Vicars Choral and Chaplains in Northern European Cathedrals 1100–1250

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to take a preliminary look at a phenomenon which began to occur over much of northern Europe in the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries: the emergence of vicars choral and chaplains in cathedrals and collegiate churches. Studying the two groups together makes sense since they both acted as replacements for the senior clerics, that is the canons, in the churches where they served. In theory, the vicars chiefly served in choir and the chaplains at altars which had often hitherto been served (we may presume) by canons. In fact it is very difficult to separate vicars from chaplains since the terms were often used interchangeably at the time, and, furthermore, charters establishing these positions often specify that vicars choral would additionally serve altars and that chaplains would also attend the hours. For example, when Bishop Hugh of Wells of Lincoln ordained a chantry at the altar of St Hugh to be served by a priest chaplain and a deacon and subdeacon he laid down that the deacon and subdeacon should be chosen from among the vicars of the choir and subsequent arrangements for this chantry show that the deacons and subdeacons in the choir served for a week at a time. The emergence of vicars choral and chaplains is not of major significance in itself, since these men very rarely rose to positions of any importance, but an explanation of why they were felt ro be necessary is essential to a study of clerical ministry in the middle ages.

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