41. WHITTINGTON'S COLLEGE
The church of St. Michael Paternoster Royal
was the parish church of the wealthy Richard
Whittington, and therefore had a special claim on
him. At the beginning of the fifteenth century
it needed enlarging, and was also in a ruinous
state, so that he determined to rebuild it entirely,
and in 1411 began the work by adding a piece
of ground to the site. (fn. 1) His idea was to make the
new church collegiate, but before he could complete his project he died early in 1423. His
executors, however, with the consent of the
king (fn. 2) and the archbishop of Canterbury, erected
there in 1424 (fn. 3) in honour of the Holy Ghost
and St. Mary a perpetual college of five secular
priests, of whom one was to be master, two
clerks and four choristers. William Brooke, the
rector of St. Michael's, was made master, and it
was ordained that henceforth the office of master
should be held to include that of rector. (fn. 4) When
a vacancy occurred one of their number was to
be chosen by the chaplains and presented by the
wardens of the Mercers' Company to the prior
and chapter of Christchurch, Canterbury, who
as patrons of the rectory (fn. 5) were to present him
to the bishop for institution; vacancies among
the chaplains (fn. 6) were to be filled by the master
and senior chaplains; the clerks and choristers
were to be appointed and were removable by the
master and chaplains, and when past work were
to be supported in the Whittington Almshouse;
all the members of the college were to live in a
house built by Whittington at the east end of
the church; the master was to have a salary of
10 marks besides the oblations of the church,
each chaplain 11 marks, the first clerk 8 marks,
the second 100s., the choristers 5 marks each,
and out of this they were to provide their food
and clothing, but the cook was paid out of the
college funds; the dress of the chaplains was to
be of one style and colour; residence was
obligatory, no chaplain being permitted to be
absent for more than twenty days in the year,
and then for good cause; the college was to
have a common seal which was to be kept with
the charters in the common chest; the goods of
the college were not to be alienated by the
master and chaplains except for urgent necessity;
an inquiry into debts was to be made at the
general chapter held annually; the supervision
of the college was vested, after the decease of
the executors, in the mayor of London and the
wardens of the Mercers' Company.
The property of the church then became that
of the college, (fn. 7) but more was needed, and the
executors in February, 1425, granted to the
master and chaplains £63 a year from Whittington's possessions until lands and rents equal in
value should be given. (fn. 8) This sum was derived
from property in the parishes of St. Michael Paternoster Royal, St. Lawrence Jewry and St. Mary
Magdalen Milk Street, and was settled permanently on the college by the will of George
Gerveys in 1432. (fn. 9) Land for enlarging the
college and for making a new burial ground was
also acquired at that time. (fn. 10)
The charter of foundation provided that the
chaplains chosen should be versed in letters, (fn. 11)
and the observance of this rule is proved by the
history of the college. One of the masters,
William Ive, played a leading and successful
part as the champion of the beneficed clergy in
the controversy raised by the mendicant orders
in 1465, (fn. 12) and his statement of the case was
sent to the pope with that of the bishop of
London and the archbishop of Canterbury. (fn. 13)
He was at that time keeper of the St. Paul's
School. (fn. 14) In 1490 the members of the college
under the presidency of Edward Underwood,
the master, founded the Fraternity of St. Sophia
for the reading of a divinity lecture. (fn. 15) The
reputation of the college was maintained till the
end, for the last master, appointed in 1537, was
Richard Smith, the first regius professor of
divinity at Oxford. (fn. 16) Opinion was divided in
the college on the religious question at this time,
but the supporters of the royal policy were in
the majority, (fn. 17) and must then have reckoned the
master among their number. There was a
point, however, beyond which Smith was not
prepared to go, and under Edward VI he was
deprived of his offices and fled to Louvain. (fn. 18)
The college was dissolved in 1547, and pensions
were paid to six priests, two 'conducts,' and
four choristers. (fn. 19) It was revived under Mary,
and Smith again became master, (fn. 20) but on the
accession of Elizabeth it was finally dissolved.
The annual income was estimated by Dugdale
at £20 1s. 8d., (fn. 21) but for Wolsey's procurations in
1524, the rating of which was generally very
low, it was reckoned at £36. (fn. 22)
Masters of Whittington's College
William Brooke, appointed 1424 (fn. 23)
John Clench, S.T.P. (fn. 24)
Richard Puringland, appointed 1427 (fn. 25)
John Eyburhall, S.T.P., appointed 1444, (fn. 26)
occurs 1457, (fn. 27) resigned 1464 (fn. 28)
William Ive, appointed 1464, (fn. 29) occurs 1465, (fn. 30)
resigned 1470 (fn. 31)
John Collys, appointed 1470, (fn. 32) died 1478 (fn. 33)
Nicholas Good, S.T.P., appointed 1478, died
1479 (fn. 34)
Edward Lupton, appointed 1479, died 1482 (fn. 35)
John Green, S.T.B., appointed 1482 (fn. 36)
Robert Smith, resigned 1488 (fn. 37)
Thomas Lynley, S.T.B., appointed 1488 (fn. 38)
Edward Underwood, D.D., occurs 1493, (fn. 39)
resigned 1496 (fn. 40)
Stephen Douce, S.T.B., appointed 1496, (fn. 41)
occurs 1508, (fn. 42) resigned 1509 (fn. 43)
Humphrey Wistowe, S.T.B., appointed 1509 (fn. 44)
John Walgrave, S.T.B., appointed 1519,
resigned 1519 (fn. 45)
Edward Feld, S.T.P., appointed 1519, died
1537 (fn. 46)
Richard Smith, S.T.P., appointed 1537 (fn. 47)