RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



Nicholas, St.-Mary-at-Quay, St. Clement, and 

 St. Matthew, and the small monasteries of Snape, 

 Dodnash, Wikes, Tiptree, Horkesley, Rumburgh, 

 Felixstowe, Bromhill, Blythburgh, and Mountjoy, 

 together with the various churches pertaining to 

 them. 1 



The actual date of the laying of the foun- 

 dation stone is known from the inscription with 

 which it was at that time incised. The stone 

 was found in two pieces built up into a common 

 piece of walling in Woulfoun's Lane, in 1789, 

 and given to Christ Church, Oxford. It is in- 

 serted in the wall at the entrance to the Chapter 

 House, on the right-hand side. It bears the 

 following inscription: 'Anno Christi 1528, et 

 regni Henrici Octavi Regis Angliae 20 mensis 

 vero Junii 15, positum per Johannem Episcopum 

 Lidensem.' John Longland, bishop of Lincoln, 

 was also employed by the Cardinal to lay the 

 first stone of his college at Oxford. 2 



The royal licence for the founding of this 

 college in Ipswich, the cardinal's birthplace, 

 granted in the same month as the laying 

 of the foundation stone, set forth that it 

 was to consist of one dean or master, twelve 

 priests (sacerdotes), eight clerks, eight singing boys 

 and poor scholars, and thirteen poor men, to 

 pray for the good estate of the king and cardinal, 

 and for the souls of the cardinal's parents, and 

 also of one undermaster (hipodidasculus) in gram- 

 mar for the said poor scholars and others coming 

 to the college from any part of the realm. This 

 licence also included a grant of incorporation for 

 the foundation, bearing the name of the Car- 

 dinal's College of St. Mary in Ipswich, with 

 mortmain licence to endow it to the annual 

 value of £100 for the erection of chantries and 

 appointment of anniversaries, etc. 3 



Dr. William Capon, master of Jesus College, 

 Cambridge, was appointed dean, and on 3 July, 

 1528, a commission was nominated consisting 

 of Dr. Capon, Dr. Higden, dean of Cardinal's 

 College, Oxford, Dr. Stephen Gardiner and 

 others, to amend and reform the statutes of 

 the two colleges. On the same day the notarial 

 attestation of the foundation charter of Ipswich 

 College was made in the south gallery of 

 Hampton Court. 4 



The exemption of the college from diocesan 

 jurisdiction was granted by a bull of Pope 

 Clement VII, which was confirmed by the king 

 on 20 August, 1528.* 



A letter from the cardinal to the younger 

 countess of Oxford was written on 3 September, 

 asking her to send ' two bucks next Lady Day ' 

 (Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, 8 September), 



1 L. and P. Hen. FIII,'\y, pt. ii, 4229, 4259, 4297, 

 4307, 4424, 5076. 



' Prcc. Suff. Arch. Inst, vi, 334-5. 



J Pat. 20 Hen. VIII, pt. i, m. 32. 



4 L. and P. Hen. Vlll, iv, pt. ii, 4460, 446 1. 



Mbid. 4652. 



to the college at Ipswich, for the entertainment 

 of Drs. Stevyns and Lee, whom he is sending 

 thither for the induction of certain priests, clerks, 

 and children, for the maintenance of God's ser- 

 vice there. Various presents for a great dinner 

 on this occasion also reached the college on 

 7 September, from the Duke of Norfolk, the Duke 

 of Suffolk, Sir Philip Booth, and others. 6 



The newly appointed dean wrote at length to 

 VVolsey on 26 September, acknowledging the 

 receipt on 6 September of parcels of vestments 

 and plate, hangings, &c. Cromwell and Lee 

 and Stevyns, who brought the parcels, remained 

 in the college four days, and Cromwell was at 

 great pains in preparing the hangings and 

 benches for the hall, which was then well 

 trimmed. On Our Lady's Even, the dean, sub- 

 dean, six priests, eight clerks, nine choristers, 

 and all their servants, after evensong in the 

 college church (St. Peter's), repaired to Our 

 Lady's Chapel and sang evensong there. They 

 were accompanied by the bailiffs of the town, the 

 portmen, the prior of Christ Church (Holy 

 Trinity), and others. On 8 September it rained 

 so continuously that the procession through the 

 town had to be abandoned, but they made as 

 solemn a procession as they could in the college 

 church, all the honourable gentlemen of the 

 shire were there as well as the town officials, the 

 Bishop of Norwich, and the priors of Christ 

 Church and Butley. They all dined together 

 in the college. The dean considered the singing 

 men well chosen, but some of them said that 

 they had got better wages where they came 

 from. One man was not sufficient to keep the 

 church vestry clean, ring the bells, prepare the 

 altar lights, etc., therefore he had put in another 

 man and called him sexton. There were but 

 five priests under the sub-dean, too few to keep 

 three masses a day, and the sub-dean could not 

 attend as he was required to superintend the 

 buildings. Mr. Lentall was of much zeal with 

 the quire both for mattins and masses : ' there 

 shall be no better children in any place 

 in England than we shall have here shortly.' 

 He had made fifteen albs of the new cloth, 

 but there were many more to be made. 

 Nine bucks arrived for the Lady's Day, which 

 were distributed with money to make merry 

 withal to the chamberlains and head men of the 

 town, to the bailiffs and portmen's wives, and to 

 the curates. They also received coneys, 

 pheasants, quails, and a fat crane. One hundred 

 and twenty one tons of Caen stone had arrived, 

 and he expected a hundred more after Michael- 

 mas, and there was promise of a thousand tons 

 more before Easter. 7 



With regard to the school attached to the 

 college, there is an interesting letter extant of 



' Ibid. 4696, 4706. 



7 Ibid. 4778. This letter is set forth at length 

 in Ellis, Orig. Let. (1st ser.), i, 185. 



'43 



