"
First let me deal with Peter the Roman. He was the son of a Rougham
lady named Isabella, by an Italian gentleman named lacomo de
Ferentino, or if you like to translate it into English, James of
Ferentinum.
How James of Ferentinum got to Rougham and captured one of the
Rougham heiresses we shall never know for certain. But we do know
that in the days of King Henry, who was the father of King Edward,
there was a very large incursion of Italian clergy into England, and
that the Pope of Rome got preferment of all kinds for them. In fact,
in King Henry's days the Pope had immense power in England, and it
looked for a while as if every valuable piece of preferment in the
kingdom would be bestowed upon Italians who did not know a word of
English, and who often never came near their livings at all. One of
these Italian gentlemen, whose name was _John_ de Ferentino, was
very near being made Bishop of Norwich; [Footnote: At the death of
Thomas de Blunville in 1236. John de Ferentino must have been almost
supreme in the diocese. The see was practically vacant for three
years.] he _was_ Archdeacon of Norwich, but though the Pope
tried to make him bishop, he happily did not succeed in forcing him
into the see that time, and John of Ferentinum had to content himself
with his archdeaconry and one or two other preferments.
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