A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



example) was the offering up of prayers for the souls of the founder 

 and his family, and for other Christian souls. This was the primary 

 motive of the great majority of the founders of the fourteenth and 

 fifteenth centuries. It was probably always understood, and in very 

 many cases it can be proved, where the foundation charters exist, that 

 the chantry priest had duties assigned to him which sometimes corres- 

 ponded to those of an assistant curate of to-day, and sometimes involved 

 the definite teaching of the children of the parish. Other chantries, 

 as Dr. Cutts points out, were really chapels-of-ease to outlying districts, 

 and were founded in that shape to avoid legal difficulties. 1 



In 1545, an Act was passed empowering Henry VIII., for his life, 

 to dissolve chantries and like foundations, but under it few of these 

 were dissolved. A new Act was therefore passed in 1547, which swept 

 away all chantries, collegiate churches, and obits which were temporary 

 chantries, as well as stipendiary priests (within whose duty were masses 

 for the departed) and lands left to a parish church on condition of certain 

 lights being maintained. If there had been merely a desire for the sup- 

 pression of practices termed superstitious, it would have been perfectly 

 simple to check them, and to use the endowments otherwise ; but that 

 would not have filled the royal coffers. 



The particulars given in the certificates of the suppression will be 

 found set forth under the respective parishes. 



John Ponet, who was translated from Rochester to Winchester on 

 Gardiner's deprivation, was the first of the bishops consecrated under 

 the reformed ordinal. 2 He was a great scholar, and at Cranmer's right 

 hand throughout the reign of Edward VI. ; but Hampshire was 

 probably never under the religious rule of a man so destitute of even 

 decency of character. He obtained the see of Winchester (8 March, 

 1551) by barefaced simony, the condition of his appointment being that 

 he should give up to the crown the episcopal manors, and be content 

 with a fixed income of 2,000 marks. 3 The Protector having secured 

 possession of such ancient Hampshire endowments of the see as the 

 manors of Marwell, Highclere, Bitterne and Twyford, at once gave 

 them to his brother, Sir Henry Seymour. Seymour took up his 

 residence at Marwell palace, and seems to have well deserved the title 

 of ' hideous ruffian ' bestowed on him by Canon Benham. 4 On one 

 occasion, it is said, he rushed forth from Marwell into the church of 

 Owslebury and dragged out the priest who was celebrating the Holy 

 Communion. The priest, on being liberated, returned to the church 

 and solemnly denounced the sacrilege, whereupon Sir Henry's servants, 

 by his order, shot him dead. 



Ponet in 1 549 published A Defence for Marriage of Priests by 

 Scripture and Aunciente Writers. His own experiences of marriage were 

 curious. When Bishop of Rochester he went through the form of 



1 Cults' Parish Priests and their People, p. 442. 8 Strype's Cranmer, pp. 274, 363. 



3 Acts of Privy Council, 1550 and 1552, pp. 231, 358, 359. 

 4 Dioc. Hist, of Winchester, p. 169. 

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