Richard de Oldham, at a much later date than the reign of King John. Hugh Oldham was placed under the tuition of one "Westbury, an Oxford man," retained by Margaret, Countess of Richmond and Derby, lady of Thomas, first Earl of Derby, for the express purpose of instructing "certayne yonge gentilmen at her findinge." He was educated at Exeter College, Oxford, and subsequently at Queen's College, Cambridge. In 1493 he was made Canon of the royal chapel of St. Stephen, Westminster, now the House of Commons; and by the influence of his patroness, the Countess of Derby, he enjoyed several rectories, masterships, and prebends, until in 1504 he became Archdeacon of Exeter, and by a continuation of the same interest, on the death of Arundel, the late bishop, was elected to the see of Exeter, by bull of Pope Julian, November 27th, 1504. The following character of Bishop Oldham, is extracted from Hooker's manuscripts, in the Rawlinson collection, in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. " He was a man having more zeale than knowledge, and more devotion than learninge; somewhat rough in speech, but friendly in doings: he was careful in the saveing and defending of his liberties, for which continual suites was between him and the Abbot of Tavistock; he was liberal to the Vicar's chorall of his church, and reduced them to the keepinge of commons, and towards the maintaining, he gave them certain revenews and impropriated unto them the Rectorie of Cornwood. He, albeit (of himself) he were not learned, yet a greate favorer and furtherer of learninge and of learned men, notwithstanding he was some times crossed in his honest attempt therein. He was first minded to have enlarged Exeter Colledge, in Oxford, as well in buildings, as in fellowships: but after being a requester to the fellows for one Atkins to be a fellow, in whose favour he had written his letters and was denied, he changed his mind, and his good will was alienated. About this time, Dr. Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln, , was building of the Colledge named Brazen Nose, and he was very willing and desirous to joyne with

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