The bill of complaint against Lewes Bayly, bishop of Bangor,
- NLW MS 9057E/999.
- File
- [1621].
Part of Wynn (of Gwydir) Papers,
(1) Receiving bribes in his office of Justice of the Peace. (2) At his ecclesiastical court held about Nov. 1611, he ordered that Kadwaleder ap Thomas Wyn, gent., a man of great wealth, who had for a long time forsaken his lawful wife and children and led a dissolute life, should pay his wife 6s. 8d. weekly for her maintenance, and be imprisoned, except recognizance be found. By a later court, however, the Bishop discharged the said Kadwalader of the said sum, as well as of the imprisonment and recognizance. (3) He paid £600 as a bribe to receive his see and raised the money by imposing double benevolences on his clergy, threatening those unable to pay, and suspended Gruffin Williams, Bachelor of Divinity, upon his refusal to pay, whereby the parish of Llanllechid, Caernarfonshire, was for long without divine service. (4) One Rowland Owen being summoned to appear in the ecclesiastical court of Bangor for having married his wife without her parent's consent, was discharged on payment of a bribe by the said Rowland. (5) The Bishop eats flesh meat in Lent, contrary to law. (6) He discharged John Trevor, John David, John ap Hugh ap Robert, Robert ap John Wyn, John ap Robert ap John Wyn, John Edmund, Richard ap John Edmund, and Lazarus ap William ap Edmund, all under warrant and recognizance of William Williams, from arrest or imprisonment, and refused to make certificate of the recognizances to Sir John Wynn, kt and bart, then and still Custos Rotulorum of the county. (7) He suppressed and failed to certify the recognizance entered against Rees ap Jevan of Aber, on 29 March 1611, and the following recognizances as well: Richard ap Evan; William Wyn and John ap William Prichard, 14 Aug. 1618; Thomas ap Robert and John ap Ellys, 13 Dec. 1618. (8) He discharged Elizabeth Humfrey who stole money from her master, Richard Jones of Bangor. (9) He rejected the suit of a stranger named Joel Wharton, who was grievously assaulted and wounded by John Mothey; as well as the case of William Wyn, charged of murdering Robert Williams and Evan Lloid and of marrying the wife of the said Evan. (10) He openly slandered his fellow justices and others by accusing them of dissolute living.