A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



able extent a dead letter, until in 1552 commissioners were appointed for 

 holding investigations in each county. For carrying out the purposes of this 

 Pension Act, Sir William Drury, Sir Thomas Jermyne, and Sir William 

 Walgrave, knts., Clement Higham, esq., and John Holt and Christopher 

 Payton, gentlemen, were appointed as commissioners for Suffolk on 

 16 September, 1552. 



The late priors of Woodbridge and Eye, the late abbot of Leiston, and 

 the prioress of Redlingfield, appeared personally before the commissioners, 

 testifying that they were in receipt of their respective pensions, which they 

 had ' neyther solde nor assignede.' Twenty-five monks of Bury St. Edmunds 

 appeared and testified in like manner. Thomas Cole, an ex-monk, swore 

 that eight or nine years past he had assigned his annuity to Ambrose 

 Jermyne, in consideration that Ambrose obtained for him the benefice of 

 Flempton in the gift of Thomas Lucas. Thomas Rowte, another former 

 monk, produced an indenture dated 1 March, 1545, to the effect that he sold 

 and assigned his letters patent of annuity to Ralph Cokkerell for £26 1 3J. \d., 

 whereof he swore that he only received £19. Evidence was given of the 

 death of one monk. The master and three fellows of Wingfield College, and 

 twelve members of Stoke College, also appeared and testified to due receipt of 

 pensions. Twenty-six chantry or stipendiary priests likewise appeared and 

 testified. Fifteen lay annuitants appeared, but one (Edward Reve) stated that 

 he had sold his letters patent of annuity in 1543 for £20 to John Holt, 

 gentleman. 



The commissioners returned the names of two of the college of Wingfield, 

 three of Butley Priory, nine lay annuitants, and nine chantry priests, who did 

 not appear before them, and as to whom they had not received ' any presente 

 instrucyons where they remayne or abyde.' l 



The full pension list of 1 555— 6, generally known as Cardinal Pole's 

 Pension list, 2 giving details of all fees, annuities, and pensions, then paid to 

 the religious and others of the dissolved monasteries, and to the priests of 

 suppressed chantries, shows that the sum of £625 4.C 6d. was the amount 

 distributed to the various pensioners of the county of Suffolk. George 

 Carlton, the ex-abbot of Leiston, was in receipt of £20 a year ; William 

 Parker, ex-prior of Eye, £18; Edward Maltyward, ex-prior of Bury St. 

 Edmunds, £20, and twenty-six monks of that abbey of £iJJ 6s. 8d. ; and 

 Grace Sampson, ex-prioress of Redlingfield, £13 6s. Sd. Lay annuitants of 

 the old religious houses, who were chiefly semi-fraudulently put on the list by 

 the confiscation commissioners on the eve of the dissolution, were then in 

 receipt of £129 16s. \d. a year. 



The remainder of the total sum went in pensions to the dispossessed 

 prebendaries and vicars of the collegiate churches of Wingfield and Stoke ; to 

 the ex-chantry priests of Barham, Beccles, Bury (2), Denton, Eyke, Ipswich 

 (2), Melford, Mildenhall, Nacton, Orford, Palgrave, Polstead, Shotley, Stow- 

 market, and Tattingstone (2) ; to the chaplains of the suppressed free chapels 

 of Clare, Cowling, Lindsey, and Ufford ; to the ex-grammar schoolmasters of 

 Lavenham, Melford, and Stoke College ; and to the stipendiary priest of 

 the church of Botesdale. 



1 Accts. Exch. Q. R. bdle. Lovi, 21. ■ B.M. Add. MSS. 8102. 



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