A Plague of Heretics (Crowner John Mysteries)

  Professor Bernard Knight, CBE, became a Home Office pathologist in 1965 and was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, in 1980. During his forty-year career with the Home Office, he performed over 25,000 autopsies and was involved in many high profile cases.

  Bernard Knight is the author of twenty-three novels, a biography and numerous popular and academic non-fiction books. A Plague of Heretics is the fourteenth novel in his highly acclaimed Crowner John Series.

  You are welcome to visit his website at

  www.bernardknight.homestead.com

  Also by Bernard Knight

  Crowner Royal

  The Manor of Death

  The Noble Outlaw

  The Elixir of Death

  Figure of Hate

  The Witch Hunter

  Fear in the Forest

  The Grim Reaper

  The Tinner’s Corpse

  The Awful Secret

  The Poisoned Chalice

  Crowner’s Quest

  The Sanctuary Seeker

  A PLAGUE

  OF HERETICS

  Bernard Knight

  LONDON • NEW YORK • TORONTO • SYDNEY

  First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2010

  A CBS Company

  Copyright © Bernard Knight, 2010

  This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.

  No reproduction without permission.

  ® and © 1997 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

  The right of Bernard Knight to be identified as author of

  this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77

  and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988

  Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

  1st Floor

  222 Gray’s Inn Road

  London WC1X 8HB

  www.simonandschuster.co.uk

  Simon & Schuster Australia

  Sydney

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is

  available from the British Library

  ISBN: 978-1-84737-296-3

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-84983-189-5

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,

  places and incidents are either a product of the

  author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Typeset by Hewer Text UK Ltd, Edinburgh EH10 7DU

  Printed and bound in Great Britain by

  CPI Mackays, Chatham ME5 8TD

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank Dr John Morgan Guy of the University of Wales, Lampeter, for his expert advice about medieval ecclesiastical matters and Alex Wallis for reading a draft and spotting errors.

  Also sincere thanks to Kate Lyall Grant, Gillian Holmes, Emma Lowth, Libby Yevtushenko, Florence Partridge and all at Simon and Schuster, as well as my agent and good friend Sara Menguc, for steering Crowner John through fourteen adventures.

  As always, heartfelt thanks to my wife Jean for acting as my inhouse constructive critic and eagle-eyed proofreader.

  Author’s Note

  All through history, plagues of various types have been recorded, the most catastrophic being the influenza epidemic of 1918–19, which killed up to a hundred million people worldwide. Due to lack of accurate diagnosis until modern times, the causes of many plagues are unknown, but the notorious ‘Black Death’ of 1347, which killed a quarter of the population of Europe, is attributed to bubonic plague carried by rat fleas. However, some epidemics were called the ‘yellow plague’ due to the obvious jaundice, which is not a feature of bubonic plague. There are several mentions of the yellow plague in medieval Welsh annals, such as the Dylyt Melyn of AD 547, which killed Maelgwn Gwynedd, an early king of North Wales, and caused some Welsh saints to flee to Brittany. Ten years earlier, according to the Annales Cambriae, in the year that Arthur died at the battle of Camlann, ‘there was plague in Britain and Ireland’. The cause is uncertain, but mosquito-borne yellow fever is a possibility, known to have occurred in Europe, including England, in the 1700s. Virus hepatitis, malaria or Weil’s disease, also contracted from rats, are other possibilities.

  * * *

  ‘Heresy’ may be defined as the expression of any opinion which runs counter to the beliefs of the majority ‘Establishment’ and is most commonly applied to conflicting religious views. Almost every religion has its heretics and the Christian faith is no exception, with over forty different heresies being listed. Most challenged the entrenched views of the Roman Catholic Church right from its inception, including Arianism, Gnosticism, Catharism and Pelagianism. Further details are given in a note at the end of this book, though no doubt Thomas de Peyne will lecture you en route!

  One of the problems in writing a long series, of which this is the fourteenth, is that regular readers will have already become familiar with the background and main characters, perhaps becoming impatient with repeated explanations in each book. However, new readers would wish to be ‘brought up to speed’ on the general situation and on some of the historical aspects, so a glossary is offered with an explanation of some medieval terms, especially those relating to functions of the coroner, one of the oldest legal offices in England, established in 1194.

  Any attempt to use ‘olde worlde’ dialogue in a historical novel of this period is as inaccurate as it is futile, for in late-twelfth-century Devon most people would have spoken Early Middle English, which would be totally incomprehensible to us today. Many others would have spoken ‘Western Welsh’, a Celtic tongue similar to Welsh, Breton and Cornish, while the ruling classes would have spoken Norman-French. The language of the Church and virtually all writing would have been Latin.

  The only money in circulation would have been the silver penny, apart from a few foreign gold coins known as ‘bezants’. The average wage of a working man was about two pence a day, and coins were cut into halves and quarters for small purchases. A ‘pound’ was 240 pence and a ‘mark’ 160 pence, but these were nominal accounting terms, not actual coinage.

  All the names of people in this book are authentic for the period, being either real historical characters or taken from the Exeter Crown Pleas Roll of 1238. Unfortunately, though the identities of sheriffs and senior churchmen are known, history has not recorded the names of the Devon coroners until the thirteenth century, so Sir John de Wolfe had to be a product of the author’s imagination.

  Glossary

  ABJURING THE REALM

  A criminal or fugitive gaining sanctuary in a church had forty days grace in which to confess to the coroner and then ‘abjure the realm’, that is, leave England, never to return. France was the usual destination, but Wales and Scotland could also be used.

  He had to dress in sackcloth and carry a crude wooden cross to a port nominated by the coroner. He had to take the first ship to leave for abroad and if none was available, he had to wade out up to his knees in every tide to show his willingness to leave. Many abjurers absconded en route and became outlaws; others were killed by the angry families of their victims.

  ALBIGENSIAN

  See ‘Historical Note’.

  ALE

  A weak drink brewed before the advent of hops. The name derived from an ‘ale’ which was a village celebration, where much drinking took place, often held in the churchyard. The words ‘wassail’ and ‘bridal’ derive from this.

  ANATHEMA

  An extreme form of excommunication used by the Early Christian Church, implying complete banishment from the Church.

  APOSTASY

  The voluntary rejection or abandonment of a person’s religion, who then became an ‘apostate’. In strict Isla
mic law, apostasy is punishable by death.

  APOTHECARY

  A medieval medicine seller and herbalist, who also offered medical aid and advice, as physicians were very rare outside large cities. Much medical aid was provided by monks and nuns.

  ARIANISM

  See ‘Historical Note’.

  BAILEY

  Originally the defended area around a castle keep, as in ‘motte and bailey’, but later applied to the yard of a dwelling.

  BAILIFF

  Many different types, but in medieval terms, was the officer of a manor lord responsible for organising all the agricultural work. Other senior servants in towns and other establishments could be termed bailiffs.

  BARON

  A lord who was a ‘tenant-in-chief , holding his land directly from the king, who owned the whole country. A ‘Baron of the Exchequer’ came to mean a judge of the royal courts, not connected with the actual Exchequer.

  BURGESS

  A merchant or property-owner in a town or city, his house and garden being his ‘burgage’. The burgesses of a borough elected the council and the portreeves and, later, the mayor.

  CANON

  A senior priest in a cathedral, a member of the chapter, deriving his living from the grant of a parish or land providing an income. Exeter had twenty-four canons, most having an entourage of vicars and secondaries who often attended the nine ‘offices’ (services) each day on their behalf.

  CAPON

  A castrated male chicken, known since Roman times to be more tender than a farm fowl, which was thought suitable only for peasants.

  CATHAR

  See ‘Historical Note’.

  CHAPMAN

  Also known as a packman, he was a travelling pedlar, who hawked his wares, mainly needles, threads, ribbons and other haberdashery, around the towns and villages.

  CHAPTER

  The administrative body of a monastery, priory or cathedral, consisting of canons, prebendaries and priests, which usually met daily in the chapter house. The name derives from the practice of having a chapter of either a monastic Rule, such that of St Benedict, or of the Gospels, read at every session.

  COB

  A building material made from clay, lime, ferns, dung, etc. (also see ‘wattle and daub’) made into walls or plastered over panels of woven twigs supported by oak frames.

  COG

  The common sea-going sailing vessel of the Middle Ages, derived from the Viking longship, but much broader and higher, with a single mast and square sail. There was no rudder before the twelfth/ thirteenth centuries, but a steering oar on the ‘steerboard’ side.

  COIF

  A close fitting helmet of felt or linen, worn by either sex and tied with tapes under the chin.

  CONSTABLE

  Several meanings, the custodian of a castle, but also applied to a watchman who patrolled the streets.

  CORONER

  Though there are a couple of mentions of a coroner in late Saxon times, the office really began in September 1194, when the royal justices at their session in Rochester, Kent, proclaimed Article Twenty, which in a single sentence launched a system that has survived for over 800 years. They said ‘In every county of the King’s realm shall be elected three knights and one clerk, to keep the pleas of the Crown.’

  The reason for the establishment of coroners was mainly financial; the aim was to sweep as much money as possible into the royal Exchequer. Richard the Lionheart was a spendthrift, using huge sums to finance his expedition to the Third Crusade in 1189 and for his wars against the French. Kidnapped on his way home from Palestine, he was held for well over a year in prisons in Austria and Germany and a huge ransom was needed to free him. To raise this money, his Chief Justiciar, Hubert Walter, who was also Archbishop of Canterbury, introduced many measures to extort money from the population of England.

  Hubert revived the office of coroner, which was intended to raise money by a variety of means relating to the administration of the law. One of these was the investigation of all deaths which were not obviously natural, as well as serious assaults, rapes, house fires, discovery of buried treasure, wrecks of the sea and catches of the royal fish (whales and sturgeon). Coroners also took confessions from criminals seeking sanctuary in churches, organised abjurations of the realm (q.v.), attended executions and ordeals (q.v.) and trial by battle.

  As the Normans had inherited a multiple system of county and manorial courts from the Saxons, the coroner also worked to sweep lucrative business into the royal courts. This gave him the title of ‘Keeper of the Pleas of the Crown’, from the original Latin of which (custos placitorum coronas) the word ‘coroner’ is derived.

  It was difficult to find knights willing to take on the job, as it was unpaid and the appointee had to have a large private income of at least twenty pounds a year. This was supposed to make him immune from corruption, which was common amongst the sheriffs. Indeed, another reason for the introduction of coroners was to keep a check on the sheriffs, who were the king’s representatives in each county (‘shire-reeve’).

  COVER-CHIEF

  From the Norman-French ‘couvre-chef’, a linen or silk cloth that covered a lady’s head, the ends hanging down the back and then forward over the bust, usually secured by a head-band. In Saxon times, it was called a ‘head-rail’. Usually worn with a wimple, which covered the neck and sides of the face.

  CURFEW

  The prohibition of open fires after dark for fear of starting conflagrations. Derived from ‘couvre-fue’ from the covering or banking-down of fires at dusk. During the curfew no one was supposed be on the streets without good reason and the city gates were closed from sunset to dawn. One thirteenth century mayor of Exeter was hanged for failing to ensure this.

  CURIA REGIS

  The Royal Council, composed of major barons, judges and bishops, who advised the king.

  DESTRIER

  A large war-horse, capable of carrying an armoured knight.

  EXCHEQUER

  The financial organ of English government, where all taxes were received in coin twice-yearly from the sheriffs. Originally in Winchester, it moved to Westminster in the late twelfth century. The calculations were performed with counters on a large table spread with a chequered cloth to assist accounting, which gave rise to the name.

  EXCOMMUNICATION

  The suspension of membership from a religious community, depriving a person of communion and participation in any of the sacraments. The excommunicant could not partake of the Eucharist or get married or buried in a Christian church.

  EYRE

  A sitting of the king’s justices, introduced by Henry II in 1166, which moved around the counties in circuits. They later gave rise to the Assize Courts and in modern times, these became the Crown Courts.

  FARM

  The taxes from a county, collected in coin on behalf of the sheriff and taken by him personally every six months to the Exchequer. The sum to be raised was fixed annually by the Exchequer and if the sheriff could raise more, he could keep the excess, which made the office of sheriff much sought after.

  FLUMMERY

  A blancmange-like soft dessert made by straining boiled oatmeal and flavouring with fruit and honey.

  FRUMENTY

  A dish of wheat boiled in milk with sugar and spices such as cinnamon. Meat such as venison could be added.

  HERETIC

  See ‘Historical Note’.

  HOSE

  Long stockings, usually single-legged, secured by laces to an underbelt. Worn under the tunic and sometimes having a leather sole in place of a shoe.

  HUNDRED

  An administrative sub-division of a county, with its own monthly court. Name derived either from a hundred houses or a hundred hides of land.

  INFIRMARIAN

  A monk with some medical skills, appointed to run the infirmary in a religious house.

  KIRTLE

  A woman’s gown, the ankle length equivalent of the male tunic.

  MANTL
E

  A cloak, usually formed of a large rectangle of cloth, secured at a shoulder by one corner being passed through a ring or brooch, or by a chain passing below the neck.

  MURRAIN

  A disease or epidemic amongst sheep or cattle, though sometimes applied to people. It was a blanket term, as the actual diseases were not identifiable in the Middle Ages.

  ORDEAL

  An ancient ritual intended to reveal guilt or innocence. The subject of the enquiry, in the presence of the coroner and a priest, had to submit to painful procedures, such as walking barefoot over nine red-hot ploughshares, taking a stone from the bottom of a vat of boiling water or licking a red-hot iron. If the affected part had healed well after three days he was adjudged innocent. Women were tied up and thrown into deep water – if they floated, they were guilty! The ordeal was abolished by the Vatican in 1215.

  OSTLER

  A servant who attended to the care and stabling of horses.

  PALFREY

  A small horse for riding, especially used by ladies.

  PAPAL BULL

  A edict or charter issued by the Pope, named after the ‘bulla’, or leaden seal, attached to the document.

  PAPAL LEGATE

  The representative of the Pope appointed to a foreign country.

  PELAGIANISM

  See ‘Historical Note’.

  PELISSE

  An outer garment worn by both men and women, with a fur lining for winter wear. The fur could be sable, rabbit, cat, marten, etc.

  PORTREEVE

  Originally a medieval customs officer, who ensured that taxes and duty were paid at markets and ports – later they became representatives of the townsfolk and led the town council until mayors were introduced.

  POSSET

  A drink made from hot spiced milk curdled with wine and sweetened with sugar or honey.

  POTAGE

  Soup or stew, a staple part of the diet in medieval times, when a cauldron was often permanently simmering, vegetables and meat being added when available.

  PREBENDARY

  A priest, usually a member of a cathedral chapter, who derived his income from the benefice of a church or parish.