RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



Premonstratensian Order). He had heard that 

 in the lower house an act had been conceived 

 touching vicars, which would profit no one but 

 the bishops. ' My religion was mostly founded 

 in spiritualities, and if the vicars are called home 

 and their benefices given to secular priests, it 

 would undo the third part of our houses. By 

 the pope's bulls and the king's grants, we 

 may give our vicarages unto our religious 

 brethren.' *' 



The abbot of the Premonstratensian house of 

 West Dereham, Norfolk, died on 26 October 

 i535j *"d when the certificate reached Abbot 

 Maxey at Welbeck he wrote on 2 November to 

 Cromwell desiring to know his pleasure in writ- 

 ing, although the king had granted him and the 

 monastery of Welbeck the elections of all of their 

 religion within the realm.** He was evidently 

 determined to do his best to deserve well of the 

 despot. In January 1536 Maxey again wrote 

 to Cromwell, sending him j^io, 'as your fee for 

 my religion,' a ' fee ' for which there could be 

 no shadow of pretence.*^ 



The abbey had to submit in 1536 to a visita- 

 tion from the notorious royal commissioners, 

 Legh and Layton. According to their state- 

 ment three of the canons were guilty of un- 

 natural offences and one was incontinent. Three 

 of them sought release from their vows. The 

 annual income was returned at ;^28o, and the 

 debts at ;^40.** 



Abbot Maxey, Bishop of Elphen,died in August 

 1536, and the Earl of Shrewsbury wrote to 

 Cromwell on the 1 8th telling him of the death 

 and saying that the brethren were going up to 

 the king to make suit for free election. The 

 earl begged Cromwell that he would favour 

 them, believing that there were several among 

 them discreet and able to be master.*^ 



In the spring of 1537 the Abbot of Barlings 

 was accused of concealing various items of pro- 

 perty pertaining to his own and other religious 

 houses in order that it might escape confiscation 

 at the hands of the Crown commissioners. In- 

 formation was given to the council that he had 

 deposited over ;^20 worth of plate with the 

 vicar of Scothern near Barlings, which was 

 laid in pledge by the Abbot of Welbeck, 

 deceased.™ 



Richard Bentley was the name of the abbot 

 eventually nominated by Cromw^ell to succeed 

 Abbot Maxey. On 20 June 1538 he signed 

 the surrender of his house ; the deed of surrender 

 was also signed by William Hatfield, the sub- 

 prior, and by the following sixteen other canons : 

 Thomas Sysson, John Cheenys (cook), John 



'' L. end P. Hen. VIII, vi, 1 142. 



^ Ibid, ix, 745. 



"Ibid. X, no. 



" Ibid. 364. 



«' Ibid, xi, 326. 



" Ibid, xii (i), 765. 



Rawlinson, William Rotheram, Richard Awsten, 

 Thomas Hyll, Richard Hogley, Edward Thom- 

 son, William Almunde, John Lychfcld, Nicholas 

 BoUand, James Casson, Richard Halifax, Chris- 

 topher Bentlay, Thomas Castell, and William 

 Wilson." 



In the following month pensions were assigned 

 to the dispossessed canons. The abbot obtained 

 a pension of ;^50, William Hatfield the sub- 

 prior and one other £6, and the rest sums 

 varying from JT^^ to ^^40.'^ The pension list 

 omits altogether five canons who signed the 

 surrender : they were probably holders of the 

 abbey's vicarages ; but three others who did not 

 sign, and who were most likely absent at granges, 

 gained pensions ; it therefore follows that there 

 were twenty canons of Welbeck, in addition to 

 the abbot, at the time of its dissolution. 



It is noteworthy, as discrediting the scandals 

 of Legh and Layton, that of the four canons 

 accused by them of terrible offences three received 

 pensions, of £(>, £$, and 7 marks respectively, 

 whilst the fourth retained his vicarage. 



In February 1539 Richard Whalley of Shel- 

 ford obtained the grant in fee, on payment 

 of ;^500, of the church, steeple, churchyard, 

 water-mill, &c., within the site of the dissolved 

 abbey of Welbeck, together with the granges 

 called Bellers Grange and Hurst Grange, and 

 various closes and pastures in the parish of 

 Cuckney, Rumwood and other woods, and the 

 reversion of other of the monastic property, of an 

 annual rent of 561. 2dJ^ 



The first seal of Welbeck Abbey was a pointed 

 oval, bearing St. James in episcopal vestments, 

 right hand raised in benediction, and pastoral 

 staff in left hand. The somewhat indistinct 

 impression in the British Museum has the 

 marginal legend : -j- sigillum : conventus . . . 



OBI. APOSTOLI DE WELLEBE. . ." 



A small second seal (late 13th century) is a 

 pointed oval having St. James, with bonnet, 

 wallet, and staff, standing on a platform, and an 

 abbot with a pastoral staff kneeling before him. 

 Above the figures is a trefoiled canopy, and in 

 the field an estoile of six points. Remains of 

 legend : — . . . ici ... sci. jacobi . d . . • 



WELLEBE . A.'* 



A later 14th-century seal has St. James in 

 similar pilgrim dress standing on a carved corbel ; 

 the wallet is charged with an escallop. Only 

 a few letters of the legend remain." 



There are also impressions extant at the 

 British Museum of the seals of Abbot Adam 

 (1193) and of Abbot Richard (13th century).'* 



" Dep. Keeper's Rep. viii, App. ii, 47. 



" Aug. Off. Bks. ccxxxii, (2), fol. 62-4. 



"* Pat. 30 Hen. VIII, pt. ii, m. 33. 



" Karl. Chart. 45 A. 30. 



" Wolley Chart, i, 52. 



" Harl. Chart. 45 A. 31. 



" Ibid. 6 ; Seal Casts, Hi, 12, 13. 



137 18 



