Mary de Briouze
¶ Domina Maria de Breuse, relicta domini Willelmi de Breuse, baronis, militis, supra iurata nominata et producta a procuratore Capituli Herefordensis ad probacionem unius miraculi tantum, quod miraculum dicebat contigisse in personam cuiusdam suspensi a mortuis ut dicebat resuscitati. Interrogata et requisita ut secundum formam iuramenti per eam prestit diceret quicquid sciebat super predicto miraculo, dixit primoThis addition is added in much lighter ink than the main text. quod dudum quidam Willelmus Cragh nomine, Walensis, latro famosus, fuit captus apud Sweyneseye, in terra de Gouer, Menevensis dyocesis, que terra erat de iurisdictione temporali dicti domini Willelmi, viri sui quondam, et dictus latro fuit iudicatus ad suspendium, et suspensus, una cum uno alio latrine in dicto loco de Sweyneseye seu eius pertinenciis, et stetit tanto tempore in furcis suspensus quousque astantes reputauerunt eum mortuum, et quia consuetudo est sicut dixit in partibus illis quod quando suspensi sunt mortui, deponuntar a furcis, dictus Willelmus et alius suspensus fuerunt depositi a furcis cum iam aparuissent in eis signa mortis que consueuerunt apparere in talibus suspensis cum sunt mortui, videlicet quia emittunt naturalia per utrasque partes inferiores, ut dicta domina interrogata dixit. Secundo dixit quod postmodum dictus Willelmus de dicto loco in quo fuerat suspensus, fuit apportatus in quodam ligno rotundo, capite pendente deorsum ex una parte et pedibus ex alia, et dicto ligno existente in medio eius quasi per transversum, ad Capellam Beati Johannis Baptiste, que capella est prope villam de Sweyneseye, et distat dicta capella a furcis in quibus fuerat suspensus dictus Willelmus, per mediam leucam Anglicanam. Et modus apportandi eum ad dictam capellam super dictum lignum rotundum, fuit ita grauis quod quilibet sanus qui fuisset apportatus de dictis furcis ad dictam capellam sicut dictus Willelmus fuit apportatus fuisse fere mortuus, sicut communiter dicebatur. Et predicta omnia deposuit dicta domina de auditu dici ab illis qui interfuerant predictis, ipsa tamen non vidit supradicta ut dixit.
¶ Tercio dixit quod causa propter quam dictus Willelmus qui fuerat suspensus, fuit apportatus ad predictam capellam, alio cum eo suspenso remanente prope furcas, et ibidem sepulto, quia priusquam dictus Willelmus, et alius suspenderentur, predicta domina rogauerat virum suum predictum quod perceret predictis duobus latronibus, et quod daret eos domine supradicte, et dictus vir suus negauit hoc sibi, postmodum cum peruenissent rumores ad virum dicte domine per illos qui interfuerant suspendio, quod ille qui fuerat suspensus cum dicto Willelmo erat mortuus in furcis, dicta domina peciit iterum a predicto viro suo quod daret sibi dictum Willelmum Cragh, suspensum quem ipsa domina ad huc credebat esse viuum, et dictus vir suus distulit tantum concedere dicte domine quod petebat,quousque rumores peruenerunt ad ipsum quod dictus Willelmus suspensus, erat mortuus in furcis, et tunc concessit eum dicte domine talem qualis erat, et mandauit quod deponeretur a furcis, et tunc per amicos ipsius Willelmi fuit apportatus et ad dictam Capellam Beati Johannis ut sepeliretur, sicut dixit se credere domina supradicta. Item, quarto dixit dicta domina, quod audiuit dici, quod dictus Willelmus iacuerat mortuus in dicta capella antequam in ipsum appareret spiraculum vite usque ad noctem, dixit tamen se nescire qua hora fuerat apportatus ad dictam capellam, nec scit quanto tempore steterat in furis, nec qua hora fuerat suspensus. Sed audiuit dici quod inter primam, et terciam fuerat suspensus illa die. ¶ Interrogata si sciebat, credebat, uel audiuerat dici, quod propter preces ipsius domine uel propter aliquam aliamWritten in lighter ink in the margin. causam fuerit aliqua cautela adhibita, uel fortuito casu evenerit absque miraculo ut dictus Willelmus in furcis non moreretur. Respondit quod In lighter ink, added later. non,ymoWritten in lighter ink in the margin. estimat dicta domina ut dixit, et erat communis opinio quod dictus Willelmus fuerat mortuus in furcis predictis.
¶ Interrogata si fuerat suspensus cum croko ferreo, uel cum laqueo corde, dixit quod cum laqueo corde, quem quidem laqueum dicta domina dixit se uidisse postmodum in collo dicti Willelmi postquam videbatur resuscitatus.
¶ Interrogata super tercio interrogatorio tercii articuli, si scit credit vel audiuit quod secundum naturam, et viam nature absque miraculo divino potuerit dictus Willelmus suspensus viuere, vel vixisse post dictum suspendium, et post predicta signa mortis que dixit apparuisse in eo. Respondit quod non credit, nec scit, nec audiuit dici quod absque miraculo divino supra naturam existente potuerit viuere, vel vixisse post suspendium et signa predicta. ¶ Item super quarto interrogatorio, scilicet qualiter, et quibus verbis interuenerat dictum miraculum. Respondit interrogata quod predictus Willelmus suspensus retulit cum apparaissent in eo signam vite, et loqueretur omnibus volentibus audire, et ipsa domina dixit etiam se audiuisse ab eodem Willelmo, quod dum esset ductus ad furcas idem Willelmus rogauit deum, ut meritis sancti Thome de Cantilupo Episcopi Herefordensis predicti, liberaret eum a tam turpissima morte, et referebat idem suspensus quod quidam episcopus, ut sibi videbantur sustinebat eum in pedibus, nescit tamen dicta domina ut dixit interrogate, si dictus Willelmus suspensus, dicebat illum episcopum qui eum sustinebat in pedibus, fuisse dictum dominium Thomam, Episcopum Herefordensem.
¶ Item quinto dixit predicta domina quod cum predictus Willelmus suspensus fuisset apportatus ad dictam Capellam Sancti Johannis, ex inde fuit extractas et portatus ad villam seu locum de Sweyneseye supradictum.
¶ Nescit tamen ut dixit interrogata ex qua causa fuerit extractus de dicta capella et portatus ad dictum locum, de Sweyneseye, nec si in eo apparuerant signa vite prius, quam extrahetur de capella predicta.
¶ Cum autem dicta domina audiuisset quod predictus Willelmus fuerat de predicta capella portatus ad dictum locum de Sweyneseye, predicta domina que frequenter sicut dixit audiuerat dici prius quod deus operabatur miracula pro dicto sancto Thoma de Cantilupo in quem dicta domina ut dixit habebat specialem deuocionem, cum domicellabus suis, et cum uiris tunc astantibus, cum deuocione et flexis genibus rogauerunt dictum sanctum Thomam de Cantilupo ut rogaret deum quod redderet uitam dicto Willelmo, qui fuerat suspensus, ut ipse Willelmus posset ad huc seruire deo, et dixerunt orationem dominicam, et Aue Maria, semel.
¶ Interrogata si illo tempore quo porrexit dictas preces predicto sancto Thome de Cantilupo, ipsa sperabat et credebat, et habebat fidem et spem quod deus meritis dicti sancti Thome exaudiret predictas preces. Respondit quod sic, quia aliter non rogasset.
¶ Item interrogata si credit quod astantes cum ipsa domina quando porrexerunt dictas preces habebant fidem et spem, quod deus meritis dicti domini Thome exaudiret eos, dixit se credere quia sic, quia quilibet ex astantibus deuote fundebat preces predictas, ut eidem domine videbatur.
¶ Item interrogata si quando porrexerunt dictas preces, credebant dictum Willelmum qui fuerat suspensus esse vere mortuum. Respondit quod sic.
¶ Item interrogata qui fuerint illi qui dictas preces fuderunt, vel porrexerunt cum dicta domina. Respondit quod una ex domicellabus suis vocabatur Elena de la Chaumbre dyocesis Meneuensis, de nominibus aliorum astancium, dixit se non recordari.
¶ Item interrogata de loco in quo fuderunt dictas preces, dixit quod in camera dicte domine in predicto Castro de Sweyneseye, de anno autem interrogate, dixit quod sunt circiter quindecim anni, de die tamen dixit se non recordari, nec etiam de mense, sed credebat quod fuerit hoc in hyeme, et quod dicte preces fuerint porrecte de die, et ante prandium.
¶ Item sexto dixit quod in mediate cum porrexissentThe superlinear addition was added in later ink later. dictas preces, predicta domina misit quandam domicellam suam Sonehud nomine, ad locum de Sweyneseye in quo fuerat portatus dictus Willelmus, ut dicta domicella mensuraret dictum Willelmum secundum morem Anglicanam predicto sancto Thome, et'et' written on an erasure and smudged. dicta domicella retulit se mensurasse eundem.
¶ Interrogata, si dicta domicella inuenerat predictum Willelmum tunc habentem in se spiraculum vite? Respondit se credereWritten in lighter ink later. quod non. Sed aliter nesciebat.
¶ Interrogata si sciebat qui interfuerant dicte mensurationi. Respondit se nescire.
¶ Interrogata si ista domicella, et alia quam supra nominauit, vivunt. Respondit quod de hac nesciebat, si viuebat, nec ubi erat, alia tamen domicella erat presens cum domina supradicta.
¶ Item interrogata si dicte, preces fuerint porrecte, et dicta mensuracio facta eadem die qua dictus Willelmus fuerat suspensus. Respondit quod eadem die qua fuerat suspensus, et dictam responsionem quodWritten in lighter ink in the margin. dicta die ista facta fuissent fecit pluries interrogata a dictis dominis Commissariis cum videretur ista responsio dissonare ab hoc quo supra dixerat de capella, in qua dixerat predictum Willelmum fuisse apportatum post suspendium suum, adiecit tamen dicta domina quod deWritten in lighter ink in the margin. dicta capella fuit portatus predictus Willelmus ad dictum locum de Sweyneseye per alium modum quam fuisset apportatus de furcis ad capellam, quia difficile erat portatoribus portare eum in ligno rotundo, de quo deposuit supra.
¶ Item interrogata si post predictam mensurationem dictus Willelmus qui fuerat suspensus habuerat in se in continenti, vel in eadem die, vel in die sequenti signa vite? Respondit se nescire. ¶ Sed postmodum postquam apparuerunt in eo signa vite, et dicta domina audiuisset eum viuere, fecit sibi pluribus diebus parari sorbilia in domo ipsius domine in castro predicto, quia dicebatur quod dictus Willelmus non Superlinear addition in lighter ink added later. poterat assumere comestibilia.
¶ Item .VII.o dixit quod cum dictus Willelmus plene convaluisset; vir dicte domine, et ipsa dominaWritten in lighter ink in the margin. duxerunt dictum Willelmum qui fuerat suspensus ad Ecclesiam Herefordensem, ad tumulum dicti sancti Thome, ex causa deuotionis, et ad ostentacionem et publicationem dicti miraculi, et dictus Willelmus, iuit pedes cum eis cum eadem corda cum qua suspensus fuerat ad collum eius ligata, et eundem representauerunt in dicta Ecclesia Herefordense, et idem Willelmus optulit ibidem furcas cereas cum ymagine hominis cerea in eisdem furcis suspensa, quam vir predicte domine fecerat fieri in Hereford'.
¶ Interrogata quantum distat predictum Castrum de Swyneseye ab Hereford'. Respondit quod per tres dietas ut sibi videtur, quia tot dietas inde fecerunt, et continue dictus Willelmus iuit pedes cum eis.
¶ Item interrogata si dictas Willelmus viuebat ad huc. Respondit se nescire, quia de Herefordia recessit ab eis dicens se velle ire ad terram sanctam, et postmodum non vidit eum.
¶ Item super .v.to interrogata dicti tercii articuli interrogate. Respondit se non credere quod in operatione dicti miraculi interuenerat aliqua de content', in articulo secundo.
¶ Item super .vi.to interrogatorio dicti tercii articuli interrogate. Respondit se credere quod ex dicto miraculo augebatur fides, et deuotio dicti Willelmi et illorum ad quorum inuocationem dictum miraculum acciderat, et ad quorum noticiam veniebat.
¶ Item super .vii.o interrogatorio dicti tercii articuli, interrogate. Respondit, quod dictus Willelmus erat circiter .XXX. annorum, et oriundus de terra dicti viri sui, de dyocesi Meneuense, nescit tamen de quo loco, nec a quibus parentibus oriundus.
¶ Item super .viii.o interrogatorio dicti tercii articuli. Respondit quod dictam Willelmum bene viderat ante suspendium. ¶ Ad nonum, decimum, et undecimum, interrogatorium. Responsum est per dictam dominam in precedentibus.
¶ Item super .xii.o interrogatorio, dicti tercii articuli de fama dixit quod de predictis fuerat et adhuc est vox communis et communis oppinio gencium et fama publica, in dictis locis de Gouer, et de Herefordia, et quod tunc fuit dictum miraculum publicatum, et cantatum Te Deum Laudamus in Ecclesia Herefordensi, ipsa audiente. Et quia dicta domina non erat perita iniure, nec in exerciis causarum, et deposuerat in multis de auditu dici; nec fuerat producta nisi super isto miraculo tamen; dm dicti domini Commissarii ex certa sciencia omiserunt eam interrogare similiter aliis, potissime cum diceret de pluribus miraculis se nichil scire, fuit tamen ultimo interrogate, an fuisset de parentela dicti domini Thome, et an prece precepto amore timore odio precio, lucri habiti vel habendi causa testificata fuisset, et an fuisset docta vel instructa deponere, et an concordauerit cum aliis testibus sic deponere. Respondit quod non. Et ideo fuit licenciata. Et est sciendum quod dicta domina deposuit in Gallico vulgariter, et ex aliis causa venerat ad ciuitatem Lond’.
Act' eisdem anno Ind' et die .xiiii. mensis Julii in dicto Capitulo sancti Paul Lond’, presentibus domino Reymundo Barroti precentore Mimatensi, Magistro Willelmo de Meleford, Canonico Lond', et me Willelmo ac Magistris, Ad[am], et Reymundo, notariis huius processus.
¶ Lady Mary de Briouze,The MS reads ‘Breuse’ here. The MS contains many different spellings of this family name. For the purposes of this translation, I have followed the modern spelling of the family name ‘Briouze’, used by scholars of the subject such as Bartlett, 2006 and Power, 2004.For further discussion of the name, please see [Introduction - link] widow of lord baron William de Briouze the above [named] knight, was called to witness and led forward by the proctor of the Chapter of Hereford as the first to give witness to so great a miracle, because the miracle was said to happen in a certain person who was hanged until dead, and was said to be resuscitated. Interrogated and cross-questioned and according to the oath she gave, she was to say whatever she knew about the aforesaid miracle. She said first, in respect of this, [that] a little while ago a certain man named William Cragh, a Welshman, [and] famous brigand, was captured at Swansea, in the region of Gower, in the diocese of St Davids, and the region was in the temporal jurisdiction of the said William, formerly her husband.William de Briouze Snr died in 1291, and so was not able to be a witness in these proceedings himself. His death is recorded by Gervase of Canterbury in his Gesta Regum Stubbs, 1879
His death is also recorded by the unknown author of the annals attached to the Neath Domesday Breviate, TNA MS E 164/1 fol. 242v. And the said brigand was sentenced to be hanged, and was hanged together with one other brigand, in the said locality of Swansea, or in the same appurtenance.'Appurtenance' is a legal term referring to the lands belonging to lords - in this case those of Gower and Swansea. It comes from the Old French 'apertenance', which in urn is based on the Latin verb 'appertinere', 'to belong to'. And he remained for so great a time suspended on the gallows until those standing by thought he was dead. And she said because it was the custom in those parts that when hanged men are dead, they are taken down from the gallows,It was common practice for even criminals to be granted a proper burial,C. Daniell 1997, 120.
The Statute of Wales (1284) permitted Welsh law to be practised in the majority of cases. Beverley-Smith, (2007: 141) For more on the customs of Welsh law and capital punishment in the Middle Ages, see A.W. Wade-Evans (ed.), 1909
and (for comparison)
H. Summerson, (2001: 123 – 33).
the said William and the other hanged man were taken down from the gallows, when it came to pass that it appeared that there were signs of death in them (which were customarily apparent in hanged men when they were dead, evident because of the natural excretion through their lower parts).This was a common indication of death by hanging and is corroborated by several of the other witnesses, including John of Baggeham and Henry Skinner. And the said lady said this when interrogated. Secondly, she said that after a while the said William was carried on a certain wooden wheel It is not clear why Mary says that he was carried on a wheel. However, the wheel was commonly associated with torture and martyrdom, such as that of St Catherine of Alexandria. It was also used on occasion after hanging as part of an ‘aggravated execution’. For a full discussion of its uses and implications, see Merback (1999: 158 - 97) and McCall (1979: 74). from the said locality in which he had been hanged (the head hanging down from one part, and the feet from another, and the middle of him as it were lying across the said wood), to the Chapel of Blessed John the Baptist, which chapel is near the town of Swansea, and the said chapel is about half an English league distant from the gallows on which the said William was hanged. And this manner in which he was carried to the said chapel on the said wooden wheel was so painful, that any healthy person who was carried from the said gallows to the said chapel as the said William was carried (it was generally said) would be almost dead. And all the aforesaid testimony the said lady gave from what she heard from those who had been present at the aforesaid [events], and yet she said that she had not witnessed the above-said [events] herself.
¶ Thirdly she said on account of the reason why the said William who was hanged, was carried to the aforesaid chapel, (the other hanged man remaining near the gallows, and being buried there and then,)Excommunicates and criminals were forbidden from burial in consecrated ground, and so were often buried in designated spaces near the gallows. For example, individuals executed just outside Lincoln on Canwick Hill were given a burial on the common near the gallows at the expense of the Master of the nearby Hospitaller Preceptory of Maltby (Handley, 2011: 50-1 and
Daniell, 2002: 246) . For further discussion of the development of this type of burial ground on the periphery or boundary of townships, and the archaeological findings to support it, see Lucy et al., (2003: esp 16 and 23),
Reynolds, (2003: 187) and Daniell, 2003: 243 and 245). was that before the said William, and the other man were hanged, the aforesaid lady was asking her aforesaid husband to spare the aforesaid two brigands, and [asking] that the above-said lord give them to her, and her said husband denied her this.The societal role of women acting as intercessors on behalf of their community is an established one. It was common for them to make use of their connections at court to the benefit of locals, and treatises of the time advocated this as acceptable and worthy. For further examples of this, see Ward (1997: 195). Afterwards when rumours from those who were present at the hanging had reached the lord that the man who had been hanged with the said William was dead on the gallows, the said lady petitioned a second time that her aforesaid husband give her the said hanged William Cragh, whom the lady herself believed to be alive at this point. And her said husband delayed granting the said lady’s desire until rumours reached him in person that the said hanged William was dead on the gallows, and then he granted the said man [Cragh] to her in such condition as he was and ordered him to be taken down from the gallows, The manner in which women were seen as being more compassionate and given to mercy and grace than men at this time was a common trope proposed by the likes of Christine de Pizan in her ‘L’Epistre au Dieu d’Amours’ (Roy, 1891: 21-3). and then for William’s friends themselves to carry him to the said Chapel of Blessed John and to bury him.It was normal for executed criminals to rely on friends and family rather than the Church to ensure they had a proper burial (Handley, 2001:51; Daniell, 2002: 246; and McCall, 1979: 75). This the above–said lady said she herself believed.
Further, fourthly, the said lady said that she heard it said that the said William had lain dead in the said chapel all through the night until a breath of life appeared in him. She said, however, she did not know herself what hour he had been carried to the said chapel, or know how much time he had remained on the gallows, or at what hour he was hanged. But she heard it said that he was hanged that day between Prime and Terce.If Mary is saying that William was hanged between Prime and Terce, the execution took place first thing in the morning, at some point during the first three hours after sunrise. For further explanation of the canonical hours see ‘Introduction’ [LINK]. ¶ They asked if she knew, believed, or had heard it said that the said William had not died on the gallows on account of the prayer of the lady herselfPrayer was believed to be the primary way in which a miracle was sought at this time. For further discussion and examples of saintly intercession as a result of prayer, see Vauchez, (1997: 133-4) and Clements-Jewery, (2005). or on account of some other cause; was some precaution taken, or did it come about by a miracle? She responded no. No indeed, the said lady valued that which she said, and it was common opinion that the said William was dead on the aforesaid gallows.
¶ They asked if he was hanged with an iron hook,This is an apparently strange question, but probably refers to customs held on the continent, more familiar with the French commissioners. or with a rope noose? She said with a rope noose. Indeed the said lady said that she sawThe scribe playing with the language here: in the Latin, the alliteration and assonance is clear in the phrasing: ‘quem quidem laquem dicta domina dixit’. the noose later around the neck of the said William after he was seen resuscitated.
¶ They asked the third question of the third article: if she knew, believed or heard that following nature, and the natural way without divine miracle it was possible that the said William could survive or come back to life, after the said hanging and after the aforesaid indication of death, and according to what she herself had said? She replied that she did not believe or know, nor had she heard it said that it could have happened without being a divine miracle above natureA fundamental characteristic of a miracle was that the occurrence had to be seen as going ‘against’ or ‘above’ what is naturally possible in this world as miracles were seen as being part of the Augustinian model of God’s higher natural order (Sumption, 1975: 54-5 and 65). to have survived or come back to life after the hanging and the aforesaid indications. ¶ Further on the fourth question [they asked], with what words she had come to know that the said miracle had occurred? She replied to the question that the aforesaid hanged William related [it] when signs of life had appeared in him, and he spoke to all who were willing to listen. And the lady herself said she had also heard from the very same William, that while he was being led to the gallows the very same William [had] asked God by the merit of St Thomas CantilupeThomas is consistently referred to as ‘saint’ throughout the testimonies despite the fact that he had not yet been officially canonised, and was not until 1320. The idea that an individual could become a saint by popular support was common in Europe at this time. For a discussion of the implications of this, see Webb, (2000: 64 and 152);Vauchez, (1997: 85-103; 154);Crook, (2011: 237);Sumption, (1975: 148-9). William here is asking for the saint to intercede on his behalf with God to work a miracle for him. For more on this belief, see Nilson, (1999: 104). the aforesaid Bishop of HerefordThis phrase 'aforesaid' refers back to the volume’s introduction and first witness, where Thomas’ role as bishop and case for being made a saint is all laid out. MS Vat. Lat. fols. 1 – 7. to liberate him from the most disgraceful death,Death by hanging was commonly acknowledged in both elite and popular cultures as being one of the most shameful in the Middle Ages, bringing the ‘stain of infamy’ on both the condemned and their family (Merback, 1999: 141,200-5); and Evans, 1996: 55). For contemporary views on good and bad deaths, see the treatise ‘Ars Moriendi’ by Jean Gerson, (Rylands et al., 2012) which even circulated in an illustrated format so that all could understand, and Duclow’s discussion (Duclow, 1999: 379 - 429). and the very same hanged man reported that a certain Bishop also appeared to him and was supporting him by the feet. However, the said lady said to the question that she did not know if the said hanged William was saying that the same Bishop who was supporting him by the feet was the said lord Thomas, Bishop of Hereford.Saints supporting sinners’ feet during hanging on the gallows was deemed to be a common occurrence at this time. (Warner, 1976: 324-5).
¶ Further, fifthly the aforesaid lady said that when the aforesaid hanged William was carried to the said Chapel of St John he was removed from there and carried to the above-said town of Swansea.
¶ However, when questioned, she said she did not know for what purpose he was taken from the said chapel and carried to the said locality of Swansea, or if signs of life appeared in him prior to him being removed from the said chapel.
¶ But when the said lady had heard that the aforesaid William, had been carried from the aforesaid chapel to the said locality of Swansea, the aforesaid lady said that she had often heard it said before that God operates miracles through the said St Thomas de Cantilupe to whom the said lady also said she had a special devotion.The initiative for the seeking and proclamation of miracles most frequently came from a lay individual like Mary, and were overwhelmingly related to miraculous cures (Sumption, 1975: 71). Indeed, potential saints owed much of their promotion to influential lay backers(Webb, 2000: 65). Ultimately the saint’s power was thought to be a continuation and embodiment of the same healing powers demonstrated by Jesus and his disciples (Porterfield, 2005: 68). For a comprehensive study of the origin and development of the cult of saints see Brown, (1981), and Vauchez, (1997: 157 - 245). For discussion of the notable predilection for women to be more likely than men the attention of a specific saint, see the evidence provided in their wills; (French, 2003: 162). For the role of King Edward I in boosting the popularity of Thomas Cantilupe, see Vauchez, (1997: 78). With devotion and bent at the knee, [she] and her handmaidens and the men standing at the time, asked the said St Thomas de Cantilupe to ask God that the said William who was hanged be returned to lifeThe most common request for a saint’s intercession was in the hope of a cure (Porterfield, 2005: 70; andVauchez, 1997: 466-77). For the full history of Thomas’ cures into the seventeenth century (when his relics were paraded around the streets of Hereford to ward off the plague), see Crook, (2011: 305-6). and William himself would [then] be able to serve God here and they said the Lord’s prayer and Hail Mary once.The Hail Mary was a commonly used prayer in instances where the supplicant was seeking the Virgin’s intercession (Sumption, 1975: 102; (von Eros, 1963: 10, 53-5, 62-3, 92-9, 100-10). For more on the origins of this belief see, Warner, (1976: 306).
¶ They asked if at the time when she directed the said prayer to the aforesaid St Thomas de Cantilupe she herself was hoping and believing, and having faith and expectation that God through the merits of the said St Thomas would heed the aforesaid prayer. She answered yes, because otherwise she would not have asked.
¶ Further they asked if she believed that those standing by with the lady herself when she extended the said prayer had faith and expectation that God, through the said lord Thomas, would heed them; she said that she believed yes, because it looked to the same lady that those standing by were pouring devotion into the aforesaid prayer.
¶ Further they asked if when they were extending the said prayer, they believed that the said William who was hanged was truly dead? She answered yes.
¶ Further they asked who those people were who were pouring [forth], or extending the said prayer with the said lady? She replied that one was her maidservants who was called Elena de la ChaumbreIt seems that this is not an isolated case of the surname ‘de la Chambre’ being given to household servants in thirteenth-century Wales. The Chamberlain of the Earl of Lincoln stationed in Denbigh was named ‘John de la Chambre’ (Davies, 1974: 6). from the diocese of St Davids; she said she could not recall the names of the others standing by.
¶ Further they asked about the locality in which they offered the said prayer; she said [they were] in a room in the said lord’s aforesaid castle of Swansea. Moreover they asked about the year; she said that it was about 15 years [ago].This would place these events in 1292. About the day, however, she said she could not recall, nor the month either. But that she believed that this was in winter, and that the said prayer was extended during the day, and before lunch.
¶ Further, sixth she said that in the midst of extending the said prayer, the aforesaid lady sent a certain maidservant named Sunehild,This is the second of three serving girls named in the course of these testimonies. Servants made up around a third of urban populations by this time in medieval Europe, of which percentage females consisted just over a half (Leyser, 1995: 156). We do not often hear of named individuals like this, but for further reading on the subject see Shahar, (2003: 203-4); Jewell, (2007: 69-74);
and Leyser, (1995: 156-8). to the locality of Swansea to which the said William had been carried, and the said maidservant measured the said William following the English custom of the aforesaid St Thomas;This as a popular English custom in the Middle Ages. The idea was that a thread was used to measure the body, and that in the event of a miraculous cure the thread would be made into a votive candle for the saint responsible for the miracle. It was particularly common as a long-range device intended to attract the attention of the saint. For more on this practice, see Webb, (2000: 74); Finucane, (1977); Bartlett, (2006: 8-9) and Vauchez, (1997: 456-7, 490). the said maidservant returned having measured the very same man.
¶ They asked if the said maidservant had discovered life’s breath in the aforesaid William at that time. She replied that she believed The addition of the fact that this was only her 'belief' and not something she knew factually is added in the margin to qualify the statement. not, but otherwise she did not know.
¶ They asked if she knew who had been present at the said measuring. She replied that she did not know.
¶ They asked if this maidservant [Sunehild], and others who are named above, are still living. She replied that concerning this [Sunehild] she did not know if she lived, nor where she was; the other maidservant [Elena] however was present [in London at St Paul’s] with the above-said lady.
¶ Further they asked if the said prayer was extended, and the said measurement taken the same day that the said William was hanged. She replied that it was on the same day he had been hanged, and the said response that she said on that matter caused many questions to be made by the said lord Commissioner. At the time it seemed that the response contradicted that which she had said above concerning the chapel, to which she had said the aforesaid William had been carried after his hanging. However, the said lady added that the aforesaid William was carried from the said chapel to the said locality of Swansea by a means other than that which he had been carried from the gallows to the chapel, because it was difficult for those carrying him on a wooden wheel, as she testified above.
¶ Further, they asked if after the aforesaid measuring of the said William who was hanged had retained in him signs of life [in his body] either on the same day, or on the following day. She replied she did not know. ¶ But later after signs of life appeared in him, and the said lady herself had heard he had acquired [fecit] life the lady prepared broth herself for several days in her home in the aforesaid castle because it was said that the said William was not able to consume food. The word given here in the Latin literally means ‘suck-up-able’. Given the statement of John of Baggeham, it is likely that this broth was made from almonds. Almond milk was deemed to be soothing and quick to produce, keeping longer than dairy milk would have done. For further details, see Adamson, (2004: 45); Civitello, (2011:82); Newman, (2001: 19); and Rumble, (2009: 64). Noble women often concerned themselves with assisting the poor and needy in their community. Women like Joan de Valence, Countess of Pembroke and Katherine of Norwich regularly provided relief (Skinner, 1997: passim; Leyser, (1995: 224); Ward, (1997: 186).
¶ Further, seventh, she said that when the said William had fully recovered [her] husband the said lord and the lady herself led the said William who was hanged to Hereford Cathedral to the tomb of the said St Thomas de Cantilupe on account of devotion and to show and proclaim the said miracle.Visits to the tombs of saintly bishops was not an uncommon occurrence in this period. Robert Grossetesse’s tomb in Lincoln was similarly visited at this time, while he too was being considered for canonisation (Webb, 2000: 69and Crook, 2011).For further discussion of the veneration of tombs as a pilgrimage destination, see Sumption, (1975: 23). The idea that the miracle was ‘proclaimed’ during this visit is a demonstration of the spreading the news of miracles by word of mouth and the whole town getting involved (Webb, 2000: 73; Hole, 1954: 102; Sumption, 1975: 150-1). And the said William went on foot with them with the same rope with which he had been hanged fastened round his neck, and he presented this in the said Hereford Cathedral. And also William offered in the same place a wax gallows with the likeness of a wax man hanging on the very same gallows, which the husband of the aforesaid lady had had made in Hereford.Some argue that a pilgrimage is not complete without the offering of a gift to the saint (Sumption, 1975: 158). The practice of offering wax models is well documented at Hereford, where over 2000 are known to have been left for St Thomas. The image was supposed to relate to the miracle being sought or granted – in William’s case a wax man hanging on the gallows, but others included a head for chronic headaches and eyeballs for blindness. For further details, please see, Webb, (2000: 74-5); Nilson, (1999: 105): Sumption, (1975: 157); Vauchez, (1997: 221, 456-7). For the origins of this custom growing out of previously held pagan beliefs, see, Crook, (2011: 21-2).
¶ They asked how distant the aforesaid Castle of Swansea to Hereford was. She replied that it seemed to her that it was three days, because it took them such a number to get there, and the said William went with them on foot.
¶ Further they asked if the said William was living to this [day]. She replied she did not know, because [when] he withdrew from Hereford he said he wished to go to the Holy Land, and afterwards she did not see him.Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land was deemed to be the most dangerous (and therefore the most rewarding) of all (Sumption, 1975). Perhaps the extent of the miraculous nature of William Cragh’s revival was thought to warrant such and extreme journey to truly reflect his thanks.
¶ Further they asked on the fifth question of the said third article. She replied that she did not believe that they would find anything different to the content of the second article in the working of the said miracle.
This is a reference to her earlier answer – [cross-reference].
¶ Further they asked the sixth question of the said third article. She replied that she herself believed that the faith and devotion of the said William was increased on account of the said miracle and those who prayed for the said miracle to happen, and gained attention.The belief was that Mary assisted in resurrecting sinners primarily so that they could make confession and do penance in order that they can make a good death, dying in grace (Warner, 1976: 324).
¶ Further they asked the seventh question of the third article. She replied that the said William was around 30 years old and he originated from the land of her said husband, from the diocese of St David’s; she did not know however from which locality, nor from where his parents originated.
¶ Further they asked the eighth question of the third article. She replied that she had a good look at the said William before the hanging. To the ninth, tenth and eleventh questions her response is what as the said lady gave above.
¶ On the twelfth question of the said third article, concerning the rumour she said that concerning it was as aforesaid [i.e. as described above] and [this] is thus far the voice of the community and common opinion of the people and public rumour, in the said locality of Gower and of Hereford, and that at that at time the said miracle was made public,A fundamental requirement for the initiation of any inquisitorial or enquiry process called for by the papacy was ‘publica fama’. See Kelly (2013: 8-29) for a full discussion. and she heard herself Te Deum Laudamus sung in Hereford Cathedral.A popular psalm, ‘Thee O God we praise’, often sung after mass or the Divine Office. See ‘Introduction’ for further discussion of the power of prayer and lay piety. And because the said lady was not experienced in law, nor in administering trials, and she had testified to much that she heard said; nor had she, been produced [as a witness before] apart from about this miracle; so as a result the said master Commissioner disregarded certain knowledge from his questioning, as with the others', above all when she was saying she herself knew nothing concerning other miracles. However, they asked a final question; whether she was related to the said lord Thomas, and whether her testimony was motivated by prayer, by command, by love, by fear, by hate, by gaining reward she had or would have, and whether she had been taught or instructed to testify, and whether she had agreed on it with other witnesses' depositions? She replied no. And therefore she was dismissed. And it is to be known that the said lady gave her deposition in vernacular French, and had come to the city of London for other reasons.
It took place the same yearIn 1307. The 'same' refers to the first witness interviewed in relation to St Thomas's miracles, though he had not been witness to William's resucitation. and on the 14th day of the month of July at the saidAgain, this is a reference to the first witness testimony, not one of the collection relating to William Cragh. Cathedral Chapter of St Paul, London, in the presence of lord Raymond Barroti, precentor of Mende,A town in southern France, midway between Clermont Ferrand and Montpellier. lord William of Meleford, canon of London, and me William and also master Ad[am], and Raymond, notaries of this process.For more on the practicalities of the process of gathering testimonies to miracles, such as the appointment of notaries and commissioners, see Vauchez, (1997: 45-6, 50-5).
Notes
¶ Lady Mary de Briouze,The MS reads ‘Breuse’ here. The MS contains many different spellings of this family name. For the purposes of this translation, I have followed the modern spelling of the family name ‘Briouze’, used by scholars of the subject such as Bartlett, 2006 and Power, 2004.For further discussion of the name, please see [Introduction - link] widow of lord baron William de Briouze the above [named] knight, was called to witness and led forward by the proctor of the Chapter of Hereford as the first to give witness to so great a miracle, because the miracle was said to happen in a certain person who was hanged until dead, and was said to be resuscitated. Interrogated and cross-questioned and according to the oath she gave, she was to say whatever she knew about the aforesaid miracle. She said first, in respect of this, [that] a little while ago a certain man named William Cragh, a Welshman, [and] famous brigand, was captured at Swansea, in the region of Gower, in the diocese of St Davids, and the region was in the temporal jurisdiction of the said William, formerly her husband.William de Briouze Snr died in 1291, and so was not able to be a witness in these proceedings himself. His death is recorded by Gervase of Canterbury in his Gesta Regum Stubbs, 1879
His death is also recorded by the unknown author of the annals attached to the Neath Domesday Breviate, TNA MS E 164/1 fol. 242v. And the said brigand was sentenced to be hanged, and was hanged together with one other brigand, in the said locality of Swansea, or in the same appurtenance.'Appurtenance' is a legal term referring to the lands belonging to lords - in this case those of Gower and Swansea. It comes from the Old French 'apertenance', which in urn is based on the Latin verb 'appertinere', 'to belong to'. And he remained for so great a time suspended on the gallows until those standing by thought he was dead. And she said because it was the custom in those parts that when hanged men are dead, they are taken down from the gallows,It was common practice for even criminals to be granted a proper burial,C. Daniell 1997, 120.
The Statute of Wales (1284) permitted Welsh law to be practised in the majority of cases. Beverley-Smith, (2007: 141) For more on the customs of Welsh law and capital punishment in the Middle Ages, see A.W. Wade-Evans (ed.), 1909
and (for comparison)
H. Summerson, (2001: 123 – 33).
the said William and the other hanged man were taken down from the gallows, when it came to pass that it appeared that there were signs of death in them (which were customarily apparent in hanged men when they were dead, evident because of the natural excretion through their lower parts).This was a common indication of death by hanging and is corroborated by several of the other witnesses, including John of Baggeham and Henry Skinner. And the said lady said this when interrogated. Secondly, she said that after a while the said William was carried on a certain wooden wheel It is not clear why Mary says that he was carried on a wheel. However, the wheel was commonly associated with torture and martyrdom, such as that of St Catherine of Alexandria. It was also used on occasion after hanging as part of an ‘aggravated execution’. For a full discussion of its uses and implications, see Merback (1999: 158 - 97) and McCall (1979: 74). from the said locality in which he had been hanged (the head hanging down from one part, and the feet from another, and the middle of him as it were lying across the said wood), to the Chapel of Blessed John the Baptist, which chapel is near the town of Swansea, and the said chapel is about half an English league distant from the gallows on which the said William was hanged. And this manner in which he was carried to the said chapel on the said wooden wheel was so painful, that any healthy person who was carried from the said gallows to the said chapel as the said William was carried (it was generally said) would be almost dead. And all the aforesaid testimony the said lady gave from what she heard from those who had been present at the aforesaid [events], and yet she said that she had not witnessed the above-said [events] herself.
¶ Thirdly she said on account of the reason why the said William who was hanged, was carried to the aforesaid chapel, (the other hanged man remaining near the gallows, and being buried there and then,)Excommunicates and criminals were forbidden from burial in consecrated ground, and so were often buried in designated spaces near the gallows. For example, individuals executed just outside Lincoln on Canwick Hill were given a burial on the common near the gallows at the expense of the Master of the nearby Hospitaller Preceptory of Maltby (Handley, 2011: 50-1 and
Daniell, 2002: 246) . For further discussion of the development of this type of burial ground on the periphery or boundary of townships, and the archaeological findings to support it, see Lucy et al., (2003: esp 16 and 23),
Reynolds, (2003: 187) and Daniell, 2003: 243 and 245). was that before the said William, and the other man were hanged, the aforesaid lady was asking her aforesaid husband to spare the aforesaid two brigands, and [asking] that the above-said lord give them to her, and her said husband denied her this.The societal role of women acting as intercessors on behalf of their community is an established one. It was common for them to make use of their connections at court to the benefit of locals, and treatises of the time advocated this as acceptable and worthy. For further examples of this, see Ward (1997: 195). Afterwards when rumours from those who were present at the hanging had reached the lord that the man who had been hanged with the said William was dead on the gallows, the said lady petitioned a second time that her aforesaid husband give her the said hanged William Cragh, whom the lady herself believed to be alive at this point. And her said husband delayed granting the said lady’s desire until rumours reached him in person that the said hanged William was dead on the gallows, and then he granted the said man [Cragh] to her in such condition as he was and ordered him to be taken down from the gallows, The manner in which women were seen as being more compassionate and given to mercy and grace than men at this time was a common trope proposed by the likes of Christine de Pizan in her ‘L’Epistre au Dieu d’Amours’ (Roy, 1891: 21-3). and then for William’s friends themselves to carry him to the said Chapel of Blessed John and to bury him.It was normal for executed criminals to rely on friends and family rather than the Church to ensure they had a proper burial (Handley, 2001:51; Daniell, 2002: 246; and McCall, 1979: 75). This the above–said lady said she herself believed.
Further, fourthly, the said lady said that she heard it said that the said William had lain dead in the said chapel all through the night until a breath of life appeared in him. She said, however, she did not know herself what hour he had been carried to the said chapel, or know how much time he had remained on the gallows, or at what hour he was hanged. But she heard it said that he was hanged that day between Prime and Terce.If Mary is saying that William was hanged between Prime and Terce, the execution took place first thing in the morning, at some point during the first three hours after sunrise. For further explanation of the canonical hours see ‘Introduction’ [LINK]. ¶ They asked if she knew, believed, or had heard it said that the said William had not died on the gallows on account of the prayer of the lady herselfPrayer was believed to be the primary way in which a miracle was sought at this time. For further discussion and examples of saintly intercession as a result of prayer, see Vauchez, (1997: 133-4) and Clements-Jewery, (2005). or on account of some other cause; was some precaution taken, or did it come about by a miracle? She responded no. No indeed, the said lady valued that which she said, and it was common opinion that the said William was dead on the aforesaid gallows.
¶ They asked if he was hanged with an iron hook,This is an apparently strange question, but probably refers to customs held on the continent, more familiar with the French commissioners. or with a rope noose? She said with a rope noose. Indeed the said lady said that she sawThe scribe playing with the language here: in the Latin, the alliteration and assonance is clear in the phrasing: ‘quem quidem laquem dicta domina dixit’. the noose later around the neck of the said William after he was seen resuscitated.
¶ They asked the third question of the third article: if she knew, believed or heard that following nature, and the natural way without divine miracle it was possible that the said William could survive or come back to life, after the said hanging and after the aforesaid indication of death, and according to what she herself had said? She replied that she did not believe or know, nor had she heard it said that it could have happened without being a divine miracle above natureA fundamental characteristic of a miracle was that the occurrence had to be seen as going ‘against’ or ‘above’ what is naturally possible in this world as miracles were seen as being part of the Augustinian model of God’s higher natural order (Sumption, 1975: 54-5 and 65). to have survived or come back to life after the hanging and the aforesaid indications. ¶ Further on the fourth question [they asked], with what words she had come to know that the said miracle had occurred? She replied to the question that the aforesaid hanged William related [it] when signs of life had appeared in him, and he spoke to all who were willing to listen. And the lady herself said she had also heard from the very same William, that while he was being led to the gallows the very same William [had] asked God by the merit of St Thomas CantilupeThomas is consistently referred to as ‘saint’ throughout the testimonies despite the fact that he had not yet been officially canonised, and was not until 1320. The idea that an individual could become a saint by popular support was common in Europe at this time. For a discussion of the implications of this, see Webb, (2000: 64 and 152);Vauchez, (1997: 85-103; 154);Crook, (2011: 237);Sumption, (1975: 148-9). William here is asking for the saint to intercede on his behalf with God to work a miracle for him. For more on this belief, see Nilson, (1999: 104). the aforesaid Bishop of HerefordThis phrase 'aforesaid' refers back to the volume’s introduction and first witness, where Thomas’ role as bishop and case for being made a saint is all laid out. MS Vat. Lat. fols. 1 – 7. to liberate him from the most disgraceful death,Death by hanging was commonly acknowledged in both elite and popular cultures as being one of the most shameful in the Middle Ages, bringing the ‘stain of infamy’ on both the condemned and their family (Merback, 1999: 141,200-5); and Evans, 1996: 55). For contemporary views on good and bad deaths, see the treatise ‘Ars Moriendi’ by Jean Gerson, (Rylands et al., 2012) which even circulated in an illustrated format so that all could understand, and Duclow’s discussion (Duclow, 1999: 379 - 429). and the very same hanged man reported that a certain Bishop also appeared to him and was supporting him by the feet. However, the said lady said to the question that she did not know if the said hanged William was saying that the same Bishop who was supporting him by the feet was the said lord Thomas, Bishop of Hereford.Saints supporting sinners’ feet during hanging on the gallows was deemed to be a common occurrence at this time. (Warner, 1976: 324-5).
¶ Further, fifthly the aforesaid lady said that when the aforesaid hanged William was carried to the said Chapel of St John he was removed from there and carried to the above-said town of Swansea.
¶ However, when questioned, she said she did not know for what purpose he was taken from the said chapel and carried to the said locality of Swansea, or if signs of life appeared in him prior to him being removed from the said chapel.
¶ But when the said lady had heard that the aforesaid William, had been carried from the aforesaid chapel to the said locality of Swansea, the aforesaid lady said that she had often heard it said before that God operates miracles through the said St Thomas de Cantilupe to whom the said lady also said she had a special devotion.The initiative for the seeking and proclamation of miracles most frequently came from a lay individual like Mary, and were overwhelmingly related to miraculous cures (Sumption, 1975: 71). Indeed, potential saints owed much of their promotion to influential lay backers(Webb, 2000: 65). Ultimately the saint’s power was thought to be a continuation and embodiment of the same healing powers demonstrated by Jesus and his disciples (Porterfield, 2005: 68). For a comprehensive study of the origin and development of the cult of saints see Brown, (1981), and Vauchez, (1997: 157 - 245). For discussion of the notable predilection for women to be more likely than men the attention of a specific saint, see the evidence provided in their wills; (French, 2003: 162). For the role of King Edward I in boosting the popularity of Thomas Cantilupe, see Vauchez, (1997: 78). With devotion and bent at the knee, [she] and her handmaidens and the men standing at the time, asked the said St Thomas de Cantilupe to ask God that the said William who was hanged be returned to lifeThe most common request for a saint’s intercession was in the hope of a cure (Porterfield, 2005: 70; andVauchez, 1997: 466-77). For the full history of Thomas’ cures into the seventeenth century (when his relics were paraded around the streets of Hereford to ward off the plague), see Crook, (2011: 305-6). and William himself would [then] be able to serve God here and they said the Lord’s prayer and Hail Mary once.The Hail Mary was a commonly used prayer in instances where the supplicant was seeking the Virgin’s intercession (Sumption, 1975: 102; (von Eros, 1963: 10, 53-5, 62-3, 92-9, 100-10). For more on the origins of this belief see, Warner, (1976: 306).
¶ They asked if at the time when she directed the said prayer to the aforesaid St Thomas de Cantilupe she herself was hoping and believing, and having faith and expectation that God through the merits of the said St Thomas would heed the aforesaid prayer. She answered yes, because otherwise she would not have asked.
¶ Further they asked if she believed that those standing by with the lady herself when she extended the said prayer had faith and expectation that God, through the said lord Thomas, would heed them; she said that she believed yes, because it looked to the same lady that those standing by were pouring devotion into the aforesaid prayer.
¶ Further they asked if when they were extending the said prayer, they believed that the said William who was hanged was truly dead? She answered yes.
¶ Further they asked who those people were who were pouring [forth], or extending the said prayer with the said lady? She replied that one was her maidservants who was called Elena de la ChaumbreIt seems that this is not an isolated case of the surname ‘de la Chambre’ being given to household servants in thirteenth-century Wales. The Chamberlain of the Earl of Lincoln stationed in Denbigh was named ‘John de la Chambre’ (Davies, 1974: 6). from the diocese of St Davids; she said she could not recall the names of the others standing by.
¶ Further they asked about the locality in which they offered the said prayer; she said [they were] in a room in the said lord’s aforesaid castle of Swansea. Moreover they asked about the year; she said that it was about 15 years [ago].This would place these events in 1292. About the day, however, she said she could not recall, nor the month either. But that she believed that this was in winter, and that the said prayer was extended during the day, and before lunch.
¶ Further, sixth she said that in the midst of extending the said prayer, the aforesaid lady sent a certain maidservant named Sunehild,This is the second of three serving girls named in the course of these testimonies. Servants made up around a third of urban populations by this time in medieval Europe, of which percentage females consisted just over a half (Leyser, 1995: 156). We do not often hear of named individuals like this, but for further reading on the subject see Shahar, (2003: 203-4); Jewell, (2007: 69-74);
and Leyser, (1995: 156-8). to the locality of Swansea to which the said William had been carried, and the said maidservant measured the said William following the English custom of the aforesaid St Thomas;This as a popular English custom in the Middle Ages. The idea was that a thread was used to measure the body, and that in the event of a miraculous cure the thread would be made into a votive candle for the saint responsible for the miracle. It was particularly common as a long-range device intended to attract the attention of the saint. For more on this practice, see Webb, (2000: 74); Finucane, (1977); Bartlett, (2006: 8-9) and Vauchez, (1997: 456-7, 490). the said maidservant returned having measured the very same man.
¶ They asked if the said maidservant had discovered life’s breath in the aforesaid William at that time. She replied that she believed The addition of the fact that this was only her 'belief' and not something she knew factually is added in the margin to qualify the statement. not, but otherwise she did not know.
¶ They asked if she knew who had been present at the said measuring. She replied that she did not know.
¶ They asked if this maidservant [Sunehild], and others who are named above, are still living. She replied that concerning this [Sunehild] she did not know if she lived, nor where she was; the other maidservant [Elena] however was present [in London at St Paul’s] with the above-said lady.
¶ Further they asked if the said prayer was extended, and the said measurement taken the same day that the said William was hanged. She replied that it was on the same day he had been hanged, and the said response that she said on that matter caused many questions to be made by the said lord Commissioner. At the time it seemed that the response contradicted that which she had said above concerning the chapel, to which she had said the aforesaid William had been carried after his hanging. However, the said lady added that the aforesaid William was carried from the said chapel to the said locality of Swansea by a means other than that which he had been carried from the gallows to the chapel, because it was difficult for those carrying him on a wooden wheel, as she testified above.
¶ Further, they asked if after the aforesaid measuring of the said William who was hanged had retained in him signs of life [in his body] either on the same day, or on the following day. She replied she did not know. ¶ But later after signs of life appeared in him, and the said lady herself had heard he had acquired [fecit] life the lady prepared broth herself for several days in her home in the aforesaid castle because it was said that the said William was not able to consume food. The word given here in the Latin literally means ‘suck-up-able’. Given the statement of John of Baggeham, it is likely that this broth was made from almonds. Almond milk was deemed to be soothing and quick to produce, keeping longer than dairy milk would have done. For further details, see Adamson, (2004: 45); Civitello, (2011:82); Newman, (2001: 19); and Rumble, (2009: 64). Noble women often concerned themselves with assisting the poor and needy in their community. Women like Joan de Valence, Countess of Pembroke and Katherine of Norwich regularly provided relief (Skinner, 1997: passim; Leyser, (1995: 224); Ward, (1997: 186).
¶ Further, seventh, she said that when the said William had fully recovered [her] husband the said lord and the lady herself led the said William who was hanged to Hereford Cathedral to the tomb of the said St Thomas de Cantilupe on account of devotion and to show and proclaim the said miracle.Visits to the tombs of saintly bishops was not an uncommon occurrence in this period. Robert Grossetesse’s tomb in Lincoln was similarly visited at this time, while he too was being considered for canonisation (Webb, 2000: 69and Crook, 2011).For further discussion of the veneration of tombs as a pilgrimage destination, see Sumption, (1975: 23). The idea that the miracle was ‘proclaimed’ during this visit is a demonstration of the spreading the news of miracles by word of mouth and the whole town getting involved (Webb, 2000: 73; Hole, 1954: 102; Sumption, 1975: 150-1). And the said William went on foot with them with the same rope with which he had been hanged fastened round his neck, and he presented this in the said Hereford Cathedral. And also William offered in the same place a wax gallows with the likeness of a wax man hanging on the very same gallows, which the husband of the aforesaid lady had had made in Hereford.Some argue that a pilgrimage is not complete without the offering of a gift to the saint (Sumption, 1975: 158). The practice of offering wax models is well documented at Hereford, where over 2000 are known to have been left for St Thomas. The image was supposed to relate to the miracle being sought or granted – in William’s case a wax man hanging on the gallows, but others included a head for chronic headaches and eyeballs for blindness. For further details, please see, Webb, (2000: 74-5); Nilson, (1999: 105): Sumption, (1975: 157); Vauchez, (1997: 221, 456-7). For the origins of this custom growing out of previously held pagan beliefs, see, Crook, (2011: 21-2).
¶ They asked how distant the aforesaid Castle of Swansea to Hereford was. She replied that it seemed to her that it was three days, because it took them such a number to get there, and the said William went with them on foot.
¶ Further they asked if the said William was living to this [day]. She replied she did not know, because [when] he withdrew from Hereford he said he wished to go to the Holy Land, and afterwards she did not see him.Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land was deemed to be the most dangerous (and therefore the most rewarding) of all (Sumption, 1975). Perhaps the extent of the miraculous nature of William Cragh’s revival was thought to warrant such and extreme journey to truly reflect his thanks.
¶ Further they asked on the fifth question of the said third article. She replied that she did not believe that they would find anything different to the content of the second article in the working of the said miracle.
This is a reference to her earlier answer – [cross-reference].
¶ Further they asked the sixth question of the said third article. She replied that she herself believed that the faith and devotion of the said William was increased on account of the said miracle and those who prayed for the said miracle to happen, and gained attention.The belief was that Mary assisted in resurrecting sinners primarily so that they could make confession and do penance in order that they can make a good death, dying in grace (Warner, 1976: 324).
¶ Further they asked the seventh question of the third article. She replied that the said William was around 30 years old and he originated from the land of her said husband, from the diocese of St David’s; she did not know however from which locality, nor from where his parents originated.
¶ Further they asked the eighth question of the third article. She replied that she had a good look at the said William before the hanging. To the ninth, tenth and eleventh questions her response is what as the said lady gave above.
¶ On the twelfth question of the said third article, concerning the rumour she said that concerning it was as aforesaid [i.e. as described above] and [this] is thus far the voice of the community and common opinion of the people and public rumour, in the said locality of Gower and of Hereford, and that at that at time the said miracle was made public,A fundamental requirement for the initiation of any inquisitorial or enquiry process called for by the papacy was ‘publica fama’. See Kelly (2013: 8-29) for a full discussion. and she heard herself Te Deum Laudamus sung in Hereford Cathedral.A popular psalm, ‘Thee O God we praise’, often sung after mass or the Divine Office. See ‘Introduction’ for further discussion of the power of prayer and lay piety. And because the said lady was not experienced in law, nor in administering trials, and she had testified to much that she heard said; nor had she, been produced [as a witness before] apart from about this miracle; so as a result the said master Commissioner disregarded certain knowledge from his questioning, as with the others', above all when she was saying she herself knew nothing concerning other miracles. However, they asked a final question; whether she was related to the said lord Thomas, and whether her testimony was motivated by prayer, by command, by love, by fear, by hate, by gaining reward she had or would have, and whether she had been taught or instructed to testify, and whether she had agreed on it with other witnesses' depositions? She replied no. And therefore she was dismissed. And it is to be known that the said lady gave her deposition in vernacular French, and had come to the city of London for other reasons.
It took place the same yearIn 1307. The 'same' refers to the first witness interviewed in relation to St Thomas's miracles, though he had not been witness to William's resucitation. and on the 14th day of the month of July at the saidAgain, this is a reference to the first witness testimony, not one of the collection relating to William Cragh. Cathedral Chapter of St Paul, London, in the presence of lord Raymond Barroti, precentor of Mende,A town in southern France, midway between Clermont Ferrand and Montpellier. lord William of Meleford, canon of London, and me William and also master Ad[am], and Raymond, notaries of this process.For more on the practicalities of the process of gathering testimonies to miracles, such as the appointment of notaries and commissioners, see Vauchez, (1997: 45-6, 50-5).
