35. THE COLLEGE OF CHESTER-LE-STREET
The church of Chester-le-Street has passed
through four stages of existence. First the seat
of the northern bishopric was established there;
then the church became rectorial, and so continued till Bishop Bek, in 1286, terminated a
lawsuit between two claimants of the rectory by
turning them both out, and erecting the church
into a collegiate establishment, consisting of a
dean and seven prebendaries. To the dean,
who was bound to repair the chancel of Chester
church, and to provide ministers for the chapels
of Tanfield and Lamesley, were assigned the
altarage of the mother church and chapels, the
fishery on the Wear, the rents and services of
the tenants holding of the church within Chester
and Waldridge, and the whole demesne land of
Harraton. He was also to have the buildings
attached to the chapelries, only allowing the
prebendaries room to stack their grain. To
each of the prebendaries was allotted a share of
the tithes; and the remainder of the church
property was to be divided amongst those of the
prebendaries who kept their three months'
residence.
The first three prebendaries, who seem to
have been considered the wealthiest, were bound
to maintain three vicars in orders (vicarios
capellanos); and the remaining four to provide
four vicars-deacons in due canonical habit. The
service was to be performed according to the
ritual of either York or Sarum. (fn. 1)
In April, 1415, a monition was directed to
the canons of Chester for neglect of their duties.
They had failed in the due performance of
divine service, in the care of their church and its
ornaments, &c. (fn. 2) Later in the same year, the
repairs ordered not having been executed, and
the chancel and guest house (hospice) being in a
ruinous state, the bishop sequestrated the fruits
of the prebends. (fn. 3) The canons, indeed, appear
to have had but little sense of their duty, for
three times after this during Langley's episcopate, in 1418, (fn. 4) 1431, (fn. 5) and 1434, (fn. 6) the bishop was
obliged to remonstrate with them for neglect.
In the Taxation of Pope Nicholas (1291) the
deanery and prebends were rated at £ 146 13s. 4d.;
in 1534 they were valued at £77 12s. 8d.; (fn. 7) and
in 1548 at £27 2s. 8½d. only. (fn. 8)
The possessions of the church become vested
in the crown in 1547, by the Act for the Dissolution of Collegiate Churches and Chantries.
A small pension only was reserved for a
stipendiary curate. (fn. 9)
Deans of Chester-Le-Street
William de Marclan, occ. 1311 (fn. 10)
Robert de Kygheley, coll. May, 1316 (fn. 11)
Roger de Gilling, occ. 30 June, 1345 (fn. 12)
John de Sculthorp (fn. 13)
John de Kingston, coll. October, 1354, by
exch. with John de Sculthorp (fn. 14)
Richard de Wellington, coll. 21 March,
1362-3, p.r. John de Kingston (Kymbsten) (fn. 15)
Hugh de Arlam, coll. 13 March, 1364-5, p.r.
R. Wellington (fn. 16)
Thomas Cupper, coll. 7 May, 1378 (fn. 17)
Henry de Hedlam (Hedelham), occ. 26 April,
1382 (fn. 18)
John de Derby, occ. 4 June, 1390 (fn. 19)
Thomas de Hexham, occ. 1407 (fn. 20)
John Thoralby coll. 6 April, 1408 (fn. 21)
John Dalton, coll. 7 April, 1408, by exch.
with Thoralby (fn. 22)
W. Bosum, coll. 16 April, 1408, p.r. J.
Dalton (fn. 23)
Robert Ashburn, or Ashbury, coll. 1 May,
1408, by exch. with Bosum; (fn. 24) occ. 28
January, 1411-12 (fn. 25)
Nicholas Hulme, coll. 10 February, 1412-13,
p.m. R. Ashburn (fn. 26)
John Akum, occ. October, 1417 (fn. 27)
Richard Diggle (Digyll), coll. October, 1417,
by exch. with Akum (fn. 28)
John of Newton, occ. 1454 (fn. 29)
John Baldwin (Bawdwyn), coll. 1491 (fn. 30)
John Balswell, occ. 1501 (fn. 31)
Robert Chamber, occ. 13 June, 1505 (fn. 32)
Thomas Keye, occ. 14 May, 1532 (fn. 33)
Richard Layton, coll. 1 September, 1533, p.r.
T. Keye (fn. 34)
William Wawin, or Warren, coll. 1544, p.m.
Layton; (fn. 35) dean at the dissolution (fn. 36)