Page:VCH Buckinghamshire 1.djvu/420

Rh and side by side with the papal letter is the official declaration of the prioress that ' A.' had actually been fifteen years professed, had been precentrix in the choir, and had lived all the time ' as a nun among nuns ' ; with a mandate to the dean and archdeacon of Lin- coln and the Archbishop of Canterbury to excommunicate ' A.' and a certain W. de Bidun, who had aided and abetted her. The story serves to show how even in the twelfth century, when the religious houses of England were in their first fervour, there were cases of unfaithfulness to the religious ideal ; further, in what a serious light apostasy was regarded ; and again, the tremendous ecclesiastical ma- chinery that might be brought to bear upon one insignificant nun.

Bishop Burghersh issued a commission in 1338 for the visitation of this monastery, both head and members, to correct, punish and reform in all points needed. The entry is merely formal, and the results are not given. In 1382 Bishop Bokyngham excommunicated a nun of Ankerwick for leaving the monastery by night, and all those who aided her in any way : as well as certain who had carried away goods belonging to the priory.

In 1441 in the course of his general visita- tion Bishop Alnwick came to this house, and called all the sisters, according to custom, into the chapter house. The prioress, Dame Clemence Medford, had no complaint to make, except that the nuns were given to eat and drink between meals, contrary to the rule of St. Benedict ; the sub-prioress answered Omnia bene ; but the other sisters had a good deal to say. Dame Margery Kirby declared that the house was ruinous, that a barn had been lately burnt down, and that the prioress kept the convent seal in her own hands and disposed of the goods of the priory without consulting her sisters at all. Dame Julian Messenger said that the prioress wasted the goods of the monastery, often invited guests of her own but would never let the other nuns invite any one, and was very austere in her dealings with them generally : she also said that the novices had no informatrix to in- struct them in the rule and in the choir office. Another sister, who had been ill, complained that she had not proper coverings for her bed nor warm clothes for herself, nor such food as might make her strong enough to ' endure the burden of religion.' There were three others of tender age and much simplicity (perhaps these were the novices) who said nothing at all.

The bishop passed over the minor com- plaints probably he had heard the like else- where and simply ordered the prioress to consult her sisters as to the disposal of pro- perty ; the common seal was to be in the custody of two sisters, of whom Dame Mar- gery Kirby was to be one : two keys were to be made, one for the prioress and the other for a sister who should be elected by the rest of the convent.

In 1519 Bishop Atwater visited the priory. Two cases of apostasy were recorded : one who had worn the habit four years had for- saken her monastery ; another had not only left the monastery, but had married, and was living in sin in the house of a relative. There were two novices at this time in the priory, of whom one was Magdalen Downes, after- wards prioress ; and the unhappy examples she saw before her at this time may have left their mark upon her. For she has the unen- viable distinction of being the only nun in Buckinghamshire who married after the dis- solution of the house she was still living in 1552 and drawing her annual pension. The note affixed to her name in the pension list ' Is married and so remains ' whatever it may really be intended to convey, has cer-