RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



designations were not applied to them until a 

 later time. No prebends were annexed at first 

 to the dignities or the archdeaconries. The 

 prebends eventually reached the number of thirty- 

 six. The names of several places which became 

 separate prebendal estates appear among the 

 possessions of St. Peter in Domesday." It is, 

 however, quite uncertain how many prebends 

 Thomas founded. The church of Laughton-en- 

 le-Morthen was granted to the minster as a pre- 

 bend by Henry I in the time of Archbishop 

 Gerard." Archbishop Thomas II founded two 

 more prebends.^^ Archbishop Gray founded the 

 office of sub-dean,^' and formed the prebends of 

 Fenton and Wistow out of his barony of Sher- 

 burn.^" The last prebend to be founded was 

 Bilton, which was ordained by Archbishop 

 Romanus in 1295.^^ With four exceptions the 

 churches and manors from which the prebendal 

 incomes were derived were situated in Yorkshire. 

 Apesthorpe and Bole were in Nottinghamshire, 

 and Thockrington was in Northumberland. 

 The prebend of Botevant seems originally to 

 have been a money prebend charged upon the 

 common of the chapter.^^ The name of Botevant, 

 for which no definite reason is forthcoming, seems 

 to have been attached to it before 1339.^' The 

 prebends of Bramham and Salton were appro- 

 priated from an early date, Bramham to the Prior 

 of Nostell, Salton to the Prior of Hexham. At 

 the taxation of i29i,Masham was the wealthiest 

 stall, assessed at £i(>(> ly. \d. Wetwang 

 and South Cave followed, with £i20 and 

 ;^io6 135.4//. Driffield, Langtoft, and Wistow 

 were each valued at ;^I00. Apesthorpe, Grin- 

 dale, Dunnington, and Warthill were assessed at 

 only ;^iO each.^ 



A share in the common fund at York, as in 

 most collegiate churches, was obtained only by 

 residence. The statutes required constant resi- 

 dence from the four dignitaries. An ordinary 

 prebendary who intended to reside had to qualify 

 for the ' minor residence ' by a continuous ' major 

 residence' of twenty-six weeks, during which he 

 was bound to attend all the canonical hours, 

 unless he was undergoing his periodical bleeding 

 or was prevented by sickness. During this time 

 he received nothing from the common fiind, but 



"See'Eccl. Hist.' above, p. 10. 



" Hist. Ch. of York (Rolls Ser.), iii, 30-1. 



" Ibid. 372. 



" Archbp. Grafs Reg. (Surt. Soc), i, 26-7. 



" For references and fuller details of Gray's arrange- 

 ments see ' Eccl. Hist.' above, p. 25. 



" York Archiepis. Reg. Romanus, fol. 47 d. 



" Another money prebend, without a title, was 

 annexed to the office of sub-dean. 



" Sir John de Wodehouse was collated to the pre- 

 bend ' dicta Botevant,' void by the death of John of 

 EUerker, 31 July 1339 (York Archiepis. Reg. Melton, 

 fol. 122). 



" Poi>e Nich. Tax (Rec. Com.), 297. 



was expected to bear the heavy charge of enter- 

 taining twice as many of the vicars and ministers 

 of the church on double festivals as were enter- 

 tained by canons in the minor residence. After 

 passing through this stage of probation he might 

 enter on the minor residence of twenty-four weeks 

 in the year, which gave him his right to commons. 

 This was counted, not by continuous residence, 

 but by the number of days on which he was 

 present at vespers, matins, and mass, the greater 

 festivals alone being obligatory. Twelve full 

 weeks had to be completed in the winter residence, 

 between Martinmas and Whitsuntide.^' 



The amount of commons due to residents was 

 fixed by a statute of Archbishop Gray in 1221 at 

 6d. daily, which was raised on feasts of nine 

 lessons to is., and on double feasts, when the 

 cost of entertainment was heavy, to 2s. At the 

 end of the half-yearly residence a dividend was 

 declared on the surplus of the common fund 

 between the resident canons.^' Gray recognized 

 the principle that commons were annexed to 

 residence and formed no part of a prebend. 

 When the treasurer claimed double commons on 

 the ground that he held two prebends, his demand 

 was compromised by a grant of 3 marks in addi- 

 tion to single commons for his lifetime only.^' 

 Exceptions were made on behalf of the chancellor 

 and the Archdeacon of Richmond, who held 

 money prebends only ; as these were paid out of 

 the common fund they and their successors in the 

 prebends were allowed to have 6 marks yearly, 

 whether resident or absent.^* The residence of 

 archdeacons who held prebends was fixed at a 

 minimum of twelve weeks only, on account of 

 their necessary duties outside York.^' 



A decree for the assignment of the common 

 fund, with details of the farms arising from the 

 churches and manors belonging to it, was made 

 by the chapter under the presidency of Dean 

 Newark about 1291, when the habit of farming 

 out these possessions was causing some incon- 

 venience to the church. The farms, as they fell 

 vacant, were now assigned to canons who had 

 completed their greater and lesser residence, in 

 order of seniority.'" Statutes passed on 5 October 

 1 29 1 fixed the necessary annual residence for 

 each canon to whom a farm was assigned at 

 twelve weeks, while six weeks were required of 

 an archdeacon. The needs of the fabric of the 

 church and its necessary expenses were met by 

 assigning it the share of a single canon in the 

 half-yearly dividend. The sum thus set aside 

 was put in the common chest, of which the dean 

 and the three senior residentiaries were entrusted 

 with the four keys.'^ 



" Bradshaw and Wordsworth, op. cit. 100 et seq. 

 •^ Ibid. 105 et seq. 



" Ibid. 107-8. "« Ibid. 108. 



^ Ibid. 105. No prebends were permanently an- 

 nexed to the archdeaconries. 



'"Ibid. 120 et seq. '■ Ibid. ii8. 



377 



48 



