68. THE COLLEGE OF STOKE BY CLARE
Richard de Clare, earl of Hereford, removed,
in 1124, the monks of Bec whom his father
had established in the castle of Clare to the
town of Stoke. This alien priory was naturalized
in 1395; (fn. 1) but in 1415 Edmund Mortimer, earl
of March, its then patron, caused it to be
changed into a college of secular priests or
canons, by virtue of a bull from Pope John XXIII,
ratified by Pope Martin V. (fn. 2)
The first charter of foundation was not sealed
by the earl until 9 May, 1419; (fn. 3) and the seal of
the college was attached to the statutes by Thomas
Barnsley, the first dean, on 28 January, 1422-3. (fn. 4)
It was provided by the statutes that the college
should consist of a dean and six canons, who
were to form the chapter, to whom obedience
was due from the inferior ministers, and whose
order in quire, chapter, and procession is exactly
set forth. They were all to reside a full thirtytwo weeks yearly, the dean or vice-dean regulating
the period of residence for each; every canon in
residence was, on every double feast, to attend
mattins, high mass, evensong, and compline, and
on every festival mattins or mass or one of the
hours; the dean was to hold for the college all
the tithes and appurtenances of the parish
churches of Stoke and Honydon, and all the
tithes of the manors of Arbury and of Chilton;
the dean's residence was to be in a manse called
'Locus Decani,' and he was to receive annually
20 marks; the prebends allotted to each stall,
three on the south side and three on the north,
are all set forth, the prebendary of the first stall
on the north side having also at his disposal the
chapel of the Blessed Virgin of Stoke; neither
the dean nor canons were to be in bed beyond
six o'clock in the morning, or at the latest half
past six, save if oppressed by old age or notable
infirmity; any canon absent from divine offices
but found present at table at meal times was to
be punished by the dean or vice-dean.
There were also to be eight vicars and two
upper clerks sworn to continual residence, and
instructed in plain song and part-song (in plano
cantu et discantu); five chorister boys of good
life to help in singing and to serve in quire, each
to receive five marks a year, or at least food and
clothing and all necessaries; vicars or choristers
absent from mattins, mass, or evensong to be fined
one penny, from the other hours a farthing, the
fines to be used for buying church ornaments.
There were to be, in addition, two under clerks,
perpetually resident, to act as keepers of the
vestments, bellringers, lamp-trimmers, doorkeepers, clock-winders, &c. The mattins bell
was to be rung at five and the last stroke at six;
high mass to be finished at 11 a.m. and evensong
at 5 p.m. All services were to follow the use
of Sarum. The mass of Our Lady to be sung
daily as well as the mass of the day, save when
the mass of the day was of the Blessed Virgin,
and then the second mass was to be of Requiem.
Mattins and evensong were to be sung daily
immediately after the ringing of the bell, save in
Lent, when evensong of Our Lady was to follow
evensong of the day. The canons were to wear
grey almuces and the vicars black, and both
were to wear black copes and white surplices at
mattins, mass, and the other hours, after the
manner of other colleges. A master was to be
appointed at 40s. salary to teach the boys reading,
plain song, part-song, &c., and to give his exclusive time to them, seeing after their clothes,
beds, and other necessaries.
Every evening at eight the curfew bell was to
be rung for a sufficient time to admit of walking
from the chapel of St. Mary to the college, and
when the bell finished every outer door was to
be fastened, and no one of the household of the
college, from canon to chorister, was to be permitted to be outside the house save by special
permission of the dean or vice-dean. No canon,
vicar, or clerk was to frequent taverns at Stoke
or Ash; a canon thus offending to be suspended
for a year, and other minister to be expelled.
No canon (except he had an income of £40 a
year), nor vicar, nor clerk was to hunt; nor were
greyhounds or any kind of hunting dogs to be
kept within the college save by the dean, whose
dogs were not to exceed four. No canon nor
minister of the college was to carry arms of any
kind, either defensive or offensive, within the
college, under pain, if a canon, of forfeiting the
arms to the dean for the first offence, and paying
a fine of 20s. to the church fabric for a second
offence; a vicar or clerk thus acting was to be expelled. Other statutes dealt with striking blows,
incontinency, slander, and debts; the attaining
to a thorough knowledge of vocal and instrumental music; the offices of verger and janitor,
with their respective duties and emoluments;
the division and cultivation of the vicars' garden;
the common seal, and its custody; the rendering
of annual accounts; the arrangement of the
masses; the dining in common hall, and the
reading of the Bible at meals; leave of absence
for eight weeks for a vicar, and six weeks for a
clerk; the use of special antiphons; the ringing
or causing to be rung of a bell on the chancel
gable (of such sound that it would carry half a
mile) by each priest when about to celebrate
mass; the giving of a cope of 40s. value by
each canon within the year of his appointment;
the election of dean and canons on a vacancy,
and the election of vicars, clerks, and choristers;
the assigning of the churches of Gazeley,
Crimplesham, and Bures, and various pensions,
&c. for the sustenance of the vicars; the giving
to the college by each vicar within a year of his
appointment of six silver spoons, or 13s. 4d. to
purchase them; and the oath to be taken by
each member of the college.
The last of all these numerous statutes provided
that daily, immediately after compline, there shall
be sung in the Lady chapel, by all the ministers
present, the antiphon of the Blessed Virgin,
namely, Salut Regina, &c. It is noted that this
one statute was added at the special petition of
Richard Flemyng, bishop of Lincoln, who procured the confirmation of the statutes by Pope
Martin. (fn. 5)
These statutes were slightly amended from
time to time, and the number of the prebends
augmented as benefactions increased. (fn. 6)
The clear annual value of the college of St.
John Baptist, Stoke, was shown by the Valor of
1535 to be £324 4s. 1¼d. The temporalities
in Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, and Hertfordshire
brought in an income of £99 11s. 7¾d. The
spiritualities produced £268 4s., and included
the Essex rectories of Great Dunmow, Thaxted,
Bardfield Magna, Bardfield Saling, Wetherfield,
Finchingfield, and Bures; the Gloucestershire
rectory of Bisley; the Norfolk rectory of
Crimplesham, and the Suffolk rectories of Gazeley, Cavenham, Hundon, and Stoke; together
with a great number of pensions or portions from
other churches. The offerings at the image of
the Blessed Virgin within her chapel in Cartestrete, Stoke, averaged 40s. a year. (fn. 7)
The church of Great Dunmow had been
appropriated to the college in 1481, and that of
Wetherfield in 1503. (fn. 8)
The college was visited in February, 1493, by
Archdeacon Goldwell, as commissary for his
brother the bishop. The visitation was attended
by Richard Edenham, bishop of Bangor (1465-1496), who held the deanery, and six canons,
together with three vicars, two 'conducts,' six
clerks, a verger, and five choristers. There was
no reform needed. (fn. 9)
All the members of the college were summoned
to a visitation held by Bishop Nykke in the Lady
Chapel of Sudbury College in June, 1514. The
vicars-choral were first examined; their testimony was that everything was laudably conducted,
but that the number of the vicars had been reduced from eight to six for many years, owing
to insufficiency of income; one of their number
complained that their statutory privilege of being
absent for eight weeks in the year without any
diminution of stipend was no longer observed.
Bishop Edenham, as dean, made a satisfactory
report. Thomas Whitehead, prebendary of the
second stall on the south side, and Thomas
Wardell, prebendary of the second stall on the
north side, stated that the book of the statutes
had been suspiciously erased and interlined,
particularly in the parts relative to the residence
of the canons and vicars. Another of the prebendaries complained that the dean and Thomas
Whitehead had been illegally felling much
timber and applying it to the repairs of a mill,
whereas the woods were only to be used for the
repairs of the college and its houses; also that
Whitehead had carried off much pertaining to
the college for the repair of his benefice of Birdbrook. The same prebendary, William Wiott,
also stated that Whitehead lived scandalously at
his benefice. A fourth prebendary said that the
erasures in the book of the statutes led to many
disputes; and that although there were but six
vicars instead of eight, there were nevertheless
four clerks serving in quire, although the statutes
only provided for two. It was also alleged that
profits of the appropriated churches of Dunmow
and Bisley, formerly assigned for the augmentation of the vicars, were now divided among the
canons. The bishop was evidently not satisfied,
and prorogued his visitation to the next feast of
the Annunciation. (fn. 10)
The next recorded visitation was held in
June, 1520, when the suffragan Bishop of Chalcedon and two other commissaries were the
visitors. The vicars had been reduced from
eight to five, for whose support there was scarcely
sufficient; nevertheless the 'conducts' or clerks
had been increased in numbers. The fellows or
prebendaries repeated their complaints as to the
campering with the book of the statutes, and
consequent disputes. The visitation was prorogued until Michaelmas. (fn. 11)
In April, 1521, the master and fellows of
Stoke agreed to a revision of their statutes, in the
presence of the bishop's commissary, on account
of the erasures and interlineations in the original
copy; they promised to abide by any decision at
which the bishop might arrive. (fn. 12)
Five years later, namely on 12 July, 1526,
the bishop in person visited the college. Of the
beginning of this visitation an unusually detailed
account is preserved in the register. It was held
in the chapter-house, or, as the bishop's scribe
explains it, 'in the vestry which they hold to
be a chapter-house in the collegiate church of
Stoke.' Thomas Whitehead, the senior canon,
who had held a prebend here for twenty-nine
years, in the presence and with the consent of
three other canons, asserted openly before the
diocesan, that Richard Griffith, receiver-general
and secretary of Queen Katharine, had at her
command forcibly taken away, in spite of their
protests, the statutes and muniments of the
college, namely the book of the statutes, the bull
of Pope John XXII as to the founding of the
college with bulla attached, the confirmation of
Henry V, the charter of Edmund earl of March,
and the charter of Richard duke of York, with
other muniments and evidences, and the common
seal with three other seals. The visitation notes
continue, Et dicit magister Whitehed, and then
suddenly break off.
At this point in the visitation a startling incident occurred. A letter from the cardinal was
handed to the bishop. Cardinal Wolsey was at
this time endeavouring to carry out his scheme
of suppressing various small religious houses that
seemed to be of little use, in favour of establishing
the two large collegiate foundations at Ipswich
and Oxford. The pope had granted him ample
powers, and he had cast his eyes on the wealthy
college of Stoke. Learning that the bishop of
Norwich was making a visitation tour, it became
a matter of some moment to check it. The
cardinal's commissioners were anxious to make
out a good case for the suppression of the college,
and probably had their brief prepared; moreover the non-resident master or dean of the
college, 'no estimable person,' had been already
gained over. But the college was now under
the patronage of the queens of England, and
when Queen Katharine learnt what was contemplated she acted with prompt decision, sent
down her faithful servant Griffith and took
possession of the title deeds. Meanwhile, on
8 July, the cardinal wrote to the dean announcing that he was about to visit the college on
1 August, with powers of a legate a latere.
This important and ominous letter seems to have
been handed to the bishop just after he had
begun his visitation. Cardinal Wolsey had full
power as legate to inhibit the bishop visiting, but
the Bishop of Norwich was on safe ground in
considering that a letter addressed to the dean of
the college did not concern him, and he continued
the visitation regardless of he contents. The
letter, however, of the cardinal to the dean was
set forth at length by the bishop's scribe in his
register; it stated that the religious life of the
college was said to have declined, and the dean
and canons were cited to appear on 1 August
before the cardinal's commissioners. This letter
had reached the college on 11 July.
The notes of the interrupted but continued
visitation show that Dr. William Greene, the
dean, was not present, but that six prebendaries
were in attendance, with eight vicars and five
'conducts' or lay stipendiaries. The result of
the several examination of the canons and the
vicars is set forth in detail. It was shown that
the janitor of the college, who ought to be in residence, was in attendance on the queen; that the
dean, though bound to reside, was non-resident
and in other ways broke the statutes; that George
Gelibrond, one of the vicars who had been forced
upon them by the present dean, though incapable of singing, was a most quarrelsome and discreditable person; and that the dean had presented
him to the vicarage of Stoke under his seal,
without the consent of the chapter, and had also
dismissed a vicar of the college without cause
and without the leave of the chapter. All the
vicars united in complaining of Gelibrond, most
of them also stating that he defamed Cardinal
Wolsey. Three slightly different versions in
English are entered of the actual words used by
Gelibrond when defaming the cardinal, the
most pungent is: 'It is a pitie that he berith
the rule that he doithe, and if otheremen wolde
doo as I wolde, he shoulde be plucked out of his
house by the eyres. I wolde to God there were
xl thousand of my mynde.'
The bishop's injunctions were that if the dean
did not reside he was only to receive £20 a year
out of the profits, according to the statutes; that
the chancel of Clare was to be repaired at the
dean's expense, before next All Saints' day; that
the janitor was to reside and see to his duty,
otherwise to forfeit his salary; that one of the
clerks was to sleep and remain all night in the
vestry; that the verger was to be in attendance
and exercise his office in the same manner as at
the collegiate church of St. Stephen, Westminster, or of Windsor; and that George Gelibrond, irregularly admitted, was to be expelled
from his stall. This last injunction was afterwards withdrawn in favour of a monition.
Other injunctions related to inventories, custody
of seals, the recovery of the muniments, &c. (fn. 13)
The bishop left Stoke on 15 July and visited
other Norfolk houses, arriving at Thompson
college on 21 July. When there, one John
Stacy, of Norwich, a messenger of the cardinal,
brought him a letter from Wolsey, dated 2 July,
concerning the visitation of Stoke, which had
been for some unknown reason delayed. To
this letter the bishop wrote a wary reply, stating
the exact hour that the letter reached him,
adding that he had already visited Stoke, but
saying nothing as to his injunctions. Meanwhile the bishop took action against Dr. Greene,
the dean of the college, whom Dr. Jessopp
describes as 'an unprincipled rogue, ready to
sell himself and the college for what he could
get.'
Canon Kiel, supported by two of his colleagues, had testified that the dean had been
duly cited to the bishop's visitation, and produced
a letter in which Dr. Greene not only declared
his own intention of being absent, but urged his
fellows to resist the visit. The dean was then
cited to appear before the bishop in the chapel
of his palace at Norwich on 20 August. At
the appointed time Canon Kiel appeared and
testified that the dean's answer to him was 'I
can not appear, nor will not appear, and ye were
to blame and folis any of you to tappere before
my lorde, for I send you letter to the contrary.'
Whereupon, Dr. Greene was formally pronounced contumacious and suspended from celebrating divine service and cited to appear before
the bishop in the manor chapel of Hoxne on
Wednesday after next Mid-Lent Sunday to
show cause why graver action should not be
taken. Canon Gilbert Latham, the only one of
the college who supported the dean in subserviency to the cardinal, was also at the same
time pronounced contumacious. (fn. 14)
It is not known precisely what next took
place, but the aged diocesan and the queen
evidently succeeded in checkmating Wolsey so
far as the immediate suppression of Stoke College
was concerned, for it lasted until the days of
Edward VI.
The college was again visited by the diocesan
on 10 July, 1532, when Canon Whitehead,
who had sent the book of the statutes to London,
was ordered to restore it before Michaelmas
under pain of excommunication. There were
not many complaints, but it is clear from one of
the entries that Cardinal Wolsey did visit the
college either in 1526 or at some subsequent
date. The bishop, in consequence of £13
having been paid to the king that year in discharge of procuration fees due at the visitation
of the late cardinal, and of jewels to the value of
forty marks having been taken by thieves out of
the vestry, ordered that there was to be no
division that year of the residue of the profits of
the college among the residentiaries. He
further enjoined that women were not to fetch
linen for washing from the houses of the vicars,
nor were they to serve in the houses of the
canons; that the muniments were to be kept
under three locks of diverse workmanship; that
one of the clerks was always to sleep at night
in the vestry, particularly in the winter season;
and that an annual statement of accounts was to
be made immediately before the feast of the
Purification. (fn. 15)
The state papers show that the corruption of
this college continued. Dean Robert Shorton,
writing to Cromwell on 14 August, 1535, said
that he had received his letter in favour of
Gilbert Latham, a canon of the college, asking
for his restoration to the college dividends. For
once, at all events, in his life, Cromwell met
with no subserviency. The dean flatly refused
to allow Latham a penny. To do so would be
contrary to statute and custom. There could
be no division until repairs were deducted. In
a year and a half the canons had only spent £4
in repairs, whereas, according to custom, they
should have spent £14. Latham had got into
his hands £17, and Westby as much, against
the statutes. This would not be suffered;
moreover if they, dean and canon, divided
equally, each share would not come to as much
as £5 or £6. (fn. 16)
Dean Shorton could not have had much time
to give to the college affairs, for he was a bad
pluralist, being at the same time master of St.
John's College, Cambridge, and canon of York,
as well as holding a benefice in Durham diocese.
But he died shortly after rebuffing Cromwell,
namely, on 17 October, 1535. Leyton, Cromwell's subsequent unprincipled tool against the
monasteries, wrote to him in October, saying
that Dean Shorton was in articulo mortis,
begging for a letter commending him to the
bishop of Durham for this benefice. He asked
for the letter to be delivered to the bearer, who
would ride with it to Stoke College, 'and as
soon as the dean is dead, ride on with it to
Durham.' (fn. 17)
The vacancy caused by the death of Dean
Shorton was filled by the appointment of
Matthew Parker, the future archbishop. He
was presented on 4 November, 1535. (fn. 18) In 1537
Matthew Parker procured the assent of his
chapter to a reformation of the statutes. (fn. 19)
An inventory of the goods of Stoke College
was drawn up on 8 December, 1547. There
was a very rich supply of vestments, including
thirteen suits for priest, deacon, and subdeacon,
with albs; fifty-five copes, seventeen single
vestments, and a considerable number of altar
cloths, corporas cases, etc. The books in the
library, 'with ther cheres, tables, yrons, and
waynscott,' were valued at £5. The silver
plate, including four chalices, a cross, two
candlesticks, cruets, pix, &c. was divided into
gilt, parcel-gilt, and white; its total weight was
461 oz.
There was also a considerable supply of
church ornaments in latten. There was a pair
of organs in the rood loft, another in the quire,
and two pairs in the Lady chapel. In the tower
were six great bells and a little sanctus bell, and
'a clock perfect striking on ye great bell.'
The destruction contemplated is shown by
the fact that twenty-two gravestones with their
brasses were valued at £3 13s. 4d. and even 'the
foundar's tombe' at 20s. (fn. 20)
The following details appear in the certificate of this college taken by the commissioners
in 1548. (fn. 21)
'The College of Seynte John Baptiste in
Stoke nexte Clare, founded by Edmund yerle of
the Marches and Ulton, lord of Wigmore and
of Clare,' 19 May, 2 Henry V, to find a dean,
six canons, eight vicars, seven chief clerks, two
meaner clerks, one verger, one porter, and five
choristers. Since the foundation, the numbers
had been twice augmented; in the first place by
William Pykenham, sometime dean, for another
vicar, to be vicar to the dean and his successors;
and in the second place by William Lowell,
sometime verger, for a deacon of the college.
The yearly value was declared at £383 2s. 6½d.
and the clear value £314 14s. 8d. There were
490 oz. of plate, ornaments, and household stuff,
valued at £69 0s. 8d.; lead remaining 62 fothers,
and bells weighing 8 tons, 2 cwt. 26 li. Arrears
of rent amounted to £105 9s. 2d.
Matthew Parker, D.D., the dean, aged 48,
drew £67 0s. 2d. and held in addition divers
pensions of the annual value of £30. The
stipends and pensions of the other members of the
establishment, including the schoolmasters of the
college and of the free school are also given in
detail.
On the suppression of the college in this year,
it was granted to Sir John Cheke and Walter
Mildmay. A pension of £40 was secured for
Dean Parker. (fn. 22)
Deans (fn. 23) of the College of Stoke by Clare
Thomas Barnesley, A.M. 1415-54
Walter Blaket, A.M. 1454-61
William Welflet, S.T.P. 1461-9
Richard Edenham, S.T.P. 1470-93 (Bishop
of Bangor)
William Pikynham, LL.D. 1493-7
John Ednam, S.T.P. 1497-1517
Robert Bekinsawe, S.T.P. 1517-25
William Greene, S.T.P. 1525-9
Robert Shorton, S.T.P. 1529-35
Matthew Parker, S.T.P. 1535
There are numerous impressions of the seal
ad causas of this college attached to various
Harleian charters. It is a pointed oval, bearing
the head of St. John Baptist, with rays and
large nimbus; there is a flowering sprig above
and below the head. Legend:—
SIGILLU: COLLEGII: DE: STOKE: AD: CAUSAS: (fn. 24)