AdamEaston.info

The item below from the Close Rolls shows just how complex a process it was for Adam to secure the income from his benefices either in Rome, or worse still under house arrest with Urban VI on his travels. Here we learn that Adam's proctor by now was Richard of Manfield, but that the king was still trying to prevent the proctor from collecting the sums due to Adam to pass on to Rome. Partly this was because Richard had already decided that as Adam had been deposed by Urban, his benefices fell into the king's gift and he allocated York to Edmund Stafford - of whom more later. In the meantime Richard made it plain to Manfield that no monies should be passed on to Rome, even if it had yet to be decided who properly had the right to the deanery of York. In due course Richard would have great success in turning Adam's proctor against his master, but even as Adam languished in Perugia, he was still able to make life very difficult for the English Cardinal.

March 6^th 1389

To master Richard Skypse and Richard Ledes clerks. Order to deliver to Robert de Manfield clerk provost of St John Beverley, proctor of a cardinal of the court of Rome who alleges a right to the deaconry of York, a sum of money wherein they are bound to him, notwithstanding the king’s former writ ordering them at their peril under pain of forfeiture and of his wrath, to keep the sum ready in their hands, and not to pay to the said Robert or any other in his name until further order upon any pretence. As the king was informed that by demise of the said Robert they had to farm the deaconry which was void and in the king’s gift by reason of the temporalities of the archbishopric of York then void and in the king’s hand, and were minded shortly to pay the said sum, and his will was to provide for the safe keeping thereof until it should be adjudged to him or another; but on no account ought the king to have any money of that deaconry arising.

Calendar of Close Rolls 12 Richard II