Page:VCH London 1.djvu/575

 RELIGIOUS HOUSES was admonished by Bishop Wykeham not to alienate the endowments of the house.^ By his will dated 15 August, 1408, the poet Gower left his body to be buried in the priory church, 4.0s. to the prior, 13;. 4^. to each priest-canon, 6s. 8d. to each canon in his novitiate, to each valet within the gates 2s., and to each serving boy I2d. For the service of the altar of the chapel of St. John, where he was to be buried, he left two full sets of vestments, one of ' blew ' baudkyn mixed with white colour, and the other of white silk ; one large missal, and a new chalice.^* In 1406 the marriage of Edmund Holland earl of Kent, with Lucy, daughter of the duke of Milan, who brought her husband a dower of 100,000 ducats, was celebrated in the parish church. Stow records another wedding in this church of some importance in February, 1424, when James I, king of Scotland, after a captivity of eighteen years, was released and married Lady Joan Somerset, daughter of the duchess of Clarence by her first husband, John earl of Somerset. In the ninth year of the rule of Henry Werkeworth, in the year 1424, there was hanging in the tower of the priory a ring of seven bells. The first, called Augustine, weighed 38 cwt. 7 lb. ; the second, Mary, 27 cwt. 3 qr. 131b. ; the third, Stephen, 1 9 cwt. 3 qr. 7 lb. ; the fourth, Ave Maria, 15 cwt. gib. ; the fifth, Laurence, 13 cwt. 7 lb. ; the sixth, Vincent, 7 cwt. 21 lb. ; and the seventh, Nicholas, 5^ cwt. 9 lb. But in that year Prior Henry caused the bells to be increased in weight and number so as to form a ring of eight bells, which were hung in the newly constructed tower of the priory church on the vigil of St. Bartholomew's Day, 1424. The first bell was called Trinity, the second, Mary ; the third, Augustine ; the fourth, Laurence ; the fifth, Gabriel ; the sixth. All Saints ; the seventh, John the Evangelist ; and the eighth, Christopher.^' On the death of Prior Henry Werkeworth in January, 1452, the usual brief was sent forth from the convent inviting the prayers of members of other religious houses for the rest of his soul. A copy of this document, wherein the highest praise is given to the late prior — vir Industrie laudahilis — is extant among the Peck MSS.^** John Bottisham the prior, who resigned in 1462, was granted a pension of twenty marks, in addition to his maintenance at the prior's table : also board and cloth for a gown for his servant. The ex-prior was further assigned a suitable chamber in the priory with a fireplace and wood for 300 fires ; also six quarters of charcoal, and nine dozen pounds of tallow candles. " Winton Epis. Reg. Wykeham, iii, fol. 309^.  Taylor, jinnals of St. Mary Overy (1833).  Cott. MS. Faust. A. viii, fol. 79*^. »» Add. MS. 4937, fol. 266. In 1469 the middle roof of the nave fell in ; it was repaired with woodwork, as also was the roof of the north transept.^^ A grant was made by Edward IV to South- wark Priory in 1475 of the advowson and appropriation of the parish church of West Tilbury, Essex, on condition of the convent promising to celebrate daily within their church a mass of St. Erasmus the Martyr, in which the priest should pray for the soul of the king's father, Richard duke of York, and for the good estate of the king and his consort Elizabeth, and for Edward prince of Wales and the king's other children, and for their souls after death. '^ Dr. Thomas Hede, commissary of the prior of Canterbury, visited the priory on 6 May, 1 50 1, during the vacancy of the sees of Win- chester and Canterbury. Prior Michell reported favourably of the spiritual condition of the house, but he stated that there was a debt of £i0 when he entered on his office, and that the debt did not now exceed ;^ioo, and that there were no valuables pledged. The seal was kept in the sacristy under four keys, the respective custody of which was in the hands of the prior, sub- prior, sacrist, and precentor. He had not ordered a balance sheet for that year, but was prepared to do so when requested. Richard Hayward, sub-prior, testified that silence was duly observed at the proper times and places ; and that the debt of the house was the fault of the predecessor of the then present prior. William Kemp, sacrist, Richard Holand, precentor, canons John Hale, Thomas Archer, John Corcar, Richard London, William Godwyn, Thomas Eustache, Humphrey Furnor, and William Major, acolyte, were content to report omne bene. William Walter, acolyte, said that he had been professed for six years, and was two years ago ordained acolyte, but that he had not been presented for further orders. John Hall, acolyte, twenty-one years of age, said he had been professed for seven years, and was ordained acolyte four years ago.'' An important chapter of the canons regular of St. Austin was held in their chapter-house, Leicester, on Monday, 16 June, 15 18, when one hundred and seventy joined in the procession, of whom thirty-six were prelati or heads of houses. As night came on they adjourned till Tuesday morning at seven, and when they again assembled, the prior of Southwark, with every outward demonstration of trouble and sorrow, appealed for a stricter and verbal observance of their rule. His manner and address excited much stir, but he was replied to by many, parti- cularly by the prior of Merton. On the first day of this chapter a letter had been read from Cardinal Wolsey observing with regret that so few men of that religion applied themselves to '' Taylor, Annals, 28. " Pat. 15 Edw. IV, pt. 2, m. 10. " Cant. Archiepis. Reg. Sede Vac. 483