RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



cited in Henry de Woodlock's register under 

 the date of 8 September, 1309. * 



An important visitation of the priory of 

 St. Swithun's was held by the bishop in 1315, 

 which resulted in a considerable number of 

 injunctions. The greater part of these are 

 of the usual character, and partake more of 

 enjoining a careful observance of the rule 

 than of dealing with any particular delin- 

 quency. Such were orders to attend all the 

 offices, night and day ; frequent celebrating 

 by the monks in priest's orders ; silence at the 

 appointed time and places ; never to break 

 bounds without leave ; to speak to no 

 women, religious or secular, save in public ; 

 to wear nought save the statutory dress ; 

 and juniors to respect seniors. Others 

 related to the due keeping of the cloister 

 gate, to the custody of the seal, and to the 

 annual rendering of accounts by obedientaries 

 and bailiffs. Two or three are less usual, 

 and probably refer to specific faults, such as 

 directions against selling surplus food, and 

 that parents or relatives visiting the inmates 

 were to be invited to contribute according to 

 their means. One order has a decidedly 

 local touch, by which all the monks, save the 

 sacrist and his servants, are forbidden to go 

 out of the monastery by the gate called 

 ' Redebreck ' * The bishop had the advan- 

 tage in this visitation of full personal know- 

 ledge of the house during the ten years that 

 he was prior. 



In the second year of Bishop Stratford's 

 rule (1325), a complete list of the monks of 

 St. Swithun was drawn up. It begins with 

 Prior Richard ; the second name, presumably 

 the sub-prior, is Adam de Hyde, and then 

 follow the names of sixty-two other monks. 3 



Bishop Stratford held two visitations of 

 St. Swithun's during the ten years that he 

 administered the see. In the last case 

 penalties were imposed and then taken 

 off. 4 



The priory was visited in February, 1410-1, 

 by John Cattyk, chancellor of the diocese. 

 He visited as the commissary of the dio- 

 cesan, Bishop Henry Beaufort stating that he 

 was not able personally to visit owing to the 

 pressure of other arduous affairs. 6 



The earlier episcopal registers are for the 



1 Winton. Epis. Reg., Woodlock, f. 1 1 3b. 



* Ibid. 23 (zd. numbers). 



3 Ibid. Pontoise, f. 143. It is curious that 

 this list should be entered on a blank leaf of 

 an earlier register ; it was probably an error of 

 the scrivener who made the entry. 



* Ibid. Stratford, ff. i3b, I9b, I7ib~4. 

 8 Ibid. Beaumont, 32 (2d. numbers). 



most part somewhat sparing in their reference 

 to the work and administration of the cathedral 

 priory, but the entries are frequent in William 

 of Wykeham's days. 



The rectory of the church of Littleton 

 was appropriated to the office of guest-master 

 of the priory in the year 1171. In March, 

 1373, Bishop William of Wykeham licensed 

 John Hyde, the monk guest-master, to hear 

 confessions and to administer the Eucharist at 

 Littleton during Lent and at Easter, for the 

 depression of the times prevented the parish- 

 ioners employing a parochial chaplain to assist 

 the vicar. The licence was to expire at the 

 end of the Easter octave. 6 This temporary 

 and useful licence was renewed to the guest- 

 master year by year up to 1379. 



Hugh Basing was prior when Wykeham 

 was elected bishop. On his death in 1384 

 Dr. Robert Rudborne succeeded, and he 

 was followed in 1394 by Dr. Thomas 

 Neville. The friction between bishops and 

 priors is illustrated by the action that took 

 place during Wykeham's episcopate with 

 regard to a comparatively trifling but very 

 interesting custom dating back to time imme- 

 morial. According to this ancient custom 

 whenever the diocesan visited Wolvesey, or 

 any other residence in Winchester, the 

 domicellus of the priory presented him with 

 eight loaves of fine wheat flour and four 

 gallons of wine, saying at the same time 

 these words in French : ' Mounseigneur, Seint 

 Pere et Seint Paule vous envoient.' Prior 

 Hugh set the example of reducing the 

 offering to a single loaf and one gallon of 

 wine, and his example was followed by Prior 

 Rudborne and by Prior Neville for the first 

 four years of his office. But in 1398, other 

 disputes having arisen, a covenant was made 

 between Wykeham and Neville for the 

 resumption of the full customary offering of 

 bread and wine, and that the ancient words 

 should be said in French, Latin or English. 

 At the same time it was agreed that disputes 

 between the tenants of their respective estates 

 should be tried in the bishop's or prior's court 

 and not in those of the king ; that the priory 

 should maintain the bridge over the Lock- 

 burn in College Street, and halve the expense 

 with bishop of the bridge over the river ; 

 and that the priory should abstain from 

 feeding sheep or taking rabbits in the epis- 

 copal chase and warren at Morestead. 7 



In June, 1373, Wykeham visited the priory 

 and was apparently content with its condition, 

 as no injunctions were entered. 



8 Ibid. Wykeham, iii. f. 88b. 

 7 Ibid. 323. 



Ill 



