THE RELIGIOUS PENSION ROLL OF DERBYSHIRE. 1 5 



hitherto referred, and I believe it is now printed for the first 

 time.* 



Appended to the report is the statement or confession of 

 William Bolles, in his own hand, acknowledging to " the crafty 

 and deceitful buying of pensions " or annuities in two several 

 cases. It may be as well to put on record a few facts relative 

 to this man who thus abused a position of trust. He dates 

 his letter from Belvoir Castle, perhaps to overawe the 

 commissioners, but his place of residence was at Felley, 

 Nottinghamshire. William Bolles came from London as one 

 of Cromwell's numerous agents to help in the work of monastic 

 suppression. In April, 1536, he was appointed receiver of 

 monastic spoils for the Crown for the counties of Derby, 

 Nottingham and Cheshire, at a salary of J^2o, with " profits," 

 that is to say, with a variety of fees and perquisites. In August 

 of that year, when acting as receiver for Beauchief Abbey, he 

 managed to secure several plots of land for himself. In addition 

 to obtaining other small Crown grants of monastic lands,! he 

 was able to obtain the grant of the house and site of Felley 

 priory, turning the conventual buildings and church into his 

 residence. He was also the receiver of all the plundered church 

 plate and valuables throughout Derbyshire. In 1540, he was 



* Exch. Accts., K. R. Bundle Ixxvi., No. 12. 



t " Grant to Wm. Bolles out of the particular receivers of the Court of 

 " Augmentations and to Lucy his wife in consideration of the sum of ;^236 los. 

 "of the house and site of the late priory of St. Mary, Felley, Notts., with 

 " all its lands in Felley and Annesley in as full a manner as Christopher Bolton, 

 " the late Prior, held the same." 



(Pat. Rolls 30 Henry VIII., pt. vi., M. 19, i Sept.) 



The pedigree of Wm. Bolles is recorded in the Visitations of Notts., 1569 

 and 1614, where he is represented as the son of "William Bolle, alias Bolls of 

 " Wortham in Co. Suff., descended out of the house of Bolles of Haugh in 

 com. Line." He was, in fact, " descended out of" the Jirst Bolles of Haugh, 

 being a son of John Bolle, High Sheriff for Co. Line, 16 Edward IV. (1476), 

 by his marriage with Katherine, daughter and co-heir of Richard Haugh, of 

 Haugh, Co. Line. He bought a portion of the estate of Osberton, near 

 Worksop, Co. Notts., from one of his brother Commissioners, viz., from 

 Robert Dighton " one of the jobbers in the estates of the dissolved religious 

 houses." The family " ultimately became possessed of the whole of Osberton, 

 where they lived for several generations " (Thoroton). William Bolles died at 

 Osberton in his 8Sth year and was buried at Worksop 5th April, 1583 

 (Registers). A portion of an old window containing the first four generations 

 of this family in pedigree form is preserved in the Museum at Osberton.— Ed. 



