ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



At the same time specific endowments for stipendiary priests (or as we 

 should now say, assistant clergy) were seized by the crown, and on similar 

 grounds, namely because a part of their duty was the saying of masses for the 

 departed. There were Northamptonshire instances of this at Brackley, Far- 

 thinghoe, Hartwell, and Kettering. Moreover, for a like reason, the endow- 

 ments of many a rectory and vicarage were at this time materially lessened ; 

 for whenever it could be ascertained that lands, rent or rent charges had been 

 left to the incumbent with the specific charge of saying so many masses, the 

 property was at once seized by the crown.* 



With the chantries fell the colleges. Many had been dissolved in the 

 reign of Henry VIII, but those which had hitherto managed to escape now 

 shared the same fate. The Northamptonshire colleges were at Higham Ferrers 

 (dissolved 1542); Cotterstock, Fotheringhay, AH Saints' (Northampton), 

 Towcester, Irthlingborough.^ 



The expediency or inexpediency of suppressing the colleges and chantries 

 will naturally be judged by men of different schools of religious thought in 

 very opposite ways. But there is far less difference of opinion as to the great 

 harm done to the whole community by the confiscation of the gild property. 

 This was professedly due to their being involved with superstitious uses, but 

 the legislators of the time, in the teeth of popular opinion, disregarded the 

 social and economic work of these gilds (which was by far the larger part of 

 their activity) as well as their religious uses capable of being adapted to the 

 times. Hence resulted great harm to the community as well as gross injustice 

 to the members of the gilds. Gilds (in the sense of course of religious gilds) 

 may be said to have existed for two purposes, one strictly religious, the other 

 social or philanthropic. Most of them owe their origin to the desire of one 

 or more individuals to assist in some practical fashion the services and upkeep 

 of their parish church. Many of the gilds maintained at their own cost one 

 or more chaplains : other of the less wealthy ones maintained the lights in 

 certain chapels, provided vestments and books, and cared for the adorn- 

 ment of the particular chapel in which their members met periodically for 

 worship. 



To take a single instance, the gilds of the great church of All Saints', 

 Northampton, maintained at their own expense no less than twelve chaplains 

 to assist the vicar in conducting the services of their parish church. In 

 addition to this, one of the gilds (that of Holy Trinity) paid the stipends of 

 the ' organ player,' ' three singing men,' and the sexton, and maintained a 

 song-school for the instruction of the choristers.' 



On the social and economic sides the gilds did the work of the modern 

 friendly societies. They assisted their members in the various vicissitudes of 

 life — in sickness, in old age, in cases of loss by fire, wrongful imprisonment, 



' The following were the Northamptonshire parishes which had these ' obits ' confiscated : Achurch, 

 Alderton, Apethorpe, Armston, Cold Ashby, Ashton, Anyho, Benefield, Brigstock, Braunston, Long Buckby, 

 Bugbrooke, Chipping Warden, Collyweston, Cransley, Crick, Culworth, Doddington, Duston, Ecton, Easton 

 Maudit, Easton Neston, Etton, Everdon, Eydon, Floore, Geddington, Glinton, Grcatworth, Grimsbury, 

 Guilsborough, Hargrave, Harrowden, Haselbech, Helpston, Holcot, Irchester, Lamport, Litchborough, Lud- 

 dington, Middleton Cheney, Nassington, Naseby, Newnham, Newton, Oakley, Passenham, Pilton, Polebrook, 

 Preston, Pytchley, Raunds, Rockingham, Roade, Rushden, Stoke, Stoke Doyle, King's Sutton, Sibbertoft, 

 Thorpe, Thornby, Tiffield, Tv\7\vell, Ufford, Wadenhoe, Warmington, Weldon, Wilby, Whitfield, Woodford, 

 WoUaston, Wooton, and Yar^vell. 



^ A full account of these societies is given under Religious Houses. ' Serjeantson, Hist, of AH Saints', 5 2-6. 



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