Bernard Knight
THE AWFUL SECRET
A Crowner John Mystery
2000
Author’s Note
Any attempt in historical novels to give modern English dialogue an ‘olde worlde’ flavour, is as inaccurate as it is futile. In the time and place of this story, late twelfth-century Devon, most people would have spoken early Middle English, which would be quite unintelligible to us today. Many others spoke western Welsh, later called Cornish, and the ruling classes would have spoken Norman-French. The language of the Church and virtually all official writing was Latin.
Many of the characters actually existed and the contemporary political and religious events alluded to are authentic – piracy was rife around the coasts of England, Prince John was constantly plotting against his brother Richard the Lion-Heart and the Inquisition was getting under way in France.
The author leaves it to readers to put whatever credence they wish on the substance of the Awful Secret, but for those who may have a further interest in the subject, some sources are suggested at the end of the book.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the following for historical advice, though reserving the blame for any misapprehensions about the complexities of life and law in twelfth century Devon; Mrs Angela Doughty, Exeter Cathedral Archivist; the staff of Devon Record Office and of Exeter Central Library; Mr Stuart Blaylock, Exeter Archaeology; Rev Canon Mawson, Exeter Cathedral; Mr Thomas Watkin, Cardiff Law School, University of Wales; Professor Nicholas Orme, University of Exeter; to copy-editor Hazel Orme and to Gillian Holmes and Clare Ledingham of Simon & Schuster for their continued encouragement and support.
Glossary
ABJURER
A criminal or accused person who sought sanctuary in a church and then elected to ‘abjure the realm of England for ever’ to avoid being hanged, by confessing to the coroner. He had up to forty days sanctuary, then had to proceed on foot, dressed in sackcloth and carrying a wooden cross, to a port nominated by the coroner and take the first ship available. If there was a delay, he had to wade out up to his knees at every tide, to show his willingness to leave.
ALBIGENSIAN HERESY
See Cathars.
AMERCEMENT
An arbitrary fine imposed on a person or community by a law officer, for some breach of the complex regulations of the law. Where imposed by a coroner, he would record the amercement, but the collection of the money would be ordered by the king’s justices when they visited at the Eyre of Assize (qv).
APPROVER
An accused person who attempted to obtain mercy by implicating his accomplices, as in the modern ‘turning Queen’s evidence’. He had to confess to the coroner, then challenge his accomplices to trial by battle; if he won, he was freed.
ARCHDEACON
A senior cathedral priest, assistant to the Bishop. There were four in the diocese of Devon and Cornwall, one responsible for Exeter.
ASSART
A new piece of arable land, cut from the forest to enlarge the cultivated area of a manor.
ATTACHMENT
An order made by a law officer, including a coroner, to ensure that a person, whether suspect or witness, appeared at a court hearing. It resembled bail or a surety, distraining upon a person’s goods or money, which would be forfeit if he failed to appear.
AVENTAIL
A chain-mail armoured hood, similar to a balaclava, attached to the edge of the helmet and tucked into the neck of the hauberk (qv).
BAILEY
The outer enclosure of an early Norman ‘motte and bailey’ castle. An artificial mound was built and a wooden tower erected on top – the ‘donjon’ (qv), later called a ‘keep’. Around the base, usually asymmetrically, a ditch and stockade demarcated the bailey, in which a hall and other buildings for living quarters, stables, kitchens, etc were erected, the donjon being used in times of siege. Later, more complex castles had inner and outer bailies, such as Exeter’s Rougemont.
BAILIFF
Overseer of a manor or estate, directing the farming and administrative work. He might also investigate manorial disputes and crimes and hold the manor court. He would have reeves (qv) under him, and himself be responsible to the lord’s steward or seneschal (qv).
BALDRIC
A diagonal leather strap over the right shoulder of a Norman knight or soldier, to suspend his sword on the left hip.
BARON
Any major landowner, especially those powerful enough to have political influence. Often at loggerheads with the king, many barons, especially the Marcher Lords along the Welsh border, ran almost independent kingdoms.
BURGESS
A freeman of substance in a town or borough, usually a merchant or craftsman. A group of burgesses ran the town administration and elected two Portreeves (qv) as their leaders, later replaced by a mayor.
CANON
A priestly member of the Chapter of a cathedral, also known as a ‘prebendary’, as they received their income from a prebend, a grant of land or a pension. Exeter had twenty-four canons, most of whom lived near the cathedral, though unlike the majority of other cathedrals, the canons were paid a small salary and had a daily allowance of bread, candles etc. Many employed junior priests (vicars and secondaries) to carry out some of their duties.
CATHARS
People of south-western France in the 11th–13th centuries, who professed a ‘gnostic’ type of Christianity, also known as the Albigensian heresy, as they were centred around the town of Albi. They professed free-will and thought all material things were the produce of evil. They fell foul of the Roman Church and though the Templars seemed to have some sympathy with them, they were ruthlessly exterminated by the Inquisition on the orders of Pope Innocent III in the 13th century.
CHAPTER
The administrative body of a cathedral, composed of the canons (Prebendaries). They met daily to conduct business in the Chapter House, so called because a chapter of the Gospels was read before each meeting.
COG
A crude building material made from clay, dung, ferns etc, supported between a wooden framework.
COMMANDERY
The main Templar establishment in a country, such as at Paris or the New Temple in London, now used by the legal profession. It would be headed by a Master, the Grand Master being at Acre in the Holy Land, until expelled by the Saracen onslaught, when he moved to Cyprus. Lesser Templar establishments elsewhere in a country were called Preceptories.
CONSTABLE
Had several meanings, but here refers to the military commander of a castle, sometimes called a ‘castellan’. In royal castles, such as Exeter’s Rougemont, he was appointed by the king, to keep him independent of powerful local barons. On a lower plane, in towns and some manors, a constable was a law enforcer assisting the bailiff or burgesses.
CORONER
A senior law officer in a county, second only to the sheriff (qv). First established in September 1194, though there are a few mentions of the coroner in earlier times. Three knights and one clerk were recruited in every county, to carry out a wide range of legal duties. The name comes from custos placitorum coronae, meaning ‘Keeper of the Pleas of the Crown’, as he recorded all serious crimes, deaths and legal events for the King’s Justices.