A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



In 1542 Archbishop Lee exchanged the manors of Beverley, Skidby, 

 and Bishop Burton with the king for the dissolved priory of Marton and 

 several monastic manors." Robert Holgate, translated from Llandaff (1545) 

 continued the policy of exchange, surrendering the manors of the see for 

 impropriations and advowsons." After the attainder of Sir Francis Bigod 

 (1537) the king granted the rectory of Lythe w^ith others to Holgate, who 

 appropriated it and ordained a vicarage. This appears to be the last case of 

 appropriation in the history of the diocese." Holgate, a native of Hems- 

 worth, had been Prior of Watton and Master of Sempringham. On resigning 

 the property of the order he became Bishop of Llandaff, and was president 

 of the North from 1538 to 1550. An eager reformer, he married a wife in 

 1549. In 1554 he was deprived by Mary and sent to the Tower, but was 

 released and allowed to retire to Hemsworth.^^ The prejudiced testimony of 

 his contemporaries makes an accurate judgement of his character difficult to 

 form. He was named among the Yorkshire commissioners appointed by 

 the second Act for dissolution of the chantries, which revived the Act of 

 1545, but covered a larger number of foundations, and specially mentioned 

 the religious reason for their suppression.*' The new returns reported 

 upon the character and attainments of the chantry priests. One priest at 

 Hornby was definitely reported as not meet to serve his cure."* Several 

 were reported to be sickly, blind, or impotent, including three at Don- 

 caster. °' In point of learning there was some variety. Otherwise the 

 actual returns form a striking and suggestive contrast to the probably 

 fictitious comperta of the monastic visitors. The extremists now at the 

 head of affairs could not conscientiously spare the chantries. They fol- 

 lowed the monasteries, and their proceeds were absorbed by the Protector's 

 expedition to Scotland, or applied to the purposes of private owners." 

 Another Act of 1547 provided for the union of parishes in the city of York. 

 The preamble states that the prosperity of the city had so dwindled that 

 some of the benefices had sunk to a yearly value of 26s. 8^., so that it was 

 impossible for a good curate to hold them.''^ Chantry priests and unfrocked 

 monks were the last resort, the city was ' replenished with blind guides and 

 pastors,' and the people kept in ignorance of their duty towards God, the 

 king, and the commonwealth. New livings were to be formed with values not 

 exceeding jTao a year ; superfluous churches might be pulled down and their 

 stipends devoted to the repair and enlargement of others ; the former 

 patrons were to be allowed to have right of alternate presentation to the new 

 livings, the incumbents of the suppressed churches were to keep their 

 stipends during life, if they agreed to perform service as required. If not, 

 they were to keep only a third.'^ The Act was not carried into execution 

 until January 1584—5, when twenty-nine benefices were united into eleven." 

 Holgate founded schools at York, Old Malton, and Hemsworth." 



^ Drake, Eboracum, 451. " Ibid. 452. " York Epis. Reg. Holgate, fol. 22 ; Lawton, Coll. 4.93. 



" Drake, op. cit. 452. " Torks. Chant. Sun/. (Surt. Soc), ii, 371, 372. See ibid. vol. i, pref. p. xii. 



•'^ Ibid, ii, 498. ® Ibid. 390, 391. "" Ibid, i, pref. pp. xiii, xiv. 



'' The church of St. Peter-the-Little was a case in point. Terh. Chant. Surv. (Surt. Soc), ii, 245. 



" Add. MSS. 33595, fol. 16 (copy of Act). " Ibid. fol. 17. 



'* Lawton, op. cit. 39, 527, 199, 200. Holgate seems to have appropriated Beswick chapelry, in 

 Kilnwick parish, to his school at York (ibid. 351). The rectory of Kilnwick-on-the- Wolds had been appro- 

 priated to his priory of Watton. 



