RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



In 1409 Alexander Thelyk, the master, ob- 

 tained the sanction of Pope Gregory XII to 

 appropriate to the mastership, to be held in con- 

 junction with it, one other benefice with cure of 

 souls ; but on condition that in that event he 

 was not to receive his stipend of 50J. over and 

 above the benefit of the church of Rushworth. 

 The petition to the pope set forth that it had 

 been the intention of the founder to endow this 

 college (for a master and five chaplains) much 

 better, but that he had died before this could be 

 accomplished, and that the master had to dis- 

 charge much hospitality as the college was near 

 a great road. The bishop of Norwich's assent 

 being given, Alexander was presented, in 1414, 

 to the rectory of Larling by the fellows, and held 

 it with the mastership till his death. This 

 arrangement, however, broke down ; for, though 

 the fellows of the college of Rushworth continued 

 to present to the rectory of Larling until their 

 dissolution, no subsequent master was appointed 

 thereto. 



In 1387 Richard II granted licence to the 

 college for a further endowment up to the annual 

 value of forty marks ; and on i July, 1389, 

 leave was given to Anne, wife of the late Sir 

 Robert Wingfield, Sir John Hevenyngham, Sir 

 William Calthorp, William Berdwell, and Henry 

 Spelman, to assign the manors of Rushworth and 

 Larling, of the annual value of j^22, in part 

 satisfaction of the forty marks.' 



In 1485 Lady Anne Wingfield, heiress of 

 Gonville, who died in i 500, re-settled the manors 

 of Rushworth and Larling on the college, with 

 further augmentation of the endowment, for her 

 soul's health and that of her three husbands.'^ 

 Two chantry priests or additional fellows were 

 appointed, to be termed Dame Anne's priests, to 

 sing ' for the wele of her soule, and her husbandes, 

 and anncestres, and kynnesfolkes soules, and for 

 all those for whiche she was mooste specially 

 bounden to pray.' By indenture of 1490 with 

 this benefactress the master and fellows were 

 bound to support five children, called Dame 

 Anne's children, to be nominated in turns by the 

 master and fellows. Their duty was to wait on 

 the fellows, for which they were to be taught the 

 service of God in the church. These five chil- 

 dren, who lived in the college, and eight other 

 poor children, were to be taught by one of the 

 two chantry priests, who was always to be ' well 

 studyd and lernyd in gramer.' As each child 

 came to the age of eighteen he was to be removed 

 and another appointed. An indenture of 1 501, 

 by the executors of ' Dame Anne Lady Scrop,' 



' Pat. 13 Ric. II, pt. ii, m. 19. 



' Anne de Herling, daughter and heiress of Sir 

 Robert de Herling by Joan, daughter and heiress of 

 John Gonville, was married three times ; firstly, to 

 Sir William Chamberlain ; secondly, to Sir Robert 

 Wingfield ; and, thirdly, to John Lord Scroop of 

 Bolton. 



increased the children in the college from five to 

 seven. 



By his will of 1492, William Halliday, the 

 senior fellow, left certain lands to the college to 

 keep the south porch of the church in repair. 

 He also gave a good stone house in Rushworth 

 to the college to be used as a gildhall (for the gild 

 of St. John Baptist) or as a hostelry for guests 

 when there was not room for them at any time 

 in the college. 



George Windham, last master, and five chap- 

 lains or fellows, subscribed to the royal supremacy 

 on 25 August, 1534.' 



According to the Valor of the following year 

 the rectory of Rushworth was worth 1 09;. lo^d. 

 a year, and the manors of Rushworth, Bretten- 

 ham, Larling, and Elveden (Suffolk), ;^84 9;. i^d. 

 The clear annual value of the college was 

 ;^85 15J. o^d. Among the outgoings was the 

 sum of J IS. 8d. for the feeding and clothing of 

 seven boys (Dame Anne's), and 20s. as stipend 

 for the priest who instructed them. 



George Windham, the last master, was arch- 

 deacon of Norwich from 1528 until his death in 

 1543, and was also precentor of St. Paul's, 

 London, from 1531 to 1543. 



The college was surrendered on 6 December, 

 1541, by Windham and three of the fellows,^ 

 and the whole possessions were at once granted 

 to Henry, earl of Surrey.' 



Masters of Rushworth College '^ 



John Gadwyt 



Nicholas de Wrotham, 1349 

 Hugh Herbert, 1351 

 Thomas de Wattone, 1354 

 Thomas Heyward, 1364 

 Thomas Le Mey, 1371 

 Robert de Asschele, 1374 

 Robert de Wortham, 1376 

 Robert Carter, 138 1 

 Alexander Thelyk, 1385 

 Edmund Cooper, 1 42 1 

 Thomas Sygo, 1436 

 Robert Crask, 1443 

 John Wurlych, 1443 

 Edmund Coupere, 1444 

 Ralph Beauford, 1446 

 Lawrence Gerard, 1450 

 Henry Costesey, 1472' 

 John Bulman, 1483 

 John Brennys, 1508 

 John Purfett 

 Edward Anson, 1526 

 George Windham, 1529 



' De/i. Keeper's Rep. vii, App. 2, p. 104. 



* Ibid, viii, App. 2, p. 39. 



' Pat. Hen. VIII, pt. vii, m. 3. 



* The following is the list of masters given by Dr. 

 Bennet, checked in most cases and slightly corrected 

 by the episcopal registers. 



' Henry Costesey was elected master of Gonville 

 Hall, Cambridge, in 1475. 



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