A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



William Windsor, 1471, election annulled 

 Thomas Farwill or Fairwise, 14712 

 Peter at Berne, 1472-8 

 John Scherpe, elected 1479 

 Thomas Assheford, 1484-5 



1 6. THE ORATORY OF BARTON 



The oratory or priory of Barton, dedicated 

 to the Holy Trinity, whose priests followed 

 the rule of St. Augustine, was situated in 

 Whippingham parish, Isle of Wight. It was 

 founded in 1275 by Thomas de Wynton, 

 rector of Godshill, and John de Insula, rector 

 of Shalfleet. 1 The oratory was endowed with 

 land in Whippingham, Arreton, Span, Ap- 

 pleford, Kerne, Rookley, Dolcoppice, La 

 Snape, Walpan, some pasture on St. Cather- 

 ine's Down, two corn mills in Newport, and 

 with some house property at Southampton. 



The foundation charter laid down that the 

 oratory was to consist of six chaplains with a 

 clerk, who were to live an honest life, follow 

 the Austin rule, and celebrate perpetually 

 both for the living and the dead. One of 

 their number was to be presented to the 

 bishop to serve as archpriest or superior, and 

 within twenty days of any vacancy among 

 the chaplains a fit person was to be chosen 

 and presented to the diocesan. The chap- 

 lains were to be under the immediate control 

 of the bishop, and their servants under the 

 archdeacon. They were to hold their goods 

 in common, and the effects of any chaplain 

 dying were to go to the oratory. There was 

 to be only one dish, with a pittance, at each 

 meal, save on great festivals, when there was 

 to be a third dish. The chaplains were to 

 be diligent in their prayers and reading ; they 

 were not to go outside the precincts of the 

 house without the archpriest's leave; in the 

 oratory they were to wear surplices with black 

 copes, and when outside humble habits of one 

 colour, black or brown (burnet), with a frieze 

 cloak and cap. At table, the archpriest was 

 to sit at the head, next him the chaplain who 

 had celebrated high mass that morning, and 

 then in their respective order the chaplains 

 who had celebrated the masses of the Blessed 

 Virgin, the Holy Trinity, and Requiem. 

 The chaplains were to sleep in a common 

 dormitory where silence was to be observed. 

 In all offices they were to follow the use of 

 Sarum ; one of the chaplains was to be ap- 

 pointed precentor and draw up the order of 

 services. The archpriest was to be respon- 



1 Inspeximus of original charter (Stone's Arch. 

 Antij. 1. W. pt. i. p. 121, note b). 



1 80 



sible fpr the temporalities of the house. 

 Thirteen poor brethren were to have their 

 food daily, for which purpose the revenue 

 from Crudmore farm, in Carisbrooke parish, 

 was appropriated. 



In the return of knights' fees made in 1346 

 it appears that the archpriest of Barton held a 

 quarter of a fee in Span and a seventh part 

 in Barton. 2 



In 1386 the bishop committed the charge 

 of the house to Gilbert Noreys, one of the 

 chaplains. 3 In a short time however grievous 

 complaints reached the bishop with regard to 

 warden Gilbert's conduct. His brother chap- 

 lains accused him of having given away or 

 sold, without their consent, 180 of the best 

 sheep, worth izd. apiece; 20 of the best 

 beasts, worth 10, for 10 marks; all the 

 wool and sheepskins ; a saddle horse for 30*.; 

 a mare and foal, well worth 2os., for 5*. ; 

 several barge loads of timber and bricks ; as 

 well as 30 quarters of barley, 30 quarters of 

 oats, and 10 quarters of pease. Moreover he 

 had pawned a chalice and vestments and 

 other silver. In addition he was accused of 

 grave incontinence, and of tavern haunting, 

 requiring an attendant to lead him nightly to 

 his lodging. Bishop Wykeham commissioned 

 the abbot of Quarr and two others to inquire 

 into this charge, with the result that Gilbert 

 Noreys was removed, and William Love, one 

 of the chaplains, admitted as archpriest on 

 7 June, 1387.* 



Meanwhile the affairs of the oratory did 

 not improve, the buildings got into a sad 

 state, and Love, the archpriest, was taken 

 prisoner by the French. In his absence his 

 jurisdiction was formally suspended, and in 

 1390 the custody of both spiritualities and 

 temporalities were assigned by Wykeham to his 

 suffragan, Simon, bishop of Achonry. 6 Soon 

 after this Love escaped or was released from 

 his imprisonment across the seas, and resumed 

 his rule. Under pressure of his diocesan, in 

 January, 1394, a covenant was entered into 

 between William Love and Richard Lath- 

 bury, a tiler and mason, by which the latter 

 covenanted to keep the buildings in order, 

 Love providing materials and a labourer, and 

 allowing Lathbury his victuals and los. a year 

 and keep for a horse. 6 



But the house speedily got into further 



3 feudal Aids, ii. 337, 340. 



3 Winton. Epis. Reg., Wykeham, i. f. I72b. 



4 Ibid. iii. zzgb, 230. 



5 Ibid. i. f. 205 ; iii. f. 245. 



6 See Archaologia, Iii. 297-313, for an article 

 on the evidences of this Oratory among the Win- 

 chester College muniments by T. F. Kirby, F.S.A. 



