144 



The Fraternities of Sarmn. 



The food is often entered as singing bread and singing wine. 

 When there was an obit the priest had extra pay ; bd. seems to 

 have been about the figure. When a dirge was sung the priest 

 got extra. In 1477 it was 8-s. Id., but that included the tolling of 

 the great bell, which I expect had to be paid for to the Church. 

 When the Fraternity priest was ill, or the place was vacant, the 

 wardens paid a substitute. The clerk was paid £5 8s. Sd. in 1496, 

 and seems to have been lucky enough to get 20d. for engrossing 

 the account. 



But he was not always so fortunate, for in the year ending 19th 

 April, 1500, the account reads thus : — Stipends and rewards this 

 year 



" To ye morowe masse Chapelayn of ye said mass of Jhu for his hole yeres 

 wages sz. euery quarter xxvjs viijd. S'ma of the hole yeres wages cvis viiid. 

 To ye Clerkes yt helpith ye same Chapelayn to masse and kepith ye ornamentes 

 ther, for his wages hy ye hole yere sz a quarter xd. S'ma iijs. iiijd." 



And the account goes on : — 



" for bred and ale for preistes and Clerkes yt syngeth the Salueis every fryday 

 in ye lent xxd." "Necessary costes of wexe & other for the morrow messe 

 auter this yer to Will'm Harold, chaundler, for a littell Torche of rosom and for 

 makyng of ij taperis for ye said morrowe masse Auter in all xvjd. To ye same 

 Will'm for a nother Torche of rosom weyng xj lb the lb ijd. S' ijs. vd, ; to ye 

 same for vj lb talowe candelis for ye said morrowe masse preist at ye masse iD 

 the Wynt' the lb jd Snia vjd ; to Thomas Coke mercer for xiiij lb wexe for the 

 Salue in the lent ye lb vjd. S'ma vj xjd ; to ye said Willm Harold for making of 

 ye same Taperis and for making of wexe torchis in all xjd; for syngyng bred 

 for ye said morow messe Auter for all this yer past xd ; for syngyng wine for 

 ye same Auter for all this yer' nowe past iijs vd. ; for wassyng of all ye same 

 Auter clothies in all this hole yere nowe past xd ; for skowring of the latyn 

 candilstikkes thier in all ijd. S'ma xvijs. vjd." 



The accounts also include the cost of repairs to the property, the 

 items of which, though very interesting, would weary you, even 

 were I to give but a sample. 



When it came to be a case of alienation of land to endow these 

 Fraternities, then a licence was necessary, which was of course pre- 

 ceded by a writ and inquisition ad quod damnum, and eventually by 

 letters patent the licence was granted and recorded. But except for 

 alienation of land the late Mr. Toulmin Smith insists that the king's 

 licence was not necessary to the foundation of a Gild. I exhibit 



