The Register Of Robert Mascall Bishop Of Hereford 1404-1416

The Register of Robert Mascall, Bishop of Hereford (1404-1416)

Please Note the register is in Latin

Unlock the Door to Your 15th-Century Ancestors and Walk in a World of Kings, Rebels, and Power-Brokers.

Step into the turbulent heart of late medieval England. This was the era of the usurper king Henry IV, the chivalric rise of his son Prince Hal (the future Henry V), and the fierce Welsh rebellion led by the charismatic Owain Glyndŵr. And at the centre of it all, on the volatile borderlands between England and Wales, was the Diocese of Hereford, governed by one of the most influential churchmen of his day: Bishop Robert Mascall.

Now, you can hold a piece of this living history. The Register of Robert Mascall is not just a book; it is a direct, primary-source link to the lives, struggles, and faith of your ancestors living in Herefordshire over 600 years ago.

What is the Register of Robert Mascall?

This official record is the day-to-day working journal of the Bishop of Hereford from 1404 to 1416. Within its pages, meticulously recorded in Latin, are the ecclesiastical acts that governed the lives of every person in the diocese, from the lowliest peasant to the most powerful noble. For the genealogist, it is an unparalleled resource, offering details that simply cannot be found elsewhere.

For the Genealogist and Historian, this Register is Invaluable for:

Confirming Clergy Ancestors: Find records of ordinations, appointments (institutions), and promotions for your ancestors who served as priests, deacons, or other church officials.

Placing Your Family in Time and Place: Discover mentions of laypeople in marriage licenses, dispensations, wills proved in the bishop's court, and disputes over land or tithes.

Understanding Daily Life: Gain insight into the moral and social concerns of the time through cases of heresy, clergy misconduct, and legacies left for the souls of the departed.

Mapping Parish History: Trace the history of your family's parish church, its clergy, and its patrons during a period of intense conflict and change.

A Who's Who of a Pivotal Era

This register was written during a time when giants strode the land. Its pages are a silent witness to their ambitions
and conflicts.

Bishop Robert Mascall (c.1355-1416): More than just a diocesan administrator, Mascall was a major national figure. He served as the royal confessor to King Henry IV and was a trusted diplomat sent on critical missions to France and Rome. His register is the work of a man at the very heart of Lancastrian power, offering a unique perspective on the politics of the realm.

King Henry IV (r. 1399-1413): The first Lancastrian king, who seized the throne from his cousin Richard II. His reign was plagued by rebellion, most famously in Wales. The Bishop of Hereford was his key man on the Marches, and the register reflects the pressures of governing a kingdom at war.

Owain Glyndŵr (c.1359- c.1415): The legendary Prince of Wales and leader of the last great Welsh rebellion against English rule. His forces ravaged the borderlands, and the register almost certainly contains references to the conflict: damaged churches, displaced clergy, and the granting of licenses to fortify manor houses against attack. Owain

Glyndŵr is the shadow that looms over this entire document.
Prince Hal (the future King Henry V): As a young man, the future hero of Agincourt would have been acutely aware of the situation on the Welsh Marches. His father’s reliance on men like Bishop Mascall to secure the kingdom shaped his own understanding of power and leadership.