Adam Easton and the Great Schism

Adam Easton, a monk of Norwich cathedral priory and a doctor of theology of Oxford University, accompanied Simon Langham to the papal Curia in 1369 after Langham had been elevated to the cardinalate. Easton remained at the Curia and in 1378 witnessed the turbulent election of Urban VI in Rome, which led to the Great Schism of the western Church. In 1379 Easton’s testimony concerning the circumstances of this election was solicited twice. Following his promotion to the cardinalate by Urban in 1381, Easton became involved in a conspiracy involving five other cardinals against the pope. He was the only cardinal to survive and to be reinstated. These two episodes form the main subjects of the chapter. An appendix prints Easton’s first testimony along with marginal comments deriving from adherents of Urban’s rival as pope, Clement VII of Avignon, that seek to undermine it. The text illustrates the nature of contemporary debate concerning the validity of the election of Urban VI and the legitimacy of the respective claimants to the papacy.