inioyed no rest there for the winter passed the King to be reuenged of their periurye marched towards the said Cittie with his power which the Danes vnderstanding and not able to abide the vexation and trouble of the Citizens would not abide the end but fled some to Dartmouth there took shipping who were in a tempest at the Seas for the moste parte drowned some fled to Chipenham or as soÌ„e write to Bristovv whom the king so hardly pursewed that he neuer gaue ouer vntil he had ouercome them and slain their Captains Hubbert and Hungar. 4 Likewise in the xix yéer of the reign of the said king the Danes contrary to their faith pledges and promises did again come to this Cittie and layd siege to the same Danorum Excercitus Anno. 877. ab vvarham nocte quadam federe dirupto ad Excancestre diuerterunt quod Britannici dicitur Cayerewise at audito Regis aduentu ad puppes fugerunt et in mare predantes manebant 5 It was also besieged by the said Danes in the xix yéer of king Elgered Anno. 1001. For the Danes which were theÌ„ in Normandye hearing of the good luck successe and great spoiles their company in England had in euery place and their teeth set on edge therwith sudainly prepared their Shippes to sail come ouer and as it chaunced they landed vpon the costes of Deuon and foorthwith took their iourney and marched towards this cittie of Exon thinking to haue found them napping and to haue taken them vnwares and vpon a sudain Sed Ciuibus viriliter resistentibus recesserunt the inhabitaÌ„ts and people of Deuon Somerset and Dorset hearing therof in all haste assembled theÌ„ selues minding bothe to reskew the Cittie as also to encounter and aduenture the feeld with the Danes And meeting with them as they were comming from the siege of the Cittie ioyned battail with them at a place called Pinho distant about iij miles froÌ„ the Cittie where was a cruel fight and a great slaughter had betwéen them And thus dooth Houedon also testifie for saith he Memoratus paganorum exercitus de Normannia in Angliam reuectus ostium fluuii Eaxe ingreditur et mox ad extinguendam vrbem Exancestre egreditur sed dum murum illius destruere moliretur ac ciuibus vrbem viriliter defendentibus repellitur vnde nimis exasperatus more solito villas succendendo agros depopulando hominesque cedendo per domnoniam vagatur quare domnanienses in vnum congregati in loco qui dicitur Pinho certamen cum eis ineunt King Sweno béeing in Denmark aduertised héerof as also how King Eldred alias Etheldred or Egelred had caused all the Danes in the Realme sudainly in one night to be slain béeing much greeued therw t did prouide prepare an armye for the reuenge therof and in the yéer 1002. landing into diuers partes of this Realme did moste cruelly spoil the land â–ª sley the people and bring the whole estate to an vnspeakable miserye But at length receiuing a tribute for peace returned home again into his owne contrey howbeit the Citizens of Exon hearing of this crueltie vsed in the East partes made them selues strong and prepared the Cittie in redynes to withstand the force of such an enemye if happely he should attempt hostilite and force against them But the Dane beeing returned heme and knowing nothing of this preparation one Hugh then Earle of Deuon as Princes lack no
their hands did preuily flée away into Scotland and froÌ„ thence into Flanders where they dyed 9 It was also in great troubles in the time of King Edvvard the fourth for in the x. yéer of his reign Anno. 1469. when the states of King Henry the vj. and King Edvvard the fourth were doutful The Duchesse of Clarente the Lord Dinham the Lord Fitzvvarren and the Baron of Carewe with others who took parte with Henry the vj. came to this Cittie accompanyed with a thousand fighting men the Duches béeing great with childe and lodged in the Bishops place But Sir Hugh Courtney Knight who fauored and was of the parte of King Edward hearing of this raised an armye of his fréends and Allies besieged the Cittie brake down the Bridges and stopped all the waies comming towards the same by meanes wherof no Uictualles could come to the market And béeing encamped about the Cittie sent vnto the Mayor requiring him either to open the Gates or to deliuer the gentlemen whiche were within The gentlemen which were within they of their parties either mistrusting the Mayor or Comons or not willing to be ruled vnder his gouernment requied the keyes of the gates to be deliuered into their custody and all things to be doon as at their appointment In which perplexitie and doutful estate the Mayor and his brethern consulting did resolue and determine neither to yéeld to the request of them which were without nor yet to satisfie their requests which were within but pacifying bothe partyes with such honest and quiet meanes as they might did conclude to keep the Cittie and them selues as to their allegiance appertained to the vse of the Crown wherfore foorthwith they rampred the Gates fortified the Walles and armed their Souldiers and set all things in good order leauing nothing vndoon which might be for the preseruation of the state and common welth of the Cittie But in small processe of time the prouision waxed short and victualles began to be scant whereof it was feared a famine would insue the same béeing so hard a thing as so great a number of people would not endure and abide Yet notwithstanding partely by the good peswasions of the Magistrates and hauing a regarde of their owne dutyes and estates and hoping this troublesome time would not long indure did continewe firme and trusty in their cause vntil at length by way of intreatie and mediation of certain Chanons of the Close the siege was after xij dayes remooued and raised whervpon very shortly did insue the féeld at Edgecourt where the Duke of Clarence and the Earle of VVarwick béeing put to the worst did flée to this Cittie entring in the third of April lying in the Bishops Pallaice for a few dayes vntil they prouided Shippes at Dartmouth fit for their passage to Calleys The King hauing vnderstanding whiche wayes his enemyes were gon followed and pursewed them with an armye of xl thousand men and came to this Cittie the xiiij of Aprill Anno. 1470. but he came to late the Duke and the Earle béeing gone to the Seaes before his comming wherfore the King after he had reposed him self héer thrée dayes returned 10 It was likewise in great trouble béeing besieged the .x. j. yéere of the reign of King Henry the vij Anno 1498. by one Parkin VVarbeck who in the beginning of September came to this Cittie and encamped it with Ordinaunce battred the walles fired the gates vndermined the walles and scaled the same but by the noble courage of the Citizens he had small successe béeing manfully resisted vntil suche time as the King aduertised therof did send the Lord Edvvard Courtney Earle of Deuon and the Lord VVilliam his Sonne with other Noble men who reskewed the Cittie and deliuered it from the enemye 11 Finally and last of all it was besieged in â–ª the third yéere of King Edvvard the sixt Anno. 1549. by the Commons of Deuon and Cornvvall who not contenting them selues with the state of Religion then established clustered them selues in companyes appointed to them selues Captaines and minded by their force to vndoo that which the Prince by Lawe and Act of Parlement had established wherfore to redéeme all such places of force welth and defence into their owne hands whiche might in any respect serue for their ayde and defence came to this Cittie the second of July 1549. and encamped them selues about the same in great numbers during the time of their abode besieging great troubles arose soÌ„etimes assaultê made sometimes the gates fired soÌ„etimes the walles vndermined some times skirmishes made some great laromes to defeÌ„d the walles against scaling finally nothing was left vndoon which the enemyes might deuise for the obteining of their purpose And albeit there waÌ„ted not lusty stomakes of the Citizens to withstaÌ„d this outward force yet in processe of time such scarcitie of Uitualles did encrease Bread waxed so scant that the people began to waxe wery and lothe to abide the extremitie therof whiche was so extreme that it was feared either that the people must yéeld to the enemye or perish with famin How beit the Magistrates though sory in such destesse yet hauing a speciall regarde of their dutie toward the Prince and their charge to the common welth left no meanes vnsought to quiet the people and stay them in their deutye and obidience Wherfore comforting the people with fair promises and liberall reléeuing their necessities did in such sort and order handle the matter that euery body with one assent was resolued in hope of some spéedy releef to abide the end and in no wise to giue place to the enemye but to continue faithful to the Prince and trusty to their common welth And yet in the meane while the gouernours left no deuises and prouisions which might be for the reléefe and comfort of the poore hungrye bellyes wherfore the corne and Meale consumed they caused of course and olde refused Bran bread to be moulded vp in clothes for otherwise it would not stick togither Also they caused some excurtions to be made out of the Cittie for the praying and taking of such Cattel as were néer about the walles which béeing taken was distributed emong the poor Likewise the Prisoners in captiuitie were contented to be fatisfied with such victualles as could bée prouided and albeit mannes nature can scarcely abide to féed vpon the flesh of a Horse yet these poor men were fed therwith and wel contented The noble King and Councel aduertised of this distresse did at length after xxxv dayes send the honorable S. Iohn Russel Knight Lord Russel Lord priuy Seale and afterwards Earle of Bedford with a company and band of Souldiers who after sundry conflicts had with the enemyes came to this Cittie the vj. of August reskewing and deliuering the same from the enemye and set them at libertie For the which as God was moste worthy of all praise and glory so is the same his