The archbishop of Dublin threatened that unless "condign satisfaction" was made, the pronouncement of excommunication against the mayor of Dublin and certain named citizens, and the interdict laid on the city, remained in place. The archbishop had complained that the mayor and citizens of Dublin, "heedless of their salvation and not without leaven of heretical pravity have disturbed the ancient, approved and otherwise peacefully observed practice of offerings in the name of tithes, blessings of persons marrying, churching of women, with fitting and numerous company at their pleasure, which was the main support of the churches of Dublin".
The cause of the clerical vexation and the excommunication arising therefrom, was because the mayor and those certain citizens had decreed that under penalty no citizen should make an offering to the church more than four times a year; that the attendants at weddings and churchings should be restricted to two; that the wax lights and candles brought to the churches at funerals should be brought home again, only two being left in the church; that public penance should be limited and mitigated as they decided and not fixed by judgment of the church; that no prelate or ecclesiastical judge should have power to try cases of usury or other charge or cause whatever save matrimonial and testamentary causes, or to meddle with the goods of intestates, which are to be applied to the treasury, and that no one should be brought out of the city in any action respecting the ecclesiastical court. They added many other enormities. That occurred on February 28th, 1267, as noted in Arch- bishop Alen's Register. The mayor's name was Thomas de Winchester (of Winchester), who had previously been mayor in 1260, 1263 and 1265, and, notwithstanding his excommunication, was again in 1270.
The fact that Edward Mac Lysaght's The Surnames of Ire- land does not contain the surname Winchester, and that Sean de Bhulbh's Sloinnte na hEireann/Irish Surnames does, might imply that the name is a recent arrival in this State. Current telephone directories list two of the names in Dublin and one in Co Cork, while in the Northern Ireland Phone Book there are eight listed, all in Belfast.
Elias de Winchester/Wynchestre/Wintonia is listed almost 40 times in Irish Exchequer Payments 1270-1446, between the years 1279 and 1285. These relate to payments to him as Baron of the Exchequer, Receiver of the Exchequer, Deputy Treasurer, and Keeper of Measures. John de Winchester, chaplain, is listed in 1296, and the following year John de Winchester, clerk, is mentioned. In 1323 John de Winchester is one of three purveyors of victuals at Ross, to whom, the following year, £8 was paid for two tuns of wine for the king's use. Thomas de Winchester was constable of the castle of Limerick in 1327 when £20 was paid for repairing and rebuilding the houses and walls of the castle.
The Calendar of the Justiciary Rolls notes that in 1311 Richard Ketyng was charged in Limerick with instigating the burning of the town of Athynstadan, and one of the summoned jurors in this case (who did not turn up) was Gerald of Winchester. At Limerick that same year William Wyncestre was among the jurors in the trial of John Olomphy. Olomphy was charged with the theft of one cow from William Ketyng, and four cows from Mabilla Brun. He was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. In 1314 the provost and the whole community of the town of Clonmel, among whom Walter Wyncestre, were charged at Tipperary with taking William Og, son of William, for certain trespass "in the town of Clonmele", and keeping him prisoner in the house of the aforementioned Walter.
"14 Jan 1309 Tipperary. John Cod v Roger Turbevill of Athissel of a plea of trespass. It is found by the jury that Roger put John in plevin against James de Wincestre, merchant, of six stone of wool which he ought to have paid to James at the feast of the apostles SS Philip and James, a r 34 Edward 1." James, who was probably also from Athassel, recovered his wool and his damages, taxed at 30 shillings. Athassel derives from Ath Iseal, "the low ford".