Diary of Edward VI. 30 Jun 1550. Jhon Poynet made bishop of Rochester, and receivid his othe.²

Note 2. The letters patent nominating John Ponet (age 36) to the see of Rochester, dated the 6th June, are printed by Rymer, xv. 237; followed by the letters of Signiflcavit addressed to the archbishop of Canterbury, dated the 27th of the same month; and at p. 240 are letters patent dated the 4th July, authorising the bishop to hold in commendam until the feast of the Annunciation in 1555, the vicarage of Ashford in the diocese of Canterbury, the rectory of Towen in the diocese of Bangor, the rectory of St. Michael [Map] near Crooked-lane in the city of London, and a prebend of the church of Canterbury. "June xxvij. 1550, upon consideracion that mr. Poynett nowe elected busshope of Rochester hath no house to dwell in, and his lyving small, it was agreed he shulde enjoye his benefice in commendam; but from henseforth it is decreed that no busshope shall keepe other benefice than his busshopprick only." (Council Book.) Ponet was translated to Winchester on the 23d March, 1550-1. On the domestic scandal connected with Ponet's marriage, see Machyn's Diary, pp. 8, 320, and the Chronicle of the Grey Friars of London, p. 70.

Chronicle of Greyfriars. 27 Jun 1551. And the xxvij. day of the same monyth the byshoppe of Wynchester (age 37) that was than (John Ponet (age 37)^c ) was devorsyd from hys wyffe in Powlles, the whyche was a bucheres wyff of Nottynggam, and gave hare husbande a sartyne mony a yere dureynge hys lyffe as it was jugydde by the lawe.

Note c. The name is left blank in the manuscript. This passage is remarkable as a fuller statement of the same matter of which a brief notice occurs in Machyn's Diary, p. 8, and which was only assigned by strong presumption to bishop Ponet. See the note, ibid, p. 320.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 27 Jul 1551. The xxvij day of July was the nuw bisshope of W (age 37) ... was devorsyd from the bucher wyff with shame enog[h.]

Note. The xxvij of July was the new bishop of W—divorced from the butcher wife with shame enough. Though the name is burnt, this appears to belong to John Ponet, bishop of Winchester, who had been translated to that see on the 23d March preceding. He had published "A Defence of the Marriage of Priests" in 1549, which is noticed in Strype, Memorials, Book ii. chap. 18. And it seems that he married again very shortly after this divorce, the following entry occurring in the register of Croydon: "1551, Oct. 25. Reverendus pater Johannes episcopus Wynton' duxit Mariam Haymond generosam in ista ecclesia coram multitudine parochianorum, presente reverendissimo patre Thoma Cantuar' archiepiscopo cum multis." (Collectanea Topogr. et Geneal. iv. 91.)