ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



sub-prior, and by various other officials such as the sacrist, treasurer, 

 chamberlain, precentor, and almoner. Twenty-nine members of the 

 convent underwent examination, and at the end, after some demur, 

 Silkestede took an oath of canonical obedience to the prior and convent 

 of Canterbury, during the vacancy of the archiepiscopal see. 



On 2 March, the abbey of St. Mary, Winchester, was visited, when 

 the abbess, Joan Legh, supported by the prioress, sacrist, precentrix, four 

 cantrices, librarian, ' senior dogmatista,' and other of the nuns were able 

 to give a good account of themselves. On the following day a visitation 

 was held in the chapter house of the abbey of Hyde. Abbot Richard 

 Hall put in his written replies to the visitation articles, on which they 

 were afterwards examined. The replies of the different officials, such as 

 prior, sub-prior, steward, and almoner, gave full satisfaction. Twenty- 

 two members of the convent underwent this personal examination, of 

 whom one was a deacon, two sub-deacons, one an acolyte, and three 

 novices. Dr. Hede proceeded to the priory of Southwick on 12 March, 

 where a like full examination of the canons there was undertaken. 

 On the 1 5th he was at the priory of St. Denis, Southampton, where the 

 examination of the canons proved equally satisfactory, the pawning of a 

 piece of valuable silver called ' a spice plate ' being assigned by the sub- 

 prior to the fault of his predecessor. 



The next visit was paid on 22 March, to the large and important 

 priory of Christchurch. Prior John Draper and his colleagues were 

 able to give satisfactory accounts of their house and its administration. 

 Twenty members of this community underwent examination, of whom 

 three were sub-deacons. On 24 March the priory of Breamore was 

 visited. Five canons, in addition to John Chandler, of this comparatively 

 small house gave evidence. On 27 March the large nunnery of Romsey 

 was reached, and here the only scandal (a grievous one) of the whole 

 visitation came to light and was suppressed. Everywhere else things 

 appear to have been most creditably conducted ; and we may be quite 

 sure that a thorough visitation of this kind, undertaken by an outside 

 and somewhat jealous authority, would have no reason, but the con- 

 trary, to gloss over faults. On 30 March Dr. Hede proceeded to the 

 priory of Mottisfont, when satisfactory statements were made by prior 

 John Edmond and four of his colleagues. The nuns of Wherwell were 

 visited on the following day. Nineteen nuns, in addition to Matilda 

 Rouse the abbess, were questioned by the visitor, of whom six were 

 novices. On 3 April the small priory of Wintney was visited, when 

 Anna Thomas the prioress, and three of her sisters gave evidence. 



In addition to these religious houses, the College of St. Elizabeth 

 and the New College at Winchester were visited by Dr. Hede on the 

 same occasion. 



The expenses of this visitation are set forth with some detail. In 



the first place, Dr. Hede expended 1 8s. ' for iij yards of brode cloth for 



a shorte gown for myself.' Three yards of lining for the same cost 



3-r. 6d. His servant's gown cost IQJ. jod. The saddle and harness for 



ii 49 7 



