A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



fulfil the obligations of their order as to hospi- 

 tality. To assist them in their distress King 

 Edward IV. granted that they should have 

 view of frankpledge and assize of bread and 

 ale, with waif and stray at their towns of 

 Urchfont and Allcannings, in the county of 

 Wilts, from all their tenants and other resi- 

 dents. 1 In 1476 a further grant was made, as 

 the previous one was not so valid as had been 

 hoped, that the nuns should have all sums of 

 money and rents due to the king from them- 

 selves or their tenants or other residents in 

 the same towns.* 



On 24 January, 1370, the bishop excom- 

 municated certain persons who had been in- 

 strumental in the abduction of one of the 

 nuns ; s and in June of the same year he issued 

 his mandate to the abbess to re-admit a nun, 

 Isabel Gerway, who had apostatized, but was 

 then anxious to return.* The name of the 

 abducted nun is not given in the first of these 

 documents, and they both probably refer to 

 the same sister. 



Some idea as to the internal rule of the 

 house can be obtained from the frequent visi- 

 tations of the bishops of the diocese. In 1 308 

 Bishop Woodlock commissioned Lawrence, 

 sub-prior of St. Swithun, and Master Stephen 

 de Dene, his commissary general, to visit the 

 nunnery; on 1 6 March, 1309, he issued an 

 elaborate series of injunctions for the better 

 government of the house, divided into thirteen 

 heads. 6 Bishop Stratford (1323-33) also held, 

 or caused to be held, various visitations of 

 his monastery, and on two occasions cited the 

 Abbess Maud for the correction of excesses. 6 

 It is recorded that Bishop Orlton (1333-45) 

 personally visited Nunnaminster on 9 April, 

 1334, when he preached in the chapter 

 house from the text, ' Deo per omnia placenta.' 

 In 1336 he commissioned his official to visit 

 for the correction of excesses (the usual 

 phrase), and there was a further visitation in 

 I337. 7 Bishop Wykeham paid considerable 

 attention to the monastery. In 1384 he ad- 

 dressed a mandate to the abbess for the cor- 

 rection of nuns who were disobedient to their 

 officers, and censured the superior for lack of 

 discipline. 8 In September, 1396, the bishop 

 commissioned Nicholas Wykeham, Arch- 

 deacon of Wilts, and John Elmere, the offi- 



1 Pat. 8 Edw. IV. pt. 3, m. 3. 

 1 Ibid. 1 6 Edw. IV. pt. i, m. 20. 



Winton. Epis. Reg., Wykeham, iii. f. 303. 



Ibid. 36b. 



Ibid. Woodlock, f. 150. 



Ibid. Stratford, ff. 56, 57b, 79, 176-7. 



Ibid. Orlton, i. ff. lob, 41, 5411. 



Ibid. Wykeham, f. 2 1 2a. 



cial, to visit the abbey, 9 and on 14 June, 

 1403, he granted his licence to the abbess 

 and nuns to hear divine service in their new 

 Lady Chapel adjoining the quire. 10 By his 

 will Wykeham left to the abbess five marks, 

 and each of the nuns one mark. 



Dr. Hede visited St. Mary's on 2 March, 

 1501, when Abbess Joan Legh was able to 

 give satisfactory evidence as to the order and 

 administration of her house. The common 

 seal was kept in a chest, the three keys of 

 which were in the respective possession of 

 the abbess, prioress and sacrist. Margaret 

 Fawcon, the prioress, testified that all the 

 sisters had their meals in the frater, save one 

 who was very aged. Agnes Tystede, sub- 

 prioress, testified that all the convent rose 

 at night for mattins, save the sick and 

 aged. Christiane Whytyngton, infirmarer, 

 stated that the annual balance sheet was duly 

 presented in chapter. Margaret Bawdewin, 

 precentor, testified that omnia bene. Agnes 

 Trusset, the second cantor, Agnes Kyng, 

 the third cantor, and Agnes Massaw, the 

 fourth cantor, gave brief evidence to the 

 same effect, and so also did Alice Tys- 

 tede, scrutator, Agnes Byrcher, Margaret 

 Shafte, Agnes Cox, senior teacher (dog- 

 matista), and Margaret Legh, mistress of the 

 novices. Elia Pitte, the librarian, was also 

 well satisfied with that which was in her 

 charge. 11 



The first commissioners appointed for visit- 

 ing the Hampshire monasteries were Sir James 

 Worsley, John and George Poulet, and 

 William Berners. Their report of St. Mary's, 

 Winchester, was highly favourable. They 

 visited this nunnery on 15 May, 1536, and 

 examined on oath Elizabeth Shelley, the 

 abbess; Thomas Lee, auditor; Thomas Legh, 

 receiver ; and Thomas Ticheborne, clerk. 

 They found in the convent 102 persons, 

 namely, 26 religious, 5 priests, 13 lay sisters, 

 9 women servants, 20 officials and waiting 

 servants, 3 corrodiers, and 26 children. Their 

 names are all set forth in full. Of the re- 

 ligious persons, all, save four, were professed, 

 and ' every of them entende to kepe theyr 

 habits and religion to what house religious 

 or ever they shall be comytted by the kinge's 

 highness, Dame Frith Welbek only excepted, 

 which desireth thanne to be comytted to any 

 oder house to have capacite.' All the pro- 

 fessed are termed Dames. The five chaplains 

 were Master John Hazard, confessor, and 

 four others. 



9 Ibid. iii. f. 291. 



10 Ibid. 356b. 



11 Sede Vacante Register, Canterbury Priory. 



124 



