Michael JECKS: The Boy-Bishop's Glovemaker

7. It is ordered that the said Bishop and his crosier, on the days after the said feast of the Holy Innocents, shall use dancing and leisure like the rest of the Choristers; and that afterwards they shall not run about through the church nor other places with the gloves, except when the County Court or Sessions of the Peace of Exeter is held, or certain respectable outsiders happen to approach the church or house of any Canon within the aforesaid precinct. And this with the licence of the Precentor or Succentor or the Clerk of the Chapel of St Mary.

Item, that the offering of money to the Bishop on Holy Innocents’ Day shall be counted openly within the church before a clerk of the treasury or other respectable priest of the Choir and then shall be offered by one of the Bishop’s friends.

Sir Baldwin de Furnshill

Keeper of the King’s Peace of Crediton in Devon, Sir Baldwin was once a Knight Templar, but after the destruction of his Order he managed to return to his ancestral home. He is known to be an astute investigator of crimes.

Lady Jeanne Furnshill

The widow of a coarse and brutal knight, Jeanne finally married Sir Baldwin earlier in the year after a protracted wooing.

Edgar

Sir Baldwin’s servant was once his Sergeant in the Knights Templar. When the Order was destroyed he chose to remain at his knight’s side and became Sir Baldwin’s trusted steward.

Simon Puttock

An old friend of Sir Baldwin’s, Simon is Bailiff to the Warden of the Stannaries, based in Lydford. He and Baldwin have often investigated crimes together.

Ralph

The glover from Correstrete, Ralph was a cheerful, generous soul, whose murder has shocked the whole city. Especially since it appears to have been committed by his own apprentice.

Elias

Scarcely into his twenties, the horrified Elias has been arrested for the murder of his master, Ralph.

Mary Skinner

Elias’s girlfriend, the daughter of a baker.

Henry

One of the Choristers, Henry has been elected to become the boy-Bishop when the Cathedral celebrates the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

Luke Soth

The leading Chorister, Luke had expected to be elected to the bishopric and was hurt and offended when his companions chose Henry instead.

Adam

One of the many Secondaries in the Cathedral, Adam is waiting for a suitable position to appear so that he can be promoted from his minor clerical jobs.

Gervase

As Succentor, Gervase is responsible for the Choristers. The boys must be taught how to sing, but likewise they have to learn Latin, reading and writing.

Stephen

The Canon responsible for the Treasury, Stephen is also responsible for Luke and Adam, both of whom dine at his table.

Peter Golloc

A young Secondary who works in the Treasury and lives with Jolinde Bolle.

Jolinde Bolle

Although Jolinde showed some promise as a Chorister, he has fallen prey to the attractions of the city, especially those of a young woman.

Claricia Cornisshe

A serving woman in one of the taverns and Jolinde’s girlfriend.

Vincent le Berwe

Vincent is a successful merchant who owns several properties and makes a good living from his trading. He has recently been elevated to one of the more senior posts in the city, that of Receiver.

Hawisia le Berwe

Vincent’s wife, a bright young woman who is proud of his success.

Nicholas Karvinel

A merchant and associate of Vincent. He also knew Ralph well and took over much of his business when Ralph died.

Juliana Karvinel

The wife of Nicholas, a woman from Winchester.

John Coppe

Often to be found begging by the Fissand Gate, Coppe was crippled during a sea-fight.

Sir Thomas of Exmouth

Once an honourable knight, Sir Thomas has lost everything and now leads a small band of outlaws not far from Exeter.

Jen of Whyteslegh

When Sir Thomas first met Jen he was very taken with her. Later, when her parents died, she agreed to live with him.

Hob of Whyteslegh

Born witless, all through his life Hob has been looked down upon, and he has no regrets about leaving the vill where he was born. Now he lives with Sir Thomas and Jen.

Roger de Gidleigh

As Coroner, Roger must investigate any sudden deaths.

William de Lappeford

The Bailiff of the City, reporting to the Coroner.

When I first began writing, I read Pleasures and Pastimes in Medieval England by Compton Reeves, and was struck by the insights it gave. One in particular caught my fancy: his description of a medieval Christmas. I was fascinated by it, and decided there and then that one day, I would write a mystery story set at Christmas-time.

The aspect which intrigued me most was the curious detail of the boy-Bishop. Only later did I realise that Exeter Cathedral annually elected a boy-Bishop – and as soon as I realised that, I knew I had to incorporate one into my story. At last, five years later, here he is.

There appears to be a direct link between the boy-Bishops of the Middle Ages and the Roman celebration of Saturnalia. This was a strange feast during which everything became topsy-turvy; social and moral constraints went by-the-by.

Boy-Bishops existed all over the country. Cathedrals, canonical churches and colleges had their own customs but were generally consistent: the boy would have been elected by his fellow Choristers on 21 December, Feast Day of St Thomas the Apostle, and would come into his bishopric at some time after Christmas, usually ending with the last service on Holy Innocents’ Day, 28 December.

In Exeter the boy-Bishop took control at the last service on 27 December, and held power for twenty-four hours. During his reign he would have a fabulous time compared with normal: a Chorister in those days normally spent long hours singing in a draughty, cold cathedral, and even longer hours sitting learning Latin or writing. There would have been few breaks, and none designed for play.

Instead, on this one day, he would take breakfast with his Canon – a meal to which he could invite his friends – afterwards marching in procession to St Nicholas’s Priory near the river, where the Prior would give him a sum of money and more food. Following this, he would be able to wander about the city with his friends and participate in all sorts of mayhem. As Nicholas Orme says in his excellent book Exeter Cathedral As It Was 1050–1550 , 28 December was one day when the clergy could relax. Sometimes things went a bit too far – or at least, Bishop Grandisson certainly thought so because he wrote scathingly of Canons whose minds were off in the marketplace, the street or even still in bed while their bodies were present in church. Orme points out that, just as modern-day office workers enjoy Christmas parties with the associated revelry, drinking and (if only in the minds of the hopeful) casual sex, clerical staff in the early 1300s could also let their hair down for a short period each year.

In the middle of all this, there would be a gift of gloves to leading members of the city’s institutions. The precise significance of these gloves has eluded me. Clearly, though, they were considered recognition for acts of kindness or patronage, and thus I feel justified in awarding them to my friends in this story.