RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



foundation supplies us with the particulars of 

 the institution in contemplation. One mes- 

 suage and an oxgang of land in Melmerby 

 together with the advowsons of the rectories 

 of Melmerby and Skelton were assigned for 

 the support of the college. In the former 

 parish the master was to be responsible for 

 the cure of souls, but in the latter a vicar was 

 to be appointed. No member of the college 

 could be removed by the Bishop of Carlisle 

 except for reasonable cause, and all chaplains 

 were subject to the master. The founder 

 strictly reserved to himself and his heirs the 

 rights of patronage. It was arranged that 

 the master and chaplains should repair daily 

 in the morning (aurora) or at sunrise to the 

 church of Melmerby, vested in surplice, amice, 

 and black cope, and sing the Canonical Hours 

 devoutly and distinctly, viz. matins and prime 

 according to the use of Sarum ; which done, 

 immediately without pause, the mass of the 

 Blessed Virgin should be celebrated cum nota 

 by one of the chaplains ; then two chaplains 

 by the direction of the master should cele- 

 brate two masses at the altar of St. Nicholas, 

 one a mass of St. Nicholas, and the other a 

 mass of St. Margaret. In this abortive at- 

 tempt to found the college, licences were 

 sought from the king, the bishop and chapter 

 of Carlisle, and Thomas de Blith, rector of 

 Melmerby, but there is no evidence to show 

 why the foundation was not completed, ex- 

 cept that Sir Robert Parvyng died in 1343, 

 the year after the proposal was made. 



A similar incident attended the next at- 

 tempt to found a collegiate church in Cum- 

 berland, though the scheme was ultimately 

 successful. In 1358 Lord William de Grey- 

 stoke proposed to change the rectory of Grey- 

 stoke into a college with a master or custos 

 and chaplains, and obtained a licence from 

 the Crown to bestow the advowson of the 

 church and certain lands and tenements in 

 Newbiggin on the new foundation. 1 Bishop 

 Welton of Carlisle gave his sanction and 

 confirmed the appointment of the rector, 

 Richard de Hoton Roof, to be the master, 

 and Andrew de Briscoe, Richard de Bramp- 

 ton, William de Wanthwaite, Robert de 

 Threlkeld and William de Hill, to be the 

 chaplains. 2 The scheme, however, was car- 

 ried no further at that time owing to the 

 death of Lord Greystoke in July 1359, and 

 the minority of the heir. 3 



1 Orig. R. 32 Edw. III. m. 25. 



2 Nicolson and Burn, Hist. ofCumb. ii. 362. 



3 Inq. p.m. 33 Edw. III. ser. i. No. 43. That 

 the scheme was not completed at the death of 

 Lord Greystoke is certain, for Richard de Hoton 

 was rector, and not master or custos, in 1361 when 



Soon after Ralf, Lord Greystoke, came of 

 age, the scheme for founding the college was 

 revived. In 1374 the licence granted to 

 Lord William, his father, was renewed to 

 him * by Edward III., but many difficulties 

 had to be surmounted before the foundation 

 was brought to a successful issue. Lord 

 Greystoke appealed to Bishop Appleby of 

 Carlisle in January 1377-8, alleging that the 

 church of which he was patron was wealthy ; 

 that in the absence of the rector the church 

 was badly served and the sick were not 

 properly visited ; and that in consequence 

 the parishioners were not as devout as they 

 should be. The bishop issued a commission, 

 composed almost equally of clerics and lay- 

 men, which made a report on the local con- 

 ditions. It was found after inquiry that the 

 church was valued at 100, or 80 after 

 taking away all deductions ; that it was served 

 by one parochial chaplain and his parish clerk 

 (clericum aquebajulum) in the parish church, 

 and by another chaplain and his clerk in the 

 chapel of Watermillock (Wethirmelok), three 

 miles distant from the mother church, and by 

 another chaplain and his clerk in Threlkeld, 

 four miles distant ; and that the parish of 

 Greystoke, though it was extensive, being 

 seven miles long and four miles broad, was 

 thus served from time immemorial. 6 The 

 report was apparently not satisfactory to the 

 bishop, for in April 1379 he issued another 

 commission with substantially the same refer- 

 ence. After the second inquiry it was re- 

 ported that the church was rich, though not 

 so rich as of old ; the revenues were on the 

 decrease rather than the increase ; that the 

 value was 100, though it was once 120 ; 

 that the said church used to be ruled by 

 three chaplains and three clerks, and that it 

 was at that time so served ; and that it could 

 not be on account of the size of the parish 

 or the fewness of the ministers that the 

 parishioners were spiritually neglected, as the 



he had the king's pardon for acquiring lands and 

 tenements in Greystoke without licence (Orig. R. 

 35 Edw. III. m. 49). His nuncupative will was 

 proved on 22 January 13656, by which he be- 

 queathed his body to be buried in the churchyard 

 of Greystoke, and made certain dispositions by 

 way of settlement with his successor for dilapida- 

 tions in the choir of the church and houses of the 

 rectory (Carl. Epis. Reg., Appleby, f. 145). 



* Orig. R. 48 Edw. III. m. 33. The licence 

 was again renewed by Richard II. on 6 December 

 1377, in which the two former licences were con- 

 firmed. The decease of William, Lord Grey- 

 stoke, is stated to have been the cause of delay in 

 the first instance as the alienation was incomplete 

 when he died (Pat. I Ric. II. pt. ii. m. 10). 



5 Carl. Epis. Reg., Appleby, ff. 306-7. 



205 



