his episcopate the following item is
recorded: "Master Walter le Verrouer for setting the glass of the upper
gable and of eight upper windows, and of six windows in the aisles of
the new work, in gross, L4 l0s." Bytton was succeeded, in 1308, by
Walter de Stapledon, the most famous of all the bishops of Exeter. A
younger son of Sir Richard Stapledon of Annery, his appointment was the
first of a succession of aristocratic nominations. He, too, had been a
professor of canon law at Oxford, was a chaplain to the Pope and
precentor of the cathedral church of Exeter. The feast given after his
enthronement was unusually splendid, the revenues for a whole year being
spent on the festivities. It seems as though, conscious of his great
talents, he determined to signalize his accession to the episcopal
office by some event of unusual magnificence. It must be remembered that
Exeter was at this time one of the largest and richest sees in England.
As Professor Freeman has pointed out, "The Bishop of Exeter, like the
Archbishop of York, was the spiritual head of a separate people."
Stapledon set about expediting the work of transforming the cathedral
into the Decorated style in vigorous fashion. The Fabric Rolls record
that he himself gave the (then) enormous sum of L1,800 towards defraying
the cost. His generosity encouraged others to subscribe liberally
towards the building fund. One of his first duties was to complete the
choir, a payment being made to William Canon of L35 2s. 8d. for "marble
from Corfe for the columns." But the choir was really Bytton's, the new
bishop had only to give to it "a few final, though not unimportant,
touches." Still he found plenty of work to hand that might receive the
impress of his sole initiative. He designed and completed the triforium
arcade above the choir arches, and directed the colouring of the choir
vault, the total expenses for oil and colour being estimated at L1 9s.
73/4d. By these "final touches" the transformation of the choir into the
Decorated style was completed. But Stapledon determined to further
enrich his already beautiful church with accessories of surpassing
splendour. He erected a high altar of silver, also the beautiful
sedilia, and though there has been a good deal of dispute about the
matter, the more trustworthy authorities attribute to him the bishop's
throne of carved wood. At any rate, in 1312, there is a charge of L6
12s. 81/2d. for "timber for the bishop's seat." The a