

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



and anniversaries (which may be briefly described as temporary or occasional 

 chantries), as well as for church lights or lamps, were to be crown property. 



Commissioners had been sent round under Henry VIIFs Act to take 

 inventories of colleges and chantries and to schedule their property. A fresh 

 set of commissioners was now dispatched to each county on a like errand. 

 ' The certificatt or declaration of all such and so many chauntreys, hospitales, 

 colleges, lyvinges of stipendiary priests, free chapels, fraternyties, brother- 

 hoods, guyldes, lands appointed for the finding of obits, anniversaries, lights 

 and lamps,' for the county of Suffolk, was issued on 13 February, 15478, 

 by Sir Roger Townsend and four other commissioners. It contains 

 221 separate entries. 1 



It is quite obvious that in Suffolk, as well as in most other counties of 

 which full certificates are extant, the commissioners, though appointed by the 

 crown, had the courage strongly to deprecate the sweeping away of chantry 

 priests or stipendiaries, at all events in the more populous places. Thus at 

 Lavenham, where there were 2,000 inhabitants, they state that the curate of 

 the parish could not possibly serve the cure without the help of the priest of 

 St. Peter's gild. At Mildenhall 



A large populus towne having in yt a greate number of housling people and sundrie 

 hamletts dyvers of them being chappies distante from the parishe Chirche oone mile or twoo 

 whear the seide (chantry) preiste dyd synge mas sundrie festivall dayes and other holy dayes 

 and also helpe the Curatte to minister the Sacraments, who withoute helpe werre not able 

 to discharge the Cuer. 



At Nayland, where the housling folk numbered 560 ; at Beccles with 800 

 communicants ; and at Woodbridge with a like number, the commissioners 

 pointed out that the cure could not possibly be duly administered without 

 the assistance of the respective chantry priests. A like statement is also 

 made with regard to Long Melford. 



At Bury St. Edmunds, after an enumeration of the various chantries 

 and gilds in the town, the commissioners proceeded to state that there were 

 3,000 housling people as well as a great number of youths, adding 



It has no schole or other lyke devise in the town or within 20 myles, nor hospital of 

 the poor except those above named (all of which had been already granted by Edward VI 

 to laymen), whose revenue the people petition may be formed into a foundation for the 

 relief of the poor and for education. 



The stipendiary priests of these certificates differed from the chantry 

 priests in being supported only for a definite number of years by rent- 

 charges, varying in duration from a few years to ninety-nine years. 



There is some confusion in these entries between the chantry and 

 stipendiary priests, but eleven of each class are named. Their general duty 

 and work is several times referred to, even in the parishes that were not very 

 populous. Thus at Framlingham the duty of the stipendiary is described as 

 * to praye for all Christian soules and to ayde the Curate and to help the 

 Inhabitants towards the payment of the Taxe.' The chantry priest at Our 

 Lady's altar was 'well learned and teachith children,' and those of Lavenham, 

 Clare, and Long Melford are also entered as schoolmasters. 



1 Chantry Cert. (P. R. O.), No. 45. The parts of these certificates that refer to colleges and hospitals 

 are referred to in the subsequent account of the particular religious houses. 



2 9 



