A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



taries there were prebends founded from time to 

 time, and eventually attaining their present num- 

 ber of twenty-seven, inclusive of the four founded 

 by Bishop Sherborn between 1520 and 1523. 

 Of these prebends most appear to have been en- 

 dowed by bishops, as that of Ferring by Hilary, 

 that of Eartham by John (c. 1178), that of Sea- 

 ford by Seffrid II (c. 1 185), and that of Hove by 

 Richard le Poor (1216), the last-named being 

 divided into Hova Ecclesia and Hova Villa in 

 1353.*' Marden prebend was founded by the 

 family of Aguillon, 84 and that of Heathfield by 

 Bishop John, in conjunction with Richard de 

 Kaynes, who gave the church of Selmeston for 

 that purpose. 26 About 1150 the abbot of S6ez 

 allowed Bishop Hilary to appropriate the churches 

 of East and West Dean, which belonged to the 

 abbey's cell of St. Nicholas at Arundel, to the 

 prebend of Singleton; 26 and during the episcopate 

 of Seffrid II (1180-1204) { he abbot of Grestein 

 gave the church of Firle to Chichester, on con- 

 dition that the bishop should form a prebend out 

 of the abbey's churches of Wilmington, Willing- 

 don, and East Dean, to be held by the abbot 

 and his successors, who were to appoint suitable 

 vicars to reside on these cures. 27 Similarly, in 

 1346 the priory of Lewes proposed to grant 

 their churches of Waldron and Horsted Keynes 

 to form a prebend annexed to the see of 

 Chichester in return for the formation of a 

 second prebend out of their churches of West 

 Hoathly, Ditchling, and Clayton, which should 

 be assigned to the priory; 28 this, however, fell 

 through. The prebend of Singleton was set 

 aside by Hilary for the provision of the com- 

 munal loaves, 29 that of Wittering was, at least 

 from the time of Archbishop Boniface (1259), 

 reserved for a canon capable of lecturing on theo- 

 logy, 30 and that of Highley was annexed to the 

 mastership of the prebendal school in I477. 31 



Of the officials the chief was, of course, the 

 dean, who had control not only over the cathe- 

 dral staff but also over the urban deanery, which 

 comprised the whole of the city of Chichester, 

 excepting the archbishop's peculiar of the Pallant, 

 and the churches of Rumboldswyke and Fish- 

 bourne. 32 Within these limits he had the rights 

 of visitation and institution of incumbents, but 

 the power of depriving clergy belonged to the 

 bishop, who also had the right of holding periodic 

 visitations, during which the dean's jurisdiction 

 was suspended. 33 The right of electing the dean 

 was originally vested in the chapter, but even in 

 the mediaeval period it was often interfered with 

 or reduced to a mere form. Thus in the last 



"Arch, xlv, 149. "Ibid. 



" Curia Regis R. 72, m. 25. 



* Swainson, No. 7. " Ibid. No. 26. 



" Pat. 20 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 33. 



" Swainson, No. 7. M Cal. Papal Let. iv, 1 90. 



" Arch, xlv, 1 49. "Ibid. 144 



n Swainson, No. 115. 



years of the fourteenth century the pope gave 

 the deanery to Cardinal Palosius, and on his 

 death before possession, to Cardinal Manni, and 

 complained of the intrusion of William Lul- 

 lington, and of John Maydenhithe who had 

 exchanged with him. 34 In this case, how- 

 ever, although Maydenhithe was compelled to 

 resign temporarily, he made good his position 

 against the papal nominee. But in 1551 the 

 crown ordered the chapter to elect Traheron, 

 and two years later presented Sampson to the 

 dignity without even the form of an election. 

 Queen Mary restored the privilege to the 

 chapter, Elizabeth and Charles I issued mandates 

 for the election of deans, but at the Restoration 

 the appointment was definitely usurped by the 

 crown. 36 Occasional references are found to the 

 sub-dean, and the nave of the cathedral, which 

 formed the parish church of St. Peter the Great, 

 was known as the sub-deanery church. 



To the precentor, who acted as president of 

 the chapter in the dean's absence, belonged the 

 control and conduct of the singing and services. 

 The chancellor acted as librarian, secretary to 

 the chapter, and schoolmaster, paying special 

 attention to the instruction of the readers in 

 elocution. The care of the church, its lights 

 and ornaments, fell upon the treasurer, for whose 

 direction elaborate instructions concerning the 

 number, size, and position of candles to be used 

 on various occasions were inserted in the statutes. 

 Under him were the two sacrists, with a clerk, 

 and servants to ring the bells, open and shut the 

 doors, and clean the church the weekly clean- 

 ing of the chapter-house, however, was under- 

 taken by the inmates of St. Mary's Hospital. 36 



The canons were supposed to be resident, 

 absence for more than three weeks in a quarter 

 entailing loss not only of the daily ' commons,' 

 or allowance of food, but also of the extra per- 

 quisites of office, including their share of legacies, 

 and of the prebends of deceased canons, which 

 were bestowed half to the fabric of the church 

 and half to canons in residence. As time went 

 on, however, the common fund became too 

 small for the support of a large number, and 

 residence was discouraged by a rule compelling a 

 canon entering on residence to pay 25 marks 

 to the chapter, and the same to the fabric, and 

 rendering compulsory attendance at every service 

 for the whole year, a single omission necessita- 

 ting a fresh start. 37 Finally, in 1574, the num- 

 ber of residentiaries was fixed at four, besides the 

 dean, and their term of residence reduced to 

 three months. 38 



Every canon was required to provide a per- 

 petual vicar, to whom he was to pay certain 

 fixed ' stall wages,' and whom he was to feed at 



48 



" Cal. Papal Let. v. 209. 

 " Arch, xlv, 221. 

 " Arch, xlv, 216. 



* Swainson, No. 85. 

 "Ibid. 219. 



