Joshua Pritchard Hughes

Description

The duty of electing the new Bishop of Llandaff devolved upon the Dean and Chapter on Monday. It is a common fallacy to believe that the bishop had been, appointed. That was not so, for it was only on Monday that the Dean and Chapter met to consider the recommendation of the King, and to exercise the rights granted to them by the Church, of which his Majesty is the nominal head. The ceremony was a quaint one. Notice convening the meeting had already, had been, posted on the cathedral door, and in response thereto there attended at half-past two the Dean of Llandaff, Archdeacon Bruce of Monmouth, Archdeacon Edmondes of Llandaff, Canon Bedwell, Canon Harding, and Canon Beck, together with Mr. J. E. Gladstone, the chapter clerk.

In Indian file they solemnly marched, preceded by the verger, to their respective stalls, and Mr. Gladstone solemnly handed to the dean the notice, which the dean read out to an empty cathedral. Whereupon the profession reformed, and marched to the chapter-room, where the proceedings was, conducted in private. Here the conge declare was, read, as follows:

"Edward the Seventh by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British possessions beyond the seas, King, Defender of the Faith, to our trusted and well-beloved the Dean and Chapter of our cathedral church at Llandaff, greeting.”

Supplication having been, humbly made to us on your part that whereas the previously mentioned Church is now void and destitute of the solace of a pastor by the death of the Right Rev. Father in God. Dr. Richard Lewis, late bishop thereof, we would be graciously pleased to grant you our fundatorial leave and licence to elect another bishop and pastor of the said See, We being favourably inclined to your prayers in this behalf, have thought fit by virtue of these presents to grant you such leave and licence, requiring and commanding you by the faith and allegiance by which you stand bound to us, that you elect such a person for your bishop and pastor as may be devoted to I God and useful and faithful to us and our kingdom. In witness thereof we have caused this our letters to be, made patent.

“Witness ourselves at Westminster, the 21st day of Marsh, in the fifth year of our reign."

“Following upon this came another document containing the King's letter recommendatory which did the Dean and Chapter ignore it would render them liable to be, seized and thrown into the Tower. In this letter his Majesty of our princely disposition and zeal being desirous to prefer unto the same See a person meet there-unto, and considering the virtue, learning, wisdom, gravity, and other good gifts wherewith our trusted and well-beloved Joshua Pritchard Hughes, clerk, Master of Arts, is endowed, we have been pleased to name and recommend him unto you to be elected."

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