284 THE ANTIQUITIES 



In 1410 there was an election for a prior, and again in 1411. 



In vol. I. p. 24, of Beaufort's Register, is the instrument of 

 the election of John Wynchestre to be prior — the substance as 

 follows : 



Richard Elstede, senior canon, signifies to the bishop that brother 

 Thomas Weston, the late prior, died October 18th, 1410, and was 

 buried November 11th. — That the bishop's license to elect having 

 been obtained, he and the whole convent met in the chapter- 

 house, on the same day, about the hour of vespers, to consider of 

 the election : that brother John Wynchestre, then sub-prior, with 

 the general consent, appointed the 12th of November, ad horam 

 ejusdem diei capitularem, for the business : — when they met in the 

 chapter-house, post missam de sancto Spiritu, solemnly celebrated in 

 the church ; — to wit, Richard Elstede ; Thomas Halybome ; John 

 Lemyngton, sacrista ; John Siepe, cantor : Walter Ffarnham ; Rich- 

 ard Putmorth, celarius ; Hugh London ; Henry Brampton, alias 

 Brompton; John Wynchestre, senior; John Wynchestre, junior; — 

 then " Proposito primitus verbo Dei," and then ympno " Veni 

 Creator Spiritus" being solemnly sung, " cum versiculo et oratione," 

 as usual, and his letter of license, with the appointment of the hour 

 and place of election, being read, "altavoce, in valvis" of the chapter- 

 house ; — John Wynchestre, senior, the sub-prior, in his own behalf 

 and that of all the canons, and by their mandate, "quasdam 

 " monicionem et protestacionem in scriptis redactas fecit, legit, et 

 " interposuit " — that all persons disqualified, or not having right to 

 be present, should immediately withdraw ; and protesting against 

 their voting, &c. — that then having read the constitution of the 

 general council " Quia propter," and explained the modes of pro- 

 ceeding to election, they agreed unanimiously to proceed " per 

 " viam seu formam simplicis compromissi " ; when John Wynchestre, 

 sub-prior, and all the others (the commissaries undernamed 

 excepted) named and chose brothers Richard Elstede, Thomas 

 Halyborne, John Lemyngton the sacrist, John Stepe, chantor, and 

 Richard Putmorth, canons, to be commissaries, who were sworn 

 each to nominate and elect a fit person to be prior : and em- 

 powered by letters patent under the common seal, to be in force 

 only until the darkness of the night of the same day ; — that they, 

 or the greater part of them, should elect for the whole convent, 

 within the limited time, from their own number, or from the rest 

 of the convent ; — that one of them should publish their consent 

 in common before the clergy and people : — they then all promised 

 to receive as prior the person these five canons should fix on. 



