COLLEGES
31. THE COLLEGE OF MARWELL
Bishop Henry de Blois (1129-71) founded
a small college of secular priests in the church
or chapel of Marwell Park, Owslebury,
which was augmented by his successors,
Bishops Peter des Roches and Woodlock.
The foundation charter recites that the church
was built by Bishop Blois and dedicated in
honour of the martyrs SS. Stephen, Lawrence,
Vincent and Quintin. At the same time he
erected houses and other buildings near to the
church, to serve for four priests, who should
there continuously pray for the King of
England and the Bishops of Winchester, and
for other benefactors and faithful Christians.
For the endowment he assigned £13 of rents
at Twyford; of which sum 60s. each was to
be assigned to the chaplains, and 20s. for the
ornaments and lights of the church. (fn. 3)
To Bishop Blois' foundation Peter des
Roches added, by a deed dated the second
Sunday in Lent, 1226, a deacon, and laid
down rules for the general governance of the
chaplains on a collegiate basis. The four
priests were annually to choose one of their
number to act as prior, to whom due obedience was to be paid both within and without
the church; no one was to be absent from
the saying of the canonical hours, or from
their common meals, or at night time, without
the prior's special leave; no one was to be
granted longer leave than eight days by the
prior; if more was desired the bishop's licence
was to be sought; any one guilty of incontinence or any other serious fault, or even if
suspected, was to be expelled without hope of
restitution; surplices and black copes were to
be worn in the quire; the Sarum use was to
be followed from mattins to compline; and
of the £12 for stipend of Bishop Blois, £1
was to be assigned to each for clothes, and the
remaining £8 were to be spent for common
purposes by the prior with the advice of his
brethren. Bishop Peter added an annual
gift of fifty quarters of grain. This was to be
given by the rector of the church of Bishopstoke on the five feasts of St. Michael, St.
Nicholas, the Purification, SS. Philip and
James, and SS. Peter and Paul; three
quarters of corn, three of barley, and four of
oats on each occasion. They were also to
receive from the rector of Bishopstoke four
reasonable cartloads of hay at the time of hay
harvest. The prior was to prepare an annual
balance sheet, and if there was any surplus
it was to be divided amongst them. (fn. 1)
Bishop Woodlock (1305-16) also added to
the property of the college as recorded in his
register. (fn. 2) Marwell or Merwell was his birthplace; hence he was sometimes called Henry
de Merwell.
From Bishop Wykeham's institution register we find that he collated Richard Merke
and John Aubeoyle to priests' offices in
capella de Merewell in 1371; Richard Alien
in 1373; Walter Oures in 1376; John
Mikeltone in 1384; William Elkstoke in
1395; Richard Beck in 1396; John
Wegull in 1398; Thomas Tellere in 1399;
Walter More and John Grene in 1402;
and Richard Stanstede in 1404.
As time went on and the purchasing power
of money became so materially lessened, the
pension from the church of Bishopstoke was
utterly inadequate for the support of four
priests. At the time of the Valor (1535) this
small college was termed a chantry, and supported two priests, William Atkinson and
Thomas Smyth; the sum of £12 was then
divided between them.
This chantry was of course suppressed; it
went with the episcopal estate and manor
house of Marwell to Sir Henry Seymour.