RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



On the death of Sir John de Norwich, the 

 last heir male of the family, his cousin, Katharine 

 de Brews, was found heir ; Sir John Plays and 

 Sir Robert Howard and the others who obtained 

 licence for the removal of the college to Metting- 

 ham in 13 82, and to Norton in 1387, were that 

 lady's trustees, on whom she settled the college's 

 inheritance. 



On the removal of the master and twelve 

 chaplains to Norton the college still retained 

 the title of the place where it was first founded ; 

 the society was termed 'Ecclesia Collegiata 

 S. Marie de Raveningham in Norton Soupec'ors.' 

 But the college merely tarried at Norton for 

 seven years ; in 1394 it was eventually removed 

 to the castle of Mettingham, where it remained 

 until its dissolution. 1 



Richard Shelton, the master, and nine chap- 

 lains signed their acknowledgement of the royal 

 supremacy of 28 September, I534- 2 



The Valor of 1535, when Richard Skelton 

 was master, gives the clear annual value of the 

 temporalities in Suffolk and Norfolk of the college 

 of the Blessed Virgin of Mettingham as 

 191 lOs. Q\d. and of the rectories of Raven- 

 ingham and Norton as 10 ijs. $d., giving a 

 total clear annual value of 202 -js. $\d. It also 

 appears from the Valor that the college supported 

 fourteen boys in the house and gave them 

 education as well as board, lodging, and clothes, 

 at an annual charge of 28. 



The college was surrendered to the crown on 

 8 April, 1542. The surrender was signed by 

 Thomas, bishop of Ipswich, as master or warden, 

 with the consent of his fellows or chaplains. 3 

 On 14 April of the same year the college with 

 all its possessions was granted to Sir Anthony 

 Denny. 4 



This Denny was clerk of the Privy Chamber 

 and keeper of Westminster Palace, and profited 

 much by monastic and collegiate plunder. A 

 letter from Robert Dacres of the Privy Council 

 to Anthony Denny, dated 13 May, 1542, states 

 that his profit had been advanced as well among 

 the chaplains of the college as the tenants. 

 There were secured for him two great chalices 

 and a great pix of silver and parcel gilt, divers 

 rich corporas cases and nineteen massive silver 

 spoons, as well as palls of silk, &c. The college, 

 notwithstanding the obsequious and servile word- 

 ing of the ' voluntary ' surrender, had made some 

 endeavour to conceal certain church goods and 

 other property from the legalized marauders ; 

 but ' one simple priest being well examined gave 

 light to all these things, and then all the other 

 priests confessed.' 6 



1 Pat. 1 8 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 1 4. 

 1 Dep. Keeper's Rep. vii, App. ii, 86. 

 8 Rymer, Foedera, xiv, 746-7, where the document 

 is cited at length. 



4 Pat. 33 Hen. VIII, pt. vi, m. 3. 

 6 L. and P. Hen. VIII, xvii, 322. 



MASTERS OF RAVENINGHAM COLLEGE ' 



Thomas Boyton, 1349 

 Alexander de Boyne, 1355 

 Adam Wyard, 1361 

 John de Carlton Rode, 1375 

 Roger Wiltey, 1380 



68. THE COLLEGE OF STOKE BY 

 CLARE 



Richard de Clare, earl of Hereford, removed, 

 in 1124, the monks of Bee whom his father 

 had established in the castle of Clare to the 

 town of Stoke. This alien priory was naturalized 

 in 1395 ; 7 but in 1415 Edmund Mortimer, earl 

 of March, its then patron, caused it to be 

 changed into a college of secular priests or 

 canons, by virtue of a bull from Pope John XXIII, 

 ratified by Pope Martin V. 8 



The first charter of foundation was not sealed 

 by the earl until 9 May, 1419 ; 9 and the seal of 

 the college was attached to the statutes by Thomas 

 Barnsley, the first dean, on 28 January, I422-3- 10 



It was provided by the statutes that the college 

 should consist of a dean and six canons, who 

 were to form the chapter, to whom obedience 

 was due from the inferior ministers, and whose 

 order in quire, chapter, and procession is exactly 

 set forth. They were all to reside a full thirty- 

 two weeks yearly, the dean or vice-dean regulating 

 the period of residence for each ; every canon in 

 residence was, on every double feast, to attend 

 mattins, high mass, evensong, and compline, and 

 on every festival mattins or mass or one of the 

 hours ; the dean was to hold for the college all 

 the tithes and appurtenances of the parish 

 churches of Stoke and Honydon, and all the 

 tithes of the manors of Arbury and of Chilton ; 

 the dean's residence was to be in a manse called 

 ' Locus Decani,' and he was to receive annually 

 2O marks ; the prebends allotted to each stall, 

 three on the south side and three on the north, 

 are all set forth, the prebendary of the first stall 

 on the north side having also at his disposal the 

 chapel of the Blessed Virgin of Stoke ; neither 

 the dean nor canons were to be in bed beyond 

 six o'clock in the morning, or at the latest half 

 past six, save if oppressed by old age or notable 

 infirmity ; any canon absent from divine offices 

 but found present at table at meal times was to 

 be punished by the dean or vice-dean. 



* From Blomefield, corrected by the episcopal 

 registers. 



' The making denizen of this alien priory of 

 St. John Baptist is set forth at great length on the 

 patent rolls. To secure this privilege from the crown, 

 Richard Cotesford, the English-born prior, was re- 

 quired to pay 1 ,000 marks, at the rate of 100 marks 

 a year, towards 'the new work' at St. Peter's, 

 Westminster. Pat. 19 Ric. II. pt. i, m. 8. 



8 Cott. MS. Vit. D. xii, fol. 73, 79. 



9 Ibid. fol. 73 d. 10 Ibid. fol. 8 1. 





