RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



Oration of Lady Mass, the chapter-house was 

 entered, and after singing the Veni Creator the 

 method of election was discussed. At length 

 the canons decided to proceed by way of scrutiny, 

 when it was found that all had voted for Thomas 

 de Wathenowe, one of the canons. On Thomas 

 giving his assent, he was conducted before the 

 high altar with chanting of the Te Deum and 

 ringing of the bells. After prostrating himself 

 in prayer, the prior-elect was then led to the 

 altar itself, which he kissed. The archbishop's 

 assent was humbly asked, and Giffard, who was 

 then stopping at Southwell, made formal con- 

 firmation of the election on 1 3 July. 



Felley had been personally visited by Giffard on 

 9 July. The visitation resulted in the deposition 

 of Prior Ralph de Pleasley for various irregulari- 

 ties, in the confining of Ralph de Codnore to the 

 cloister for incontinence, and in the infliction of 

 a like punishment on Robert Barry and William 

 de Dunham for theft and immorality. The 

 charges against the prior were not quite so grave, 

 but by his own confession and by the sworn 

 testimony of others he was convicted of suffering 

 the goods of the house to be wasted, and the 

 house itself to become dilapidated ; of laying 

 violent hands on Alan, one of the canons ; of 

 breaking open a lock against the will of the con- 

 vent ; and of neglecting to correct in chapter. 

 He was also found to be insufficient for the posi- 

 tion on account of weakness and old age. 15 



The Taxation Roll of 1291 enters the appro- 

 priated church of Annesley as of the annual 

 value of j5 6s. 8d. the temporalities in the arch- 

 deaconry of Nottinghamshire 4. 15*., and tem- 

 poralities at Pleasley, Derbyshire, 2OJ. ; giving a 

 total taxable income of ji i is. 8d. le 



The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1534 shows a 

 considerable increase in the income of this small 

 house. The gross annual value is declared at 

 61 4.1. 8d., and the clear value at 40 195. id. 

 The spiritualities comprised the rectories of Annes- 

 ley (4. iSs.) and Attenborough ( 1 5 121. loa'.), 

 with a portion of 6s. from Cossall. The tem- 

 poralities included rents, &c., from the Notting- 

 hamshire parishes of Attenborough, Awsworth, 

 Annesley, Bunny, Bramcote, Kirkby in Ashfield, 

 Hucknall Torkard, Nottingham, Selston, Toton, 

 Teversal, and Woodborough,and from the Derby- 

 shire townships of Ashover, Houghton, and Tib- 

 shelf. The heaviest outgoings were 6 131. 4^. 

 out of the church of Attenborough as a pension 

 to Lenton Priory, and 4 to a chantry priest in 

 the church of Mansfield Woodhouse. 17 



Another curious testimony as to the value of 

 seals occurred in 1290 with regard to this house. 

 The seal of the letters patent of Henry II secur- 

 ing to the canons of Felley exemption from all 



15 York Epis. Reg. Giffard, fol. 188, 142. 



19 Pope NicA. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 264^, 310, 312, 



339- 



17 Vakr Ecd. (Rec. Com.), v, 155. 



toll and custom throughout England on their own 

 goods which they sold or which they bought for 

 their own use, and forbidding any person disturb- 

 ing them on this account under pain of jiO, had 

 been broken. The opportunity was therefore 

 taken on 17 October, when Edward I was at 

 Clipston, of securing an inspeximus and exem- 

 plification of this grant. 18 In 1305 the latter 

 king granted to the prior and canons all the 

 tithes of assarts within the hays of Lindeby, 

 Rumwood, and Willey, within the Forest of 

 Sherwood, which had been assarted within the 

 king's reign, as appropriated to their church. 19 



Licence was obtained from the Crown in 1323 

 to permit the Prior and Convent of Felley to 

 acquire in mortmain lands and rents to the value 

 of looi. a year, for the maintenance of a chaplain 

 to celebrate divine service daily in the church of 

 their house for the souls of the faithful departed. 20 

 In 1339 licence was granted for the alienation in 

 mortmain by Sir John de Grey of Codnor to 

 this priory (in full satisfaction of the IOOJ. a year 

 which they had the licence of Edward II to 

 acquire) of the reversion of an acre of land in 

 Toton, and the advowson of the church of 

 Attenborough now held for life by Thomas de 

 Vaus of the yearly value of 6os. 2d. 11 



In 1339 John, Prior of Felley, covenanted 

 with Robert Stuffyne of Newark and Alice his 

 wife to find 6 marks annually to maintain a 

 chantry priest at the altar of the Blessed Virgin 

 in the church or chapel of Mansfield Wood- 

 house. 22 



There was an old dispute of long standing 

 between Henry Lord Grey and the Prior and 

 Convent of Lenton as to the advowson of a 

 moiety of the church of Attenborough, which 

 was settled by Archbishop Walter Gray in 1246, 

 when it was arranged that the priory should 

 have tithes to the value of 40*. yearly out of 

 Bramcote chapelry in that parish, and that the 

 other mediety should remain in the gift of 

 Richard Lord Grey and his heirs. In 1340 

 John de Grey of Codnor granted the Grey 

 moiety to the priory of Felley, and in 1343 

 this rectory was appropriated to the priory. The 

 appropriation was confirmed in a long document 

 by Archbishop William de la Zouch, with the 

 consent of the Dean and Chapter of York, under 

 date II March 1343, securing to himself and 

 his successors a pension of 2OS. 8d. and of 2OS. to 

 the Dean and Chapter. 23 



"Pat. 1 8 Edw. I,m. 6. 



19 Pat. 33 Edw. I, pt. i, m. 6. 



10 Pat. 17 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 8. Transcripts of 

 several letters patent affecting Felley, granted by 

 Edward I and Edward II, appear in the chartulary 

 immediately after the papal bulls ; fol. 10^-14. 



" Pat. 13 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 36. 



"Add. MS. 36872, fol. 122-5. 



" All this is set forth in full, reciting the previous 

 settlement of 1246, in the chartulary ; fol. 15-23. 



Ill 



