RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



of the convent, mentioned by name, 8^/. each, 

 and to the other servants j^d. each ; to the infir- 

 mary two pewter dishes ; to the monastery for 

 his month's mind, 20J., and for his anniversary 

 5$. ; to the poor of St. James's End, Dallington 

 and Duston 20s. in bread and lOj. in money; 

 to the poor in the most need seven hangings of 

 linen and the money resulting from the sale of his 

 great mases, his great salt, and four silver spoons ; 

 to the four alms-children of the monastery 2d. 

 each, and to the poor alms-men of the monastery 

 ^d. each ; and to John Mason the hermit, his 

 printed mass book for use in the hermitage chapel. i 

 The chartulary of the abbey gives various special 

 bequests to the lady chapel and infirmary .2 



The esteem in which the house and its in- 

 mates were held is borne out by the report of 

 George Giffard, the leading member of the first 

 local commission for the suppression of the 

 monasteries. His letter to Cromwell, dated 

 19 May, 1536, states that on the 17th they had 

 formally visited the abbey, of which the head was 

 a right discreet man, a good husbander, and well 

 beloved of all.^ By his alms there three or four 

 score folk of the town and country were daily 

 relieved. The yearly value of the lands was 

 £210. The house was stately, in very good 

 repair, and standing much to the relief of the 

 town of Northampton. In consideration of the 

 great good done to the poor he begged Crom- 

 well's favour for the abbot, and advised that the 

 king should reasonably redeem it.* Simulta- 

 neously a joint forma! report was forwarded from 

 Northampton by GifFard and his co-commis- 

 sioners, Edward Knightley, John Lane, and 

 Robert Burgoyne. They stated again that 

 St. James's was a goodly solemn house in church 

 and choir, meet for one of treble the lands, in 

 substantial repair, of old foundation, and posses- 

 sing the goodliest barn that ever was seen for 

 stone and timber ; that there were many poor in 

 Northampton, and that they were greatly re- 

 lieved by this house, which was of good report 

 through the whole town. They assured Crom- 

 well that he would do a very meritorious deed 

 with much honour to the king if he should 

 allow this house to continue. ^ 



This unexpectedly good, and it would seem 

 unwelcome report drew from the king the re- 

 mark ' that it was like they (the commissioners) 

 had received rewards.' In spite of the report of 

 the commissioners, and the Valor of 1535 declar- 

 ing its clear annual value at ^^213 iji. 'l\d.^^ the 



1 Prerog. Ct. of Canterbury, Blamyer, f. 4. There 

 was a hermitage pertaining to the west bridge into 

 Northampton at St. James's End. 



2 Cott. MS. Tib. E. V. fF. 190, 191b. 



* This was John Dassett, who, with nine other 

 canons of the house, subscribed to the king's supre- 

 macy 17 August, 1534. L. and P. Hen. CIII. vii. 

 1121 (28). 



+ Ibid. X. 916. 5 IbiJ. ^,7. 



" Falor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv. 319. 



2 I 



house was scheduled as of 'a less yearly value 

 than ^Taoo,' and brought within the scope of the 

 earlier Act for suppression.' 



On 14 July, 1536, GifFard wrote to Crom- 

 well from Kettering informing him that Abbot 

 John Dasset, of St. James's, Northampton, had 

 died on Thursday night. He supposed he had 

 left the house in debt, and that it was like to be 

 suppressed, and begged that he might be the 

 farmer thereof; the demesnes were worth ;^I4 a 

 year, and he proposed to give Cromwell £20 if 

 he would secure it for him. He added that he 

 feared no man's labour to strive and obtain the 

 farm, save his colleague sergeant Edward 

 Knightley.* 



The original good reports, or possibly the 

 greater inducement of a handsome fine of 

 ;^333 6i. 8(/., which the canons were ready to 

 pay for its redemption,* secured the house a 

 respite, and provided a check for the schemes of 

 Giffard and Knightley.'" William Brokden was 

 appointed abbot-elect, or master of St. James's, 

 after an irregular fashion by Cromwell. On 

 20 January, 1536— 7, Brokden wrote to Crom- 

 well entreating that he and his brethren might 

 have their confirmation and other seals, or that 

 word might be sent by the bearer when the 

 writer should wait upon his lordship. '^ Thomas 

 Edwards, the prior, and four of the canons wrote 

 to the commissioners, 5 May, 1538, representing 

 how well Brokden had governed the house as 

 master for a year and a half, showing good hos- 

 pitality, and bringing it out of much debt. 

 They begged that he would obtain the king's 

 seal for the redemption of the abbey, for the 

 town and country marvelled that he took such 

 pains having no seal.'* The seal of ofHce appears 

 to have been gained between the date of the 

 last letter and 25 August, 1538, the same year 

 when it was used for the deed of surrender exe- 

 cuted by Abbot Brokden, Prior Edwards, and four 

 other canons, before Dr. Layton.'^ The much- 

 tried abbot was rewarded with a pension of 

 {^\ I 6i. 8(/., the rectory of Watford, and the 

 tithes of Gilsworth.'* 



Abbots of St. James, Northampton 



William," elected 11 19 



Ralf, appointed 1158, died 1176 



William Paveley, elected 1176, died 1 180 



Walkelin of Duston, elected 1180, died 1206 



^ L. and P. Hen. Vlll. x. 1 166. 



» Ibid. xi. 87. 9 Ibid. xiii. pt. 2, 457. 



10 Aug. Off. Accts. 28-30 Hen. VIII. 



11 L. 'and P. Hen. Vlll. xii. pt. I, 168. 



•- Ibid. xiii. pt. i, 932. i* Ibid. pt. 2, 183. 



1* Ibid. xiv. pt. I, p. 597. 



•5 A list of abbots up to the year 1430 is given in 

 the chartular)', Cott. MS. Tib. E. v. f 234. In this 

 Ralf is given as the ' first ' abbot, that is to s.iy the 

 first after the canons ' leaving their former dwelling 

 entered into the new church of St. James 'in 1 1 73. 



29 



17 



