COLLEGIATE CHURCHES
56. THE COLLEGE OF ARUNDEL
Richard earl of Arundel, having divorced his
first wife, obtained papal dispensation to marry
Eleanor, daughter of the earl of Lancaster,
although related within the forbidden degrees
of consanguinity, on condition of founding three
chaplaincies, worth 10 marks, in the parish church
of his chief place of residence. Permission was
given shortly afterwards for the chaplaincies to
be established in the castle of Arundel instead of
in the parish church. (fn. 1) In 1354 the earl obtained
a further papal licence to increase this chantry
and convert it into a college, but for some reason
he did nothing more until 1375, when, feeling
the approach of death, he made his will, and left
1,000 marks for the foundation of a chantry
within the castle, to consist of six chaplains and
three boys able to read and sing, all of whom
were to reside in 'the Northbaillie in the new
tower called Beaumont's tour,' the further provision being made that if any chaplain were
disabled by illness he should have his sustenance
in the priory of Tortington, to which house the
earl left 200 marks for this purpose. (fn. 2)
Upon consideration the earl's executors decided
that a castle exposed to the chances of war
offered poor security for the permanency of a
religious foundation, and the community of alien
monks in the priory at the parish church of
Arundel having withdrawn to their mother
house of Séez and left their cell desolate, the
new earl obtained leave in 1379 to send representatives to treat with the abbot of Séez for the
conversion of the priory of Arundel into a collegiate church. (fn. 3) The following year the royal
licence was obtained for the foundation of the
college, subject to an annual payment to the
king of 20 marks so long as the war with France
should last, (fn. 4) a payment which was annulled in
1383, when the earl gave the manor of Sevenhampton in Somerset to the king. (fn. 5)
The property which had belonged to the
priory included the advowsons of the churches
of Arundel, Yapton, Rustington, Billingshurst,
Kirdford, Cocking, and half Littlehampton, the
manor of Yapton, and various lands and rents. (fn. 6)
To this was added in 1381 the advowson of
Goring and 208 marks of rent, (fn. 7) which was in
1386 partly converted into lands of the equivalent value, including the manors of Bury and
West Burton. (fn. 8) Thomas, earl of Arundel, on his
death in 1415, left the sum of 500 marks to the
college, (fn. 9) and in 1423 certain of his feoffees paid
£100 for leave to alienate to the same church
the manors of South Stoke, Warningcamp,
Climpsfold, Pipering, North Mundham, Angmering, and Houghton, and other lands amounting to the value of about 100 marks. (fn. 10) A
bequest of less value but of some interest was
that of Bishop William Reade, who in 1385 left
thirteen books to the college with a sum of 20
marks to be expended in chaining the books
firmly in the library. (fn. 11)
The college consisted of a master, vice-master,
precentor, ten other chaplains, two deacons, two
sub-deacons, and four choristers, a fifth chorister
being apparently added at a later date. Elaborate
injunctions were given for the conduct of the
services and of the lives of the members, but as
they were on the usual lines of such establishments they need not be detailed here. (fn. 12) While
the college was free from gross scandals its
management appears to have suffered from the
prevailing laxity of the fifteenth century; a
visitation in 1442 shows that the numbers had
fallen to eight, the rules were ill-observed, the
buildings out of repair, jewels lost, and debts to
the amount of £40 incurred. (fn. 13) In 1478 the
numbers were still insufficient and the services
slackly celebrated. (fn. 14) The choir of the church of
St. Nicholas being the chapel of the college,
while the remainder of the church was parochial,
there was some doubt as to the relative responsibility for repairs incurred by the college and the
parish, until in 1511 an agreement was drawn
up relative to 'le crosse yles,' the repairs of the
south aisle (i.e. transept), commonly called the
chancel of the parish church, being assigned to
the college, those of the north aisle and the nave
to the mayor and burgesses, and those of the
central tower, with the bells, to the two parties
in common. (fn. 15)
Arundel College survived the dissolution of
the monasteries and appeared to be still secure as
late as the autumn of 1541, when Henry VIII
granted to the master and fellows the suppressed
priory of Hayling and the possessions of the
dissolved preceptory of the Hospitallers at Poling
and Shipley, in exchange for the manor of Bury. (fn. 16)
But before the end of the next year its dissolution was suggested by Lord Maltravers, son of
the earl of Arundel, who wrote to the king
offering £1,000 for the college property to enable
him to pay his debts, and undertaking to obtain
the consent of his father and of the master and
fellows. (fn. 17) This latter task possibly proved more
difficult than Lord Maltravers had anticipated,
as it was not until after his succession to the
earldom in 1544 that the college fell, being surrendered in December of that year. (fn. 18)
Masters of the College of Arundel (fn. 19)
Adam Ertham, first master, (fn. 20) died before 1383
William Whyte, occurs 1383, died 1420
John Colmorde, appointed 1420, occurs 1443
Edward Poynings, occurs 1447, died 1484
John Neele, appointed 1484, died 1497 (fn. 21)
John Dogett, occurs 1499, died 1501
Henry Ediall, appointed 1501, died 1520
Edward Hygons, D.D., appointed 1520, occurs
1535
Alan Percy, occurs 1539, surrendered 1544
The seal of the college is a pointed oval: the
Trinity, in a canopied niche with tabernacle
work at the sides. In base, a shield of arms:
quarterly, I, 4, quarterly, uncertain; 2, 3,
chequy, for Richard Fitz-Alan, earl of
Arundel, founder. Legend:—
S' · CŌMUNE · COLLEGII · SANCTE · TRINITATIS ·
ARUNDELLIE