66. THE CARDINAL'S COLLEGE, IPSWICH
A college of secular canons at Ipswich to
which was attached a school was one of the two
considerable educational schemes projected by
Cardinal Wolsey. The college at Oxford came
eventually to a successful issue, but the college
at Ipswich perished ere it had come to maturity.
This college was erected on the site of the
dissolved priory of St. Peter and St. Paul. On
14 May, 1528, the king confirmed the bull of
Pope Clement for the suppression of this monastery and the founding of the college at Ipswich. (fn. 1)
To help to find funds for this considerable project, the pope also sanctioned the appropriation
to it of the Ipswich churches of St. Peter, St.
Nicholas, St.-Mary-at-Quay, St. Clement, and
St. Matthew, and the small monasteries of Snape,
Dodnash, Wikes, Tiptree, Horkesley, Rumburgh,
Felixstowe, Bromhill, Blythburgh, and Mountjoy,
together with the various churches pertaining to
them. (fn. 2)
The actual date of the laying of the foundation stone is known from the inscription with
which it was at that time incised. The stone
was found in two pieces built up into a common
piece of walling in Woulfoun's Lane, in 1789,
and given to Christ Church, Oxford. It is inserted in the wall at the entrance to the Chapter
House, on the right-hand side. It bears the
following inscription: 'Anno Christi 1528, et
regni Henrici Octavi Regis Angliae 20 mensis
vero Junii 15, positum per Johannem Episcopum
Lidensem.' John Longland, bishop of Lincoln,
was also employed by the Cardinal to lay the
first stone of his college at Oxford. (fn. 3)
The royal licence for the founding of this
college in Ipswich, the cardinal's birthplace,
granted in the same month as the laying
of the foundation stone, set forth that it
was to consist of one dean or master, twelve
priests (sacerdotes), eight clerks, eight singing boys
and poor scholars, and thirteen poor men, to
pray for the good estate of the king and cardinal,
and for the souls of the cardinal's parents, and
also of one undermaster (hipodidasculus) in grammar for the said poor scholars and others coming
to the college from any part of the realm. This
licence also included a grant of incorporation for
the foundation, bearing the name of the Cardinal's College of St. Mary in Ipswich, with
mortmain licence to endow it to the annual
value of £100 for the erection of chantries and
appointment of anniversaries, etc. (fn. 4)
Dr. William Capon, master of Jesus College,
Cambridge, was appointed dean, and on 3 July,
1528, a commission was nominated consisting
of Dr. Capon, Dr. Higden, dean of Cardinal's
College, Oxford, Dr. Stephen Gardiner and
others, to amend and reform the statutes of
the two colleges. On the same day the notarial
attestation of the foundation charter of Ipswich
College was made in the south gallery of
Hampton Court. (fn. 5)
The exemption of the college from diocesan
jurisdiction was granted by a bull of Pope
Clement VII, which was confirmed by the king
on 20 August, 1528. (fn. 6)
A letter from the cardinal to the younger
countess of Oxford was written on 3 September,
asking her to send 'two bucks next Lady Day'
(Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, 8 September),
to the college at Ipswich, for the entertainment
of Drs. Stevyns and Lee, whom he is sending
thither for the induction of certain priests, clerks,
and children, for the maintenance of God's service there. Various presents for a great dinner
on this occasion also reached the college on
7 September, from the Duke of Norfolk, the Duke
of Suffolk, Sir Philip Booth, and others. (fn. 7)
The newly appointed dean wrote at length to
Wolsey on 26 September, acknowledging the
receipt on 6 September of parcels of vestments
and plate, hangings, &c. Cromwell and Lee
and Stevyns, who brought the parcels, remained
in the college four days, and Cromwell was at
great pains in preparing the hangings and
benches for the hall, which was then well
trimmed. On Our Lady's Even, the dean, subdean, six priests, eight clerks, nine choristers,
and all their servants, after evensong in the
college church (St. Peter's), repaired to Our
Lady's Chapel and sang evensong there. They
were accompanied by the bailiffs of the town, the
portmen, the prior of Christ Church (Holy
Trinity), and others. On 8 September it rained
so continuously that the procession through the
town had to be abandoned, but they made as
solemn a procession as they could in the college
church, all the honourable gentlemen of the
shire were there as well as the town officials, the
Bishop of Norwich, and the priors of Christ
Church and Butley. They all dined together
in the college. The dean considered the singing
men well chosen, but some of them said that
they had got better wages where they came
from. One man was not sufficient to keep the
church vestry clean, ring the bells, prepare the
altar lights, etc., therefore he had put in another
man and called him sexton. There were but
five priests under the sub-dean, too few to keep
three masses a day, and the sub-dean could not
attend as he was required to superintend the
buildings. Mr. Lentall was of much zeal with
the quire both for mattins and masses: 'there
shall be no better children in any place
in England than we shall have here shortly.'
He had made fifteen albs of the new cloth,
but there were many more to be made.
Nine bucks arrived for the Lady's Day, which
were distributed with money to make merry
withal to the chamberlains and head men of the
town, to the bailiffs and portmen's wives, and to
the curates. They also received coneys,
pheasants, quails, and a fat crane. One hundred
and twenty one tons of Caen stone had arrived,
and he expected a hundred more after Michaelmas, and there was promise of a thousand tons
more before Easter. (fn. 8)
With regard to the school attached to the
college, there is an interesting letter extant of
William Goldwin, the schoolmaster, dated 10 January, 1528-9, to Cardinal Wolsey. He expressed his gratitude and that of the people of
Ipswich, and sent specimens of the handwriting
of some of the boys, who, he hopes, will soon be
able to speak Italian; the number is increasing,
so that the school-house is becoming too small. (fn. 9)
A letter from William Brabazon to Cromwell
on 24 July, 1529, mentions that my lord's college at Ipswich is going on prosperously, and
'much of it above the ground, which is very
curious work.' The sub-dean, Mr. Ellis, takes
the oversight of it; he has stone and all other
necessaries, and they are working day and night. (fn. 10)
In the following year came the fall of Wolsey,
and with his fall this unfinished college came to
an end. On the disgrace of its founder, the king
claimed all the founder's property.
On 14 November, 1530, the commissioners
made an inventory of all the plate and goods.
They seized a vast amount of church and domestic plate, and after stripping the buildings of
everything of value, they charged Dean Capon
with having £1,000 of the cardinal's treasures in
his possession. Not believing his denial the
commissioners, with six yeomen of the guard
and eighteen other persons, waited five days on
the premises ere they left. On Sunday 21 November, members of the Duke of Norfolk's council
took possession of the buildings, and on the morrow the dean left for London. (fn. 11)
In 1531 the actual site of the college, formerly
the priory of St. Peter and St. Paul, was granted
to Thomas Alvard, one of the gentlemen ushers
of the king's chamber, together with all the
Ipswich property pertaining to 'the late Cardynelles College.' (fn. 12) Other property of the college
was granted by patent to the provost and college
of Eton, (fn. 13) and yet more to the abbot and convent
of Waltham. (fn. 14) 'The very site,' says Mr. Wodderspoon, 'of the Cardinal's College becomes in a
brief space of time a spot for depositing of the
refuse and filth of the town.'