RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



mill of Stourpayne, fourteen poor. On the 

 anniversaries of other priors, thirty loaves and 

 thirty gallons of beer were distributed. The 

 total anniversary distributions to the poor for 

 each year amounted at that time to 1,354 

 loaves, 467 gallons of beer and 934 dishes 

 from the kitchen, in addition to broth (pota- 

 gium). 



Up to Prior Quyntyn's time four black (rye) 

 loaves and four dishes were distributed on the 

 anniversary of a canon ; but Quyntyn further 

 directed that on the death of a canon 100 

 loaves should be given to the poor, fifty on 

 the obit and fifty on the morrow, the former 

 from the almonry and the latter from the 

 cellarage. It was further enjoined that for 

 the year the deceased canon's corrody in the 

 frater should be given to the poor. 



On the anniversaries of Mabel, Countess 

 of Devon, and of Hadewyse, daughter of 

 Baldwin the elder, 6s. 8d. was divided among 

 forty poor folk. On the anniversary of Peter, 

 Bishop of Winchester, 5*. worth of bread was 

 distributed at the gates ; and on the anni- 

 versary of Edward of Porchester 50*. was 

 divided among one hundred poor. 1 



Every day two masses were said in the 

 priory church for benefactors, one of our 

 Lady and one of the Holy Ghost. At the 

 beginning of each month there was a special 

 solemn mass for the souls of friends and bene- 

 factors. The year's total of masses, in addi- 

 tion to the regular mattin mass and high 

 mass and private masses, was i,468. 2 



In the year 1316 Prior Quyntyn's health 

 began to fail. He was an old man, for at the 

 time of his death he had been a canon of 

 the house for fifty-nine years. In consequence 

 of his age and feebleness, Bishop Sandale 

 granted him a dispensation, dated 30 Novem- 

 ber, 1316, for meat in Advent. 3 He died in 

 April, 1317, and the convent elected Walter 

 Tydolneshide, one of the canons, in his place. 4 

 On 14 August, 1319, Bishop Sandale cited 

 the prior and convent to appear at his forth- 

 coming visitation of the priory. 5 As this 

 visitation is not followed by any decrees, 

 it may be presumed that everything was 

 satisfactory. In October of the same year 

 the priory was ordered by the bishop to 

 receive Stephen de Stapelbrugge, a brother 

 of the late order of the Temple, in his first 

 tonsure. 6 



1 Cott. MS. Tib. D. vi. pt. ii. ff. 32, 33b. 



2 Ibid. f. 32b. 



s Winton Epis. Reg., Sandale, f. I. 



* Ibid. f. lib. 



Ibid. f. 33b. 



Ibid. f. 34b (vide supra, p. 27). 



155 



On 30 April, 1324, Bishop Stratford wrote 

 a letter of monition to the prior as to the 

 grave excesses of John de Sandon, one of the 

 canons, but no particulars are given. 7 In the 

 following year Canon Thomas de Montague 

 was excommunicated for laying violent hands 

 on John Wastour, clerk ; but the bishop 

 absolved him by commission. 8 A visitation 

 was held by the bishop in January, 1327, and 

 various articles of reformation were forwarded 

 to the prior at the end of the month. These 

 articles dealt with the attendance at the offices 

 of all save the obedientaries, steward and 

 cellarer ; the number of masses at particular 

 altars ; the appointment by the prior of four 

 confessors for the monastery ; the observing 

 of silence, and that talk at permitted times 

 should be in Latin or French, and on no 

 account in English ; the custody of the doors 

 of the cloisters, etc. ; a bell for each service ; 

 abstinence and dietary ; money affairs and 

 the steward ; the custody of the seal ; pro- 

 hibition of games of chess and dice; prohibi- 

 tion of keeping hounds save by the prior, 

 according to custom, if he desires it ; and the 

 prohibition of writing letters or causing them 

 to be written, without leave from the prior or 

 sub-prior. The bishop also enjoined on the 

 prior to finish the new cloister with all 

 despatch. 9 There was evidently much criti- 

 cism in the priory of this decree that covered 

 so wide an area of conventual discipline. 

 News of this talk reached the bishop, and on 

 30 July, 1328, he ordered an inquiry to be 

 held as to certain canons defaming their 

 diocesan in connection with his recent 

 visitation and forwarded a citation asking for 

 names. 10 



On i January, 1328, the prior of Christ- 

 church was ordered to appear before the 

 king at York, on Monday after the Purifi- 

 cation, to answer for his contempt in not 

 obeying the king's late order to come to him 

 to treat of certain of his affairs. 11 



Bishop Stratford inhibited the prior on 

 19 November, 1331, from celebrating in 

 the chapel of St. Katharine on the Hill of 

 Rishton, constructed on the soil of the 

 priory, on account of the lack of certain 

 formalities. Licence for celebrations in the 

 chapel was not granted until i February, 

 I 3 32. 18 



In January 1333 restitution was made by 



7 Winton. Epis. Reg., Stratford, f. 46. 



8 Ibid. f. I3b. 



9 Ibid. f. 179. 



10 Ibid. ff. 39b, 40. 



11 Close, i Edw. III. pt. 2, m. zd. 



18 Winton. Epis. Reg., Stratford, ff. 63b, 68. 



