A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



convent 2OJ. at the feast of the Assumption, 

 according to custom, and for this was to have his 

 meals provided within the house and not outside. 

 Games for money were prohibited. Better pro- 

 vision was to be made for the infirm. The 

 abbot was to see that the community had their 

 usual pensions, but if they did not spend sufficient 

 on their clothes he was to stop the payment, and 

 himself buy what was necessary. 54 



The next visit was made on 14 August 1491, 

 when Redman found that Abbot Acastre was 

 ruling well both in external and internal matters ; 

 the buildings of the church and cloister as well as 

 outer buildings were then so fair, instead of being 

 ruinous and foul, that the abbot might be regarded 

 not so much as a repairer as a new founder. A 

 canon of Sulby who had been sent in punishment 

 to Welbeck was found guilty of disobedience and 

 not attending divine offices either night or day ; 

 he was adjudged to be put on discipline for forty 

 days, and then to be removed to St. Agatha's for 

 ten years, but meanwhile to be kept in strict 

 custody. William Hankyn, who had been 

 warned three years before, was convicted of 

 apostasy, and of eating meat in secular houses ; 

 he was now put on discipline for forty days. 

 Other canons were punished for eating meat 

 with seculars and not rising for mattins, whilst 

 the sub-prior was blamed for not at once correct- 

 ing these things. The tonsure was to be in 

 accordance with the form approved by the order. 

 Neither deacon nor sub-deacon was to genuflect 

 at the elevation of the Host, but only reverently 

 to incline. At the election of the abbot the 

 debt of the house was 300 marks ; it had been 

 reduced to ^30. The house was abundantly 

 supplied with necessary stores. There were 

 twenty-four present at the visitation, including 

 six vicars, but the minister of Bothamsall is 

 entered as a vicar and not as a chaplain. 66 



Three years later Bishop Redman was again 

 at Welbeck, where twenty-two inmates offered 

 themselves for visitation, including six vicars. 

 He happily found everything in good order, and 

 nothing to correct ; but he pronounced excom- 

 munication on one canon who had fled. 68 Red- 

 man was here again in 1497, when twenty-three 

 inmates or canon vicars were visited. Two 

 canons were punished for the extravagance of 

 their tonsures (pro enormltate tonsure) ; one of 

 them had to say the whole psalter, but the other 

 Salvum me fac nightly. Everything else was in 

 an admirable state ; there was unity, concord, 

 and love between the head and the members, and 

 no complaints ; there was an admirable provision 

 of every kind of grain and cattle and of all 

 necessaries. 67 



When the abbey was visited on 22 November 

 1500, the community were ordered to have their 

 meals together in the refectory on fast days and 



" Coll. Angk-Premon. iii, 186-9. " Ibid. 189-92. 

 "Ibid. 192-3. "Ibid. 193-4. 



during the seasons of Advent and Lent. One 

 canon had broken the rule and got into debt ; 

 he was to see that he was clear of debt before 

 the next provincial chapter. For the rest all 

 was in good order ; there was mutual goodwill 

 between the abbot and household, with filial 

 obedience. 68 Here the visitation records of this 

 house come to an end. 



Thomas Wilkinson, who was elected abbot in 

 1503, became commissary-general and visitor for 

 the Abbot of Pr6montr6 on the death of Richard 

 Redman (who was at that time Bishop of Ely) in 

 1505." 



Shortly before the dissolution of all the English 

 monasteries, namely in the year 1512, singular 

 honour was done to the abbey of Welbeck, for 

 it was placed both by pope and king at the head 

 of all the houses of White Canons in England 

 and Wales. The abbot (Thomas Wilkinson) 

 and his successors were declared ex-officio visitors- 

 general ; a provincial chapter was to be held 

 annually at Welbeck, or some other place 

 appointed by the abbot, and its power was to be 

 the same as that of the general chapters hitherto 

 attended by the English abbots at Pr6montr6. 

 The order was henceforth to be exempt in Eng- 

 land and Wales from any foreign jurisdiction, 

 and the Abbot of Welbeck was always to be 

 numbered amongst the king's chaplains. 60 



John Maxey, the penultimate Abbot of Wel- 

 beck, was appointed in 1520. In 1525 he was 

 consecrated Bishop of Elphen, but allowed to 

 remain abbot in commendam ; he did homage to 

 the king and took the oath on Sunday 23 July, 

 when he was graciously received by Henry. 61 

 This abbot was a favourite of Wolsey's, and 

 formed part of his suite in I527- 62 Two years 

 latter the cardinal gave him a valuable spoon of 

 crown gold. 63 When Wolsey in the following 

 year proceeded to his manor of Southwell, the 

 Abbot of Welbeck was entrusted with the duty 

 of providing corn for bread, and drink for the 

 household. 64 



After the fall of Wolsey and the rise of Crom- 

 well there are no more gifts for the Abbot of 

 Welbeck, and the correspondence with the Lord 

 Privy Seal bears the almost invariable characteris- 

 tic of forcing money or money's worth from the 

 religious houses placed under his control. On 

 St. Matthew's Day 1533 the abbot wrote to 

 Cromwell from Welbeck saying that he sent him 

 his poor fee, and also 'according to your desire I 

 send you a good bay gelding, the best I have.' 

 At their next meeting he promised to further 

 show him his mind concerning religion (i.e. the 



"Ibid. 195-6. 



" Harl. MS. 6972, fol. 49^ ; ColL Angk-Premon. i, 

 123. 



60 Rymer, Foedera, xiii, 338-9. 



el L. and P. Hen. nil, iv, 1 5 1 1. 



"Ibid. 3216. "Ibid. 5341. 



"Ibid. 6329. 



136 



