A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



great,' and the incumbent had no other help ; the commissioners further 

 stated that the chapel at Lound had been built by the residents there so that 

 they might have mass three days a week, because it was a mile or more from 

 the parish church of Sutton, and that from 40 to 60 communicants 

 resorted there 'daily' (sic). At Sturton, where there were 400 communi- 

 cants, there was a stipendiary priest with an income of 4 2s. 8*/., and at 

 East Markham, with a like number of bousding folk or communicants, 

 there was another stipendiary with an income of 3 ijs. 6d. 



At Clipstone, in Edwinstowe parish, there was a chapel a mile from the 

 parish church roofed with slate ; the priest's chamber seems in this case to 

 have been under the chapel, for the commissioners say, ' itt hathe no mancyon 

 butt a parlor under the chappell of no valewe.' A chapel is also mentioned at 

 Harby, 2 miles from the parish church of Clifton, where there was a chantry 

 for Queen Eleanor, who died there in 1290. There was also a chapel of 

 St. Helen at Bingham, ' 2,000 ft.' from the parish church. 



The chantry of Tilne (4 is. 4</.) was a chapel founded in 1311 in 

 Hayton parish to serve the hamlets of North and South Tilne, because the 

 waters often prevented the inhabitants coming to their parish church ; the 

 chapel was 2 miles from Hayton. 



As to chantries proper, served by priests within the parish church, the 

 commissioners' report expressly mentions their general utility in certain 

 instances. Thus at Annesley, of a chantry worth 4 i6j. jd. a year, founded 

 by Sir Robert Annesley and another, they say that it was ' founded in 

 consideracion that there be diverse villages belonging to the parisshe of 

 Annysley wherof iij of them be distaunte from the parisshe churche and all 

 other Churches and Chappells a mile or more, for whiche cause the 

 chauntrie preste there shulde saye everye holy daye masse before the 

 parisshe matyns shulde be begoun and that done to assist the parishe preste 

 for the tyme being att mattyns, masse and evensonge, and on worke dayes to 

 saye masse and praye for the benefactors soulles of the said Chauntrie and all 

 Cristian soulles as more plainlye dothe appeare by the foundacyon of the 

 King's license to the Commyssioners shewed.' 



At East Retford, described as a market town greatly inhabited and of 

 much resort, there were 500 communicants and no one to help the vicar 

 save the priests of the chantries of Trinity and Our Lady ; the mansion 

 house of these two priests had been lately burnt ; the chantries had been 

 founded by the bailiffs, burgesses, and commonalty, and one of the priests was 

 to serve as ' a scolle master ther for the bryngyng upp of youthe in Godley 

 learnynge.' 



The great parish of St. Mary's Nottingham had more than a thousand 

 communicants ; 101 of the chantry of Our Lady, with an income of jT8, it is 

 expressly stated that it was used partly for the relief of the poor, and that it 

 was founded ' to be an ayde for the vicar.' 



In a few other instances the destruction of the chantry involved a 

 distinct loss to the poor. Thus the chantry priest at Beckingham had to 

 furnish a bushel of wheat to be distributed to the poor in bread on Good 

 Friday. The chantry at Wollaton is a remarkable example ; it was worth 



101 According to commission of Edw. VI, 1400. 

 62 



