_Oldham, Bishop of Exeter_ (Vol. vii., p. 189.).--Perhaps it may help J. D.
in his difficulty touching the difference between the coat of arms borne by
Oldham, Bishop of Exeter, and that borne by the Oldham family at
_Hatherleigh_, to be informed of what I believe he will find, upon inquiry,
to be the fact, viz. that _Laing_ was the original name of the present
family of Oldham at Hatherleigh; and that, consequently, the arms of Laing
may possibly still be borne by them.
* *
Oxford.
Bishop Hugh Oldham, B.C.L., was one of the family of Oldenham, of Oldenham,
co. Lancaster, which gave for arms, Sable, between three owls arg., a
chevron or: in chief, of the third, three roses, gules. Richard Oldham,
Bishop of Sodor, was Abbot of Chester in 1452.
Hugh was born in Goulburn Street, Oldham, and educated at Exeter College,
Oxford, and at Queen's College, Cambridge: he was Rector of St. Mildred's,
Bread Street, Sept. 19, 1485; Swineshead, February 3, 1493; Wareboys, March
31, 1499; Shitlington, August 17, 1500; Vicar of Cheshunt, July 27, 1494;
Overton, April 2, 1501; Canon of St. Stephen's, Westminster, 1493;
Prebendary of South Aulton in Sarum, September, 1495; of Newington in St.
Paul's, March 11, 1496; of South Cave in York, August 26, 1499; Archdeacon
of Exeter, February 16, 1503; Chaplain to Margaret, Countess of Richmond,
and Master of St. John's, Lichfield, 1495; and St. Leonard's Hospital,
Bedford, January 12, 1499.
He was the founder of Manchester High School, and was consecrated between
December 29 and January 6, 1504. He was a great benefactor to Corpus
Christi College in Oxford; and the intimate friend of Bishop Smyth,
co-founder of Brasenose College, with whom he had been brought up in the
household of Thomas, Earl of Derby. He died June 25, 1519, and was buried
in St. Saviour's Chapel in Exeter Cathedral.
These notes are taken from a MS. History of the English Episcopate, which
it is my hope to give to the public.