A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



silver to the value of 40, using the proceeds for the repair of the church, for 

 the great bridge, and more especially ' for the edifyinge buyldynge and 

 fynyshinge of our steple.' In a different hand is added, as a kind of after- 

 thought, ' and for setting forth of Soldiers to serve the Kings majesty in his 

 affaires.' 



These 1547 certificates enable us to say that the churches of Suffolk 

 were quite exceptionally well supplied with church goods, more especially 

 plate. 



It was, however, after all, only a minority of the churches of Suffolk 

 that had thus stripped themselves of the best of their church goods ; that 

 which remained, in this and other counties, was looked upon with covetous 

 eyes by the insatiable council. On 3 March, 1551, they decreed 'That for 

 as muche as the King's Majestic had neede presently of a Masse of Mooney 

 therefore commissions should be addressed into all shires of Englande to take 

 into the Kinges handes such church plate as remayneth to be emploied unto 

 his Highness use.' l There was, however, some delay in issuing these 

 commissions. The one for Suffolk, dated 16 May, 1552, was addressed to 

 Nicholas Hare, knt., Henry Dale, knt., the bailiffs of Ipswich, Lyonell 

 Talmache, Edward Grymston, and William Forster, esquires. The book 

 containing the returns of the commissioners covers the whole county, and 

 includes 514 churches. 2 At the beginning are full entries of all the church 

 goods of the Ipswich churches at considerable length. 



The other inventories have not been preserved, but the rest of the 

 book is taken up with the record of the miserable remnant of the goods 

 that the commissioners were directed to leave behind them. They were 

 instructed to sell everything save one chalice (the term chalice included 

 a paten) or two for a great church, as well as great bells and ' saunce ' 

 bells. It was also understood that a surplice and a minimum of altar linen 

 was to be retained in each church, but this is not specified in the Suffolk 

 returns. 5 Among the churches to which two chalices were assigned were 

 those of Coddenham, Covehithe, Barking, Eye, Snape, Mildenhall, Sudbury, 

 and Woodbridge. 



When Mary came to the throne the change among the beneficed clergy 

 was considerable. Large numbers were deprived, the reason in almost every 

 case being on account of marriage, and not, as has sometimes been alleged, 

 because of any supposed lack of validity in ordination by Edwardian bishops. 

 Convocation in 1547 under Edward VI sanctioned the marriage of priests, 

 and at the beginning of 1549 an Act of Parliament gave civil authority to 

 such unions. Many of the clergy availed themselves of this permission, but 

 the general Statute of Repeals under Mary revoked this licence, and clerical 

 marriage was no longer sanctioned by church or state. The revived obliga- 

 tion to celibacy came into force on 20 December, 1553, but before this 

 Convocation had inhibited married priests from ministering or saying mass. 

 It was not, however, until the spring of 1554 that formal deprivations for 

 marriage were put in force. The entries relative to deprivation in Norwich 



1 Acts of P. C. 1550-2, p. 228. 



* Aug. Off. Bks. cccccix. At the beginning is affixed the original commission. 



3 The county commission in certain hundreds, notably in Essex, left a vestment or a cope, or both, for all 

 the churches, and occasionally other plate beside the chalice ; but in such instances they were exceeding their 

 instructions. 



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