William of Pagula

William of Pagula (died 1332), also known as William Paull or William Poull, was a 14th-century English canon lawyer and theologian. He was likely born near Paull in Yorkshire. On March 5, 1314, he was appointed the perpetual vicar of the church at Winkfield. He pursued a doctorate in Canon Law at the University of Oxford, likely completing it around 1320. After returning to his parish, he wrote from the perspective of a rural priest. His notable works include the Oculus Sacerdotis, a manual for priests covering confession, sacramental theology, and preaching, which was highly influential and later republished as Pupilla oculi. He also authored the Summa Summarum, a comprehensive manual of canon law, and the Summa Praelatorum, a resource for parish priests. Additionally, he is associated with two *specula principum* defending the right of royal subjects to refuse purveyance, addressed to Edward III. Pagula served as penitentiary for the Reading deanery in 1322 and became a canon of Old St Paul's Cathedral in 1323. He died in 1332.