62 PAPEIIS, ETC. 



I fear that this must be coiisidered in the light of a brlbe, 

 or at best as a retaining fee for Services which the receiver 

 never intended to render, rather than for any valuable return 

 elther past or futnre, It was doubtless considered prudent 

 to conciliate, as other communities did, the good will of a 

 man of known and acknowledged influence, who might be 

 of use in the troublous days on which the Religious Societies 

 instinctively feit themselves to be entering. If the annuity 

 were left unpaid for three months, the creditor had power to 

 distrain on their lands in the county of Somerset. This grant 

 was allowed by the Court of Augmentation, on the llth 

 of Octobei-, 1539, and ordered to be paid with the arrears 

 from the time of the Dissolution.* 



On the lOthof September in thesameyear, 1536, Katerina 

 Bourgchier and Convent gave to Alexander Pophara the 

 office of Steward of their House or Hospital of Bokeland, 

 with plenary authority in all matters appertaining thereunto, 

 and also the profits and emoluraents arising therefrora, 

 together with an annuity of S-i of good and lawful English 

 money, and one livery gown of the value of twenty Shillings, 

 or twenty Shillings in Heu thereof They also gave him the 

 office of Receiver of all and singular the rents of their lands 

 and tenements in Shirborne, in the county of Dorset, the 

 duties to be performed either by himself or by a sufficient 

 deputy, and an annuity of thirteen Shillings and four pence, 

 to be paid at Michaelmas during his life. If these sums 

 remained unpaid for fifteen days, the said Alexander was 

 empowered toenterand distrain on their lands in theparish of 

 Northepetherton. The Court of Augmentation ordered the 

 continuance of this annuity with arrears from the Dissolution, 

 on the 7thof November, 1539.t 



* Orders and Decrees, vol. vi., ff. clxxxix, clxxxixb. 

 t Orders and Decrees, vol. vi., ff. iiüxxxiiii, iiiixxxüii b. 



