In 1276 Dr. Liddell was summoned to his eternal reward, and had for his successor, the same year, Nicholas, who, from being Prior of the Monastery of Down and treasurer of Ulster, was elected bishop by the chapter, and confirmed by Rome. During his episcopate a controversy was carried on, as to the rights of the Archbishop of Armagh whilst performing the visitation of his suffragan sees. Pope Nicholas III., in 1279, commissioned the Bishop of Clonfert to examine into the various allegations which had been made, and authorised him to cite the Archbishop to Rome, should it be discovered that the visitation of the see had been uncanonically performed. From this letter of the Holy Father it incidentally results that the Archbishop of Armagh had the privilege not only of personally making the visitation of the suffragan episcopal sees, but also, "should any necessity so demand", of deputing a simple clergyman to make similar visitation in particular churches or districts of such sees--(_Mon. Vatic._, pag. 121). Dr. Nicholas died in 1304. His successor was Thomas Kittel, pastor of Lesmoghan, who received possession of the temporalities of the see on the 1st of July, 1305, and died in 1313. The chapter of St. Patrick's, according to their no-longer disputed privilege, made choice of Thomas Bright, prior of the cathedral, who received consecration at the hands of Roland De Jorse, Archbishop of Armagh, in 1314. He was, in 1322, nominated by the Holy See to inquire into the various accusations which had been made against the Primate by the English government and others. He died in 1327, and was buried in his own cathedral of St. Patrick. Reeves commemorates as his successor John of Baliconingham, rector of Arwhyn, and there is no doubt that this prelate was chosen by the English king, and held for some time possession of the temporalities of the see. However, he never was Bishop of Down. Ralph, or Rodulfus, of Kilmessan, in the diocese of Meath, a Franciscan friar, was appointed by Pope John XXII. on the 12th of December, 1328, and consecrated in Avignon by Bertram, the Cardinal Bishop of Tusculum. Even the English government made no opposition, and he received the temporalities of the see on the 1st of April, 1329. The above pastor of Arwhyn was, however, promoted by the same pontiff to the See of Cork, and when, towards the close of 1329, both bishops petitioned the Holy Father to be allowed to exchange their sees, a letter was addressed from Rome to the Archbishop of Armagh, dated the Nones of January, 1330, empowering him to grant this favour to these bishops, should they persist in desiring it, and should he deem it beneficial to their respective sees--(_Mon. Vatican._, pag. 249). Stephen Segrave then held the primatial see, and he seems to have judged such an exchange of dioceses inopportune or unnecessary, and hence Bishop Rodulfus continued to hold the See of Down till his death in 1353.