Bishop William Ayscough 1395-1450

Around 1395 Bishop William Ayscough was born.

On 11th February 1438 Bishop William Ayscough [aged 43] was elected Bishop of Salisbury.

On 20th July 1438 Bishop William Ayscough [aged 43] was elected Bishop of Salisbury.

An English Chronicle. In the mene tyme, the forsaid maister Roger was examned before the kyngis counsel; where he confessid and saide that he wroughte the said nygromancie atte stiryng of the forsaid dame Alienore [aged 41], to knowe what sholde falle of hir and to what astat she sholde come. Wherfore she was citid to appere befor certayn bisshoppis of the kyngis; that is to say, befor maister Harri Chicheli [aged 78], archebisshop of Cauntirbury, maister Harry Beaufort [aged 66] bisshoppe of Wynchestre and cardinalle, maister Johan Kemp [aged 61] archebisshoppe of York and cardinalle, maister William Ayscoughe [aged 46] bisshoppe of Salisbury, and othir, on the Monday the xxij day off Juylle [1341] next folowyng, in saint Stephenes chapelle of Westmynstre, forto ansuere to certayn articleȝ of nygromancie, of wicchecraft or sorcery, of heresy and of tresoun. Atte whiche day she apperid; and the forsaid Roger was brouȝt forth forto witnesse ayens hir, and saide that she was cause and first stirid himme to laboure in the said nygromancie; and thanne be commaundement of the said bisshoppis she was committid to the warde of sir Johan Stiward knyghte, and of Johan Stanley squier, and othir of the kyngis hous, forto be lad to the castelle of Ledis, there to be safli kept vnto iij wikis aftir Mighelmasse next thanne comyng. But the said dame Alienore was lothe to go out of the sayntwary and fayned her seek, and wolde haue stole away priveli be watir, but she was let of her purpos and lad forth to the castel beforsaid.

On 23rd April 1445 King Henry VI of England and II of France [aged 23] and Margaret of Anjou Queen Consort England [aged 15] were married at Titchfield Abbey, Hampshire [Map] probably by Bishop William Ayscough [aged 50], Bishop of Salisbury. She the daughter of René Valois Anjou I Duke Anjou [aged 36] and Isabella Metz Duchess Anjou I Duchess Lorraine [aged 45]. He the son of King Henry V of England and Catherine of Valois Queen Consort England. They were third cousins.

On 29th June 1450 Bishop William Ayscough [aged 55] was murdered at Edington, Wiltshire by an angry mob.

Chronicle of Gregory. 29th June 1450. And the same year was the Byschoppe of Sawlysbury [aged 55] slayne at Edyngton, a myle out of the towne, a-pon a hyghe hylle; it was the xiiij day of June, and alle his goode mevabylle was departyde to every man dwellynge there that any of his lyflode laye; for bothe oxsyn, sheppe, hors, swyne, carte, plowe, corne, hay, tymbyr, strawe, harnys in castellys of hys, clothynge for his owne body, bokys, chalys, and alle that longyd to any manyr of hys, and the very ledde that coveryd the howsys and wodys wer fylde downe in some placys, but not in every place, but in som, as at Shyrbone in Dorsette schyre. And the men that toke a-pon them alle this mys rewle, whenne they undyrstode that it was wronge that they hadde done bothe to hym, and in specyalle unto the King, they a-non wente thoroughe out alle the towne of Shyrborne an toke to every man, woman, and chylde that was above xij year age and iij chore, every che of them hadde vj d; and they madde them to swere to be trewe ande holde to gedyr, by cause yf the King wolde have take any execucyon a-pon it he moste have take it a-pon e alle the hoole schyre and contrays there that his lyflode was. And for cause here of the King gaffe a generalle pardon to alle maner men.