Hugh Oldham

, or Owldham, descended from those of his name living at Oldham in Lancashire, was, as it seems, born at Manchester in that County, and being partly fitted for Academical learning, was sent to Oxon, where continuing for a while, went to Cambridge, took a degree there, and in Sept. 1495. was made Preb. of South Aulton in the Church of Sarum, on the death of John Coryndon, he the said Oldham being about that time Chaplain to Margaret Countess of Richmond, and Canon of the Cath. Ch. at Lincoln. In 1499. he, by the name of Hugh Oldham L. L. Bac. was admitted Preb. of South Cave in the ch. of York, in the place of Dr. Will. Worsley deceased, and on the 12. of Jan. the same year, he was installed in his proper person in that dignity. In 1504. he being by the endeavours of the said Countess elected Bishop of Exeter, by the name of Mr. Hugh Oldham, without the addition of Doctor or Bach. was (*)(*) [〈…〉] restored to the temporalities of that See, 6 Jan. 1504. He sate there several years, not without some disturbance from the Abbot of Tavistock, occasion’d by a contention between them about the liberties of the Church of Exeter; and dying on the 25. of June, 1519 in fiveteen hundred and nineteen, was buried in the Cath. Ch. of S. Peter at Exeter, in a Chappel of his own erection, hallowed in honour of our Lord God S. Saviour, joyning to the South side of the Church, a little above the high Altar. In which Chappel he appointed some of the Vicars Choral of Exeter to say Mass daily for his Soal. He was a benefactor to the said Vicars, by giving them the Lands which belonged to the Brethren of the Holy Trinity at Totness in Devonshire (whose Cell there had been founded by one De la Bont, Lord of Little Totness, but (a)(a) [〈…〉] suppressed by the said Oldham) to the end that they might be reduced together every day at one Table to take Commons. He was also an especial Benefactor to C. C. coll. in Oxon, as you may elsewhere (a)(a) [〈…〉] see: and at Manchester in Lancashire (where his Obit was solemnised several years after his death in the collegiat Church) he built an house to be employed for a School, joyning to the coll. there on the West part. Of this School he appointed a Master and an Usher, who were to teach Children Grammar after the use, manner, and form, of the School at Banbury in Oxfordshire, where Tho. Stanbridge taught the Grammar composed by John Stanbridge. He appointed the President of C. C. coll. in Oxon, for the time being to elect a Schoolmaster and an Usher, the former to have 10l. and the other 5 l. per an. The Master was to teach freely without reward or taking of Cock-pennies, Victor-pennies, Potation-pennies, &c. Whether this School did go to ruine in the time of K. Ed. 6. or was like to be dissolved I know not. Sure I am that Hugh Bexwyck clerk, and Joan Bexwyck widdow setled the said School 10 Elizab.