A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



Another visitation of the cathedral priory 

 was arranged by the bishop to be held in the 

 autumn of 1386, but in November a 

 mandate was issued postponing it, in conse- 

 quence of urgent business, to 10 February. 1 

 On 6 February, 1386-7, Wykeham addressed 

 a letter to the prior and convent on the 

 serious reduction in their numbers, and two 

 days later he directed his official and another 

 to conduct the visitation on 10 February.* 

 It was at this time that the bishop issued a 

 code of directions or revised rule for the 

 guidance of the monks, providing in various 

 ways against laxity. 3 The number of the 

 monks was at that time reduced to forty-six. 

 It still stood at that figure during a third 

 visitation, 1393, and though Wykeham 

 again specially insisted on the raising of their 

 numbers, the roll had fallen to forty-two at 

 the time of his death. 4 



Much of the administration of the priory 

 can be learnt from some of the old account 

 rolls that still survive. A fourteenth-century 

 roll in the possession of the dean and chapter 

 contains an interesting account of the obliga- 

 tions of the officers of the priory in connec- 

 tion with the frater. 6 The prior was bound 

 to provide the frater with bread, beer, wine, 

 salt, cheese and butter ; also with the 

 necessary rush-woven mats and with straw 

 litter for the floor. Cheese was to be served 

 daily at dinner and supper from Easter Day 

 to Quinquagesima Sunday, and butter on 

 Wednesdays and Saturdays from i May to 

 14 September. New mats were to be fur- 

 nished on the vigil of All Saints, and fresh 

 straw seven times a year. The chamberlain 

 provided a new cloth for the high table every 

 Palm Sunday, and canvas cloths for the other 

 tables as often as necessary ; he had also to 

 find old cloths for cleansing the silver and 

 other vessels. The sacrist had to send the 

 fraterer fifteen wax candles on the vigil of 

 All Saints, to be renewed as often as needful 

 down to Maundy Thursday. The precentor 

 and his fellows, who on Sunday and other 

 feasts at 12 o'clock (after nones) have said 

 the Placebo, were to have a ' punchard ' of 

 good beer. The almoner was to give the 

 fraterer a clapper (signum) on Maundy Thurs- 

 day. The kitchener was to receive his food 

 daily with the under-cooks, but was to sit at 



1 Winton. Epis. Reg., Wykeham, iii. f. 



3 Ibid. f. 226. 



8 Moberly's Life of Wykeham, pp. 737-9, citing 

 New College MSS. 



4 Winton. Epis. Reg., Wykeham, iii. f. 2550. 



* A Consuetudinary for the Refectory tf the 

 House ofS. Stvithun, edited by Dean Kitchin. 



the high table and have a punchard. The 

 gardener was to provide apples on Mondays, 

 Wednesdays and Fridays in Advent and 

 Lent ; the sub-prior, third prior and fourth 

 prior, the fraterer and other officers were 

 to have ten apples each ; if the prior was 

 present he was to have fifteen. The same 

 was to be done on St. James' Day, when there 

 was the blessing of apples. At the east end 

 of the frater, between the windows, stood a 

 celebrated old cross or crucifix, from which, 

 according to tradition, a voice proceeded, 

 deciding the controversy between St. Dunstan 

 and the ejected secular canons. The guar- 

 dian of the altar of Our Lady and the 

 keeper of the cloister garth had to provide 

 tapers to burn before this cross on certain 

 high days, and the fraterer to provide 

 seven branches to burn in the like place 

 daily during the second collation. The 

 custom of carrying round the ancient cup of 

 St. Athelwold to be kissed by all on his 

 festival has been already described.* The 

 cellarer had his meals with the community ; 

 it was his duty to provide meat and drink and 

 food of every kind, to produce and keep in 

 repair all the necessary vessels for the cellar, 

 kitchen and frater, to attend to the lighting 

 of the chandelier and of the three flat lamps 

 that hung before the cross. A curious entry 

 further records that he was to have the care 

 of all the animals acquired by different 

 brethren. Pet animals were frequently found 

 in religious houses : occasionally visitors 

 ordered their expulsion, particularly squirrels 

 and birds in cages, from nunneries. The cur- 

 tarian looked after the due allowance of bread, 

 and the corrodies or due provision for bishops, 

 kings and other visitors. It was the porter's duty 

 to clean out the frater against Easter, and to 

 make the fire on the hearth in snowy weather. 

 The daily life of these Benedictine monks 

 can be traced from point to point in the 

 large number of Obedientary Rolls of the 

 different officials of the house that still survive 

 of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth 

 centuries. 7 The obedientaries were monks 

 told off to fulfil certain duties, and to super- 

 intend particular parts of the administration 

 of the convent and its property. Their duty 

 at St. Swithun's was essentially connected 

 with the exercise of hospitality ; their priory 

 lay in a chief city on one of the most 

 important highways in England, and it was 

 their well sustained boast to keep open house 



" r.C.H. Hants, ii. 7. 



7 Compotus Rolls of the Obedientaries of S/. 

 Swithun's Priory, edited by Dean Kitchin (Hanti 

 Rec. Soc. 1892). 



112 



