42. THE COLLEGE OF FOTHERINGHAY
Simon de St. Liz, the second earl of Northampton, founded a Cluniac nunnery at Fotheringhay, but in Stephen's reign it was removed to
Delapré on the south side of Northampton. The
church of Fotheringhay remained appropriated
to the abbey of Delapré until the beginning of
the fifteenth century; the last appointment of a
vicar by the Delapré convent occurred in 1388.
Edmund of Langley, duke of York, was the
first to form the idea of a grand collegiate church
at Fotheringhay, and, in the lifetime of his father,
built a large and magnificent quire at the east
end of the old parish church. (fn. 1) He did not live
to accomplish his intention; but, after his death
in 1402, his eldest son (by Isabel of Castile),
Edward of York, desired to carry out his father's
wishes, and to rebuild the body of the church on
a like plan with the quire. For this purpose he
appointed trustees, the first two of which were
the cardinal bishops of Winchester and Durham.
The college was founded in 1411, 6 acres of
land between the castle and the rectory house
being allotted for the purpose. This was the
site on which the Cluniac nunnery had formerly
stood. Edward, however, fell in the vanguard
of the fight at Agincourt in 1415. Neither
college nor church was yet finished, but his body
was brought to Fotheringhay and interred in the
church on 1 December. His will is reproduced
in the Lincoln registers; he left his body to be
buried in his college of Fotheringhay, in the
midst of the quire under a flat piece of marble
at the quire steps. (fn. 2)
This royal college consisted of a master, twelve
chaplains or fellows, eight clerks, and thirteen
choristers, and was dedicated in honour of the
Blessed Virgin and All Saints. The chief duty
of the members of the college was to pray for
the good estate and for the souls of the king and
queen, the Prince of Wales, the duke of York,
and all the royal family, as well as for all faithful
souls. It was indeed a great chantry, on dignified
lines, with a specially-ordered common life for
the chantry priests. The endowment charter of
Henry IV. granted the college a yearly charge of
£67 6s. 8d. from the manors of Newent, Gloucester, and Kingston, Hertford, belonging to the
alien priory of Newent, which was a cell of the
abbey of Cormeilles, as well as all the possessions,
spiritual and temporal, and all manorial rights
that had pertained to that priory and to the alien
priory of Avebury, Wiltshire, a cell of St. George
Bocherville. (fn. 3)
A saving clause as to these two alien priories
was inserted in the Act passed at Leicester in
April, 1414. In the same year the convent of
Delapré gave up to the college the church of
Fotheringhay in return for a small pension. (fn. 4)
In the following year (5 August, 1415) the
duke of York obtained letters patent for the
further endowment of the college, assigning to
it the manors of 'Fasterne,' Old Wootton,
Tockenham, Chelworth, Winterbourne, Compton-Bassett, and Sevenhampton, the advowson of
the church of Tockenham, the town of 'Wotton
Burgus,' and the hundreds of Highworth and
Cricklade in Wiltshire; the manor of Dognton,
Gloucestershire; the manor of Anstey in Hertfordshire, and the advowson of the church; the
manors of Nassington and Yarwell; and the castle,
manor, and town of Fotheringhay, in Northamptonshire; with the castle, town, and manor
of Stamford, the town and soke of Grantham,
in Lincolnshire; and the castle and manor of
Conisbrough, 'Braiwell,' Clifton, Hatfield, Fishlake, and Thorne, in Yorkshire. (fn. 5)
Before the duke sailed for France he entered
into an explicit indenture with William Harwod,
freemason of Fotheringhay, by which the duke
was to find stone, timber, scaffolding, lime, and
everything necessary to the work, and to pay
£300 at stated periods. The whole of this interesting indenture has been several times printed. (fn. 6)
The duke's death at Agincourt (Leland tells us
he was exceeding fat, and got smothered in the
encounter) a few months later put a check on
the work and on the organizing of the college;
but his successor, Richard, duke of York, after
some years, took the matter up and obtained in
1432 a yearly pension of 100s. towards completing the college. (fn. 7) In 1439 the college was
granted powers to enclose 20 acres within the
forest of Rockingham. (fn. 8)
Duke Richard fell in battle at Wakefield on
31 December, 1460, and was at first interred at
Pontefract. Soon after his accession the attention
of Edward IV. was directed to the still incomplete Yorkist foundation at Fotheringhay. In
the first year of his reign he granted the college
a new charter and refounded it, bestowing on it
100 acres of land, with divers liberties and
privileges. (fn. 9)
In March, 1461-2, the king granted to Thomas
Buxhale, the master, and the fellows of the king's
college of Fotheringhay, a tun of red wine of
Gascony yearly, in the port of London, at Christmastide, for the celebration of their daily masses,
for ministering the holy sacrament at any time,
and for their sustenance; at the same time he
gave them 4 acres of land, with a limekiln, and a
house at Woodnewton. (fn. 10)
In August of the same year there was granted
to this same king's college the more substantial
endowment of the alien priory and manor of
Beckford, with its appurtenances in Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire; the lands of Ashton-onCarraunt, Gloucester, sometime parcel of the
alien priory of 'Baylbek'; and the alien manors of
Brixton and Charlton, Wiltshire, and Wilsford,
Lincolnshire, with all appurtenances. (fn. 11)
In March, 1465, Edward granted to Thomas
Buxhale (who is described as one of the king's
chaplains as well as master of the college), and
the fellows, the whole of the possessions, spiritual
and temporal, of the alien priory of Charlton. (fn. 12) A
year later the college received from Simon Norwyche the handsome endowment of 85 acres in
the forest of Rockingham, for the alienation of
which in mortmain the donor paid 10 marks. (fn. 13)
On 24 November, 1480, Edward IV. granted
to William Field, the master, and the fellows of
the college, quittance of all tenths, fifteenths, or
other contributions or subsidies granted by the
clergy of the realm of either province, or by the
commons of the realm, or of any tallage on the
king's demesne lands, or tenth, or other quota
imposed by the pope. (fn. 14)
John Russell was the last master; in 1534, in
conjunction with Thomas Birde, the precentor, and
the rest of the fellows, he made formal submission
to Henry VIII. as the head of the Church. His
name also occurs in the Valor of the following
year, when the considerable possessions of the
college in the counties of Gloucester, Hunts,
Lincoln, Middlesex, Northants, Rutland, Suffolk,
Wilts, and Worcester, realized an annual value
of £419 11s. 10¾d. (fn. 15)
A rubricated copy of the statutes exists among
the Augmentation Office records; from the
entries at the end of the volume this was clearly
the official copy of the statutes drawn up in the
time of Henry V. (fn. 16) The following is an abridgement or summary of their contents rendered in
English:—
1. The first statute names Edward as the
founder, and limits the number to a master, a
precentor, eleven other chaplains, eight clerks,
and thirteen choristers.
2. Every chaplain on admission to take an
oath, in the presence of the master and precentor,
of canonical obedience to the master, and to the
lawful mandates of the precentor; to keep all
the statutes and ordinances in their plain, literal,
and grammatical sense; to show all loyalty to
the college and its founders; to abstain from every
form of detraction, strife, or quarrel; and if
expelled through neglect of duty or other cause,
not to molest or disturb anyone, etc.
3. Chaplains, clerks, and choristers to be
chosen by the majority of the fellows when there
is a vacancy. In the case of the boys, a candidate
must not be more than nine if he only knows
plain song, but if fully taught he must not be above
twelve. A suitable chaplain to be chosen from
the fellows by the precentor and three seniors,
called the chantry chaplain, to instruct the
choristers in grammar, receiving 12 marks as
salary. Another fellow to be chosen in like
manner to instruct in singing at a salary of 40s.
4. The master to have a salary of 20 marks,
the precentor £10, each chaplain fellow 12 marks,
each deacon clerk 10 marks, each subdeacon
clerk 8 marks, and each chorister 4 marks.
5. The income to be spent, after payment of
salaries, on the necessary maintenance, repair, and
building of the college, and the balance to be
kept in the common treasury, provided that a
portion be distributed every year to Christ's poor,
according to the wish and decision of the
founder.
6. The master to be a man of good and honest
conversation, well educated, and of approved
manners and condition of life, discreet in spiritual
and temporal matters, prudent and circumspect.
Within twenty days of a vacancy occurring the
fellows are to be summoned by the precentor to
the chapter house, no licence being sought from
founders or patrons, and after certain formalities
the mass of the Holy Spirit is to be solemnly sung.
If a unanimous election cannot be secured, three
scrutineers are to be appointed, who shall vote
secretly in writing, and if all or two agree on the
same name, that one shall be elected; if there
shall not be this majority, then the decision from
the three names shall be left to the bishop of
Lincoln or his vicar general. The master, on his
election, shall swear implicit obedience to the
statutes, and faithful rule and correction over the
whole college.
7. The master to have full power of correcting,
punishing, and castigating over all the persons of
the college. In difficult negotiations he should
consult the precentor and senior fellows. In his
absence the college to be ruled by the precentor
with the advice of the two senior fellows. For
each outsider invited to the table of the fellows
3 pence to be paid out of the common stock, and
if at the table of the choristers or servants
2 pence.
8. The precentor to have the rule over the
fellows and choristers in quire and in the church,
and to have power (with the consent of the
master or, in his absence, of the senior fellow) to
correct and punish for any fault during the divine
offices, or for any error in singing or corrupt
reading.
9. The master and precentor to sit at the chief
table in hall, with the senior and more learned
fellows, and not to exceed four dishes; the other
fellows (and clerks) to sit at tables on each side
of the hall; and the choristers and other boys
and servants at a table in the centre. All to
keep silence, and to listen to the reading of the
Holy Scriptures.
10. The father, brother, near relative, or
friend, of any of the fellows, clerks, and choristers, may dine in hall if they behave quietly and
honestly, for two days and not more, save by
special licence of the master, but at their own
expense.
11. The master, fellows, clerks, and choristers,
yearly at Christmastide, to have clothes of one and
the same cut and colour at the common expense.
The master and precentor to have 11 yards
of cloth divided between them; each fellow and
clerk to have 4 yards; each chorister under
twelve years 2½ yards, and boys over twelve
3 yards. The cloth for the fellows and clerks
not to exceed 26d. a yard, and that for the
choristers not to exceed 22d.
12. If any of the fellows, clerks, choristers, or
servants shall quarrel, they shall be called before
the master and two senior fellows, and if peace
cannot then be obtained, five other discreet fellows
shall help to adjudicate, and if any one does not
at once accept their decision he shall be expelled.
13. If the master should neglect his duties by
absence or carelessness, or cause loss to the
spiritualities or temporalities of the college, the
precentor and majority of the fellows have power
to call on him to resign, and if he refuse, to
report him to the bishop, who has power to
remove him.
14. Fellows, clerks, and choristers may, for
legitimate cause, have leave of absence for a
month in the year. Such leave not to be taken
at Christmas, Easter, or Whitsuntide. Not more
than two fellows, or two clerks, or two choristers
to be absent at the same time.
15. The occupation of all the chambers of
the college to be arranged by the precentor.
16. The church, hall, and all the buildings of
the college, erected with so much labour at the
cost of the founder, are to be maintained in good
repair.
17. Bailiffs, proctors, farmers, wardens, and
others, are to present annual balance-sheets at
Michaelmas, to be examined by the master,
precentor, and five selected fellows.
18. In the more important business of the
college, such as benefices, farms, and manors, the
master is to consult the fellows in the chapterhouse, and to abide by the decision of the
majority.
19. Advowsons of churches, lands, tenements,
rents, etc., are not to be alienated or sold.
20. Neither master, fellows, nor clerk shall be
upholders of quarrels or other litigious business,
and if they persist in such action they may be
expelled.
21. The college to remain indebted in
500 marks to John Bokeland, whom Edward
the founder made master, in which sum John
was bound to the abbess and nuns of Delapré. (fn. 17)
22. The master, within a month after Michaelmas, before the precentor and six senior fellows,
to present a balance-sheet of all receipts and
payments, to be deposited in the treasury.
23. A summary of the financial statement to
be indented, whereof one part to be kept by the
precentor, and the other placed with the archives
in the principal chest of the college.
24. The college to have four or five servants
(not more) for serving in the pantry, buttery,
kitchen, and other offices. One of them to be
the barber, and also skilled in the repairs and
mending of vestments, copes, and other ornaments of the church.
25. The master to have three horses, with hay
and litter, and (blank) quarters of oats or pease
for their sustenance.
26. The master and college to have a common seal and three common chests in a certain
house called the treasury in the form of a tower,
constructed over the church porch. In the
treasury are to be kept the seal, vestments,
jewels, money, and muniments of the college in
safe custody. In the larger chest all the more
precious vestments, chalices and censers, parcelgilt, and other ornaments which are not required for actual and daily use. The precentor
and sacrist are to have two different keys of the
door of the treasury, and two of the chest. The
contents of the chest to be examined four times
a year by the master and three times by the
fellows, and all to be cleansed and repaired.
Other chests to be kept in the porch of the
church, to contain vestments, chalices, etc., in
daily use; the keys to be kept by the sacristan.
The second chest in the treasury to contain all
registers, charters, muniments, and evidences, with
three keys, one for the master, one for the precentor, and one for an appointed fellow. The
common seal only to be used in the chapterhouse with the consent of the college. The
third chest in the treasury to contain the common gold and silver of the college, together with
the principal relics and jewels, and to have four
keys in the respective custody of the master,
precentor, and two appointed fellows. An indented inventory of the contents of the chest to
be taken, one copy to be in the hands of a fellow
who has not a key, and the other in the keeping
of the precentor.
27. The statutes to be read in chapter of the
whole college twice yearly, namely, on the
morrows of the feasts of the Purification and of
the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.
28. One of the fellows to be chosen sacrist,
and to have charge of all the valuables of the
church, with a salary of two marks.
29. The books, ornaments, and vestments to
be openly, visibly, and distinctly shown to the
master and all the college at Ascensiontide, to
see if any are torn or missing.
30. No book, ornament, jewel, or vestment of
the college to be sold, pledged, or removed from
the college, under any pretext whatsoever, save
books requiring binding, or anything to be repaired.
31. Any member of the college guilty of
heresy, theft, homicide, adultery, incest, or like
notorious crimes to be expelled. If any one is a
hunter or common fisherman who brings any
scandal on the college, he is to be warned first by
the master, then by the master and two fellows,
and for the third offence by the chapter, and if
then incorrigible, to be expelled.
32. A warden to be appointed to look after
the money of the choristers. If any chorister
die before the age of 14, his money to be divided
into three parts, one part to the college, another
for funeral expenses, and the third to his parents
or relatives.
33. The master to have power of proving the
wills of those dying in the college.
34. No one to depart from the college in
debt.
35. No one of the college (including the
master) to wander alone outside the college precincts into any house in the town or neighbourhood, nor to enter any tavern save in the presence
of some one of sufficient dignity and honesty,
under pain of correction by the master, and of
expulsion if repeated.
36. The fellows, clerks, and choristers, daily,
when compline is finished, standing in quire
before they depart, shall sing in unison the antiphons of St. John Baptist, and of St. Edmund,
king and martyr; and at the altar step, kneeling,
the antiphon of the Blessed Virgin. Then to
form round the tomb of Edward the founder, and
to chant the 'De profundis.' (fn. 18)
37. The fellows, clerks, and choristers are to
be humble, modest, and careful, in entering and
departing from the church, and to abstain at
mattins and all the hours from talking, whispering, laughing, or making any noise or disturbance.
38. The master's place in quire is the first
on the right, and the precentor's on the left, the
rest as they are ordered by the master and
precentor.
39. All members of the college on rising from
their beds, and on lying down at night, and at all
hours of the day and night, when meeting with
any hindrance, shall say in honour of the Trinity
the antiphon, Libera nos, and a special prayer
for blessing on the founder's work. Every day
after nones and compline, and in Lent after
vespers, shall be said in the church special
prayers for kings Richard, Henry, etc., and the
founder.
40. From 1 May to 1 September the bell to
ring at eight o'clock, and the rest of the year at
seven, and on the bell ceasing the anthem of
the Blessed Virgin to be said by every one of the
college, whether within the precincts or cloister,
or gates, or outside, pausing as they say it. (fn. 19)
41. The principal and smaller gates of the
college to be closed after the bell at the west end
of the church has rung the Angelus. The doors
to be kept closed till daybreak, and the keys
to be handed to the master. Any one remaining
outside, without leave of the master, to forfeit for
first offence commons and salary for fifteen days,
for second offence a month, for third offence six
months, and for a further repetition to suffer
expulsion.
42. Evensong, mattins, mass, and all the day
hours to be attended by all in the church. The
bell for mattins on the night of the Nativity to
ring at one o'clock, and mattins to begin at two;
on the principal feasts and the greater doubles,
the bell to ring at four, and mattins to begin at
five; on other festivals and ordinary days, the
bell to ring at five, and mattins to begin at six.
43. Solemn processions are to be made round
the cloister, following in all things the use of
Sarum, and in the mass, the canonical hours, and
in all other observances, the same use to be
observed. The feasts of St. Lawrence, St. Edmund
king and martyr, and blessed Edward king and
martyr, and St. Katherine, are to be celebrated as
doubles. Also on the morrow of All Souls Day
solemn mass to be sung of St. Winifred virgin
and martyr, and on the vigil of the Nativity of
St. John Baptist solemn mass to be sung of
St. Etheldreda.
44. There are to be sung three masses daily,
together with the chapter mass, when it happens,
after the Sarum use; the first, the mass of our
Lady, to be sung in the lady chapel with the
choristers; the second, without note, a mass of
requiem for Richard II., Henry IV., and for
Edmund and Isabella, children of Edward the
founder, Henry V. the patron (when departed),
and Edward the founder, and all faithful souls;
the third, a sung mass of the day according to
use of Sarum.
45. In addition to these three regular masses,
a mass of the Holy Spirit for the good estate
of Henry V. to be sung on Passion Sunday,
with special collects; also a private mass for a
like purpose every Sunday.
46. On Trinity Sunday, Michaelmas Day,
the feast of St. John Baptist, on St. Lawrence
Day, and on the Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin, a special mass to be sung for Edward
the founder.
47. The three ordinary masses, and the
chapter mass when it happens, are to be celebrated by those chaplains who can best be
spared from the quire and singing according to
a table put forth by the precentor. All other
masses to be taken in turn by the fellows. The
master to celebrate at high mass on the principal
feasts.
48. Each chaplain celebrating a special mass
for Henry V. or the founder to receive two
pence from the common fund at the hands of
the master.
49. The master, precentor, and all the
fellows to say a mass of requiem on the last day
of February for Richard II.; on St. Cuthbert's
Day for Henry IV.; for Edmund, the father
of Edward the founder, on 1 August; and for
Isabella, the mother of the founder, on 23 December.
50. On the obit of the founder the master
and precentor to receive 12d., each chaplain
celebrating 6d., each clerk present 4d., and each
chorister present 2d.
51. All to be present at evensong, mattins,
masses, and other hours. Every Saturday corrections or fines to be imposed by the master
and precentor for all absences or late comings,
or other offences (especially in quire), committed during the week. For neglect of the
offices, castigation or fines are to be imposed, and
as a last resource expulsion.
(A later insertion.)
Any one late at mattins to be fined 1d., or
late at prime, terce, sext, nones, or compline ½d.;
any chaplain on the mass rota neglecting to
attend, a groat. Such fines to be divided among
those present.
52. Every member of the college taking part
in any service by reading, singing, or saying
anything in the canonical hours, or in divine
services, shall before leaving read, sing, or say
at the steps of the quire, in English, the Our
Father and the Hail Mary for the soul of the
founder.
53. Anathema pronounced on any one who
shall interpret these statutes after a sinister or
evil fashion, twisting them from their natural
and grammatical meaning.
54. A formal conclusion and final commendation of the statutes.
This is followed by a declaration or modification
of the statute (No. 5) concerning the treasury,
so far as it affected a distribution of a certain
portion of the income to the poor. In accordance with the will of the founder, it had been
laid down that, as soon as the church and houses
of the college were constructed, without any
delay a house for the poor, or almshouse,
should be constructed at the charge of the
college, to contain at least ten beds, tables,
clothes, and garments for Christ's poor of either
sex. The master or precentor and two senior
fellows to receive and give hospitality to the
inmates, who should be chosen from the infirm
poor or those in specially needy circumstances,
and particularly those who had been servants or
tenants of Edward the founder or his parents in
the towns of Fotheringhay, Nassington, or Yarwell. No poor person to be twice received or
entertained in one week. But if there should
not be in those towns and lordships sufficient
poor requiring the assistance of the house, then
they might be received from other towns and
places. That each poor guest should receive
once a day a good dish of bread and beer, with
flesh or fish and one penny. On the first day
of the week the poor guests should be received
in honour of the Holy Trinity, the second day
in honour of St. Michael and the nine orders of
angels, on the third day St. Thomas of Canterbury, on the fourth day St. John Baptist, on the
fifth day St. Lawrence, on the sixth for love and
honour of the Five Wounds, and on the Saturday in honour of the Five Joys of Mary. Neglect
of this hospitality to incur malediction.
An additional statute (amending Nos. 7 and 10),
agreed to in chapter by the whole college, provided that no member of the college should
admit any outsider within the precincts without
the express sanction of the master, or in his
absence of the precentor.
Then follows an entry relative to the gift by
Henry VI. in 1447 of 20 acres of wood in
the forest of Rockingham to Richard Vantort,
master, and John Brounyng, precentor, and the
rest of the college, and providing for a solemn
mass for the good estate of the king and Queen
Margaret, and after their death for their souls.
Another volume at the Public Record Office
contains the accounts of John Gilbert, fellow and
sacrist of the college from Michaelmas, 1536, to
Michaelmas, 1548. (fn. 20) These accounts of the receipts and expenditure of the sacrist are of considerable value, as showing the nature and amount
of the various offerings of the faithful, and from
them might be constructed a fairly accurate parish
register of Fotheringhay for those twelve years,
as the names of the contributors are given in
full.
In 1541 complaint was made by the clerks of
the college against the master, that he withdrew
their wages, that they were not chosen fellows,
and that they were not suffered to marry and
tarry in the college. A decree was issued on
30 June, which is entered in full at the end of
the volume of the statutes by the 'queens grace's
honourable councell,' and signed by Thomas
Denys, chancellor to the queen, as well as by
the queen's attorney, vice-chancellor, and clerk
of the council, entirely in the master's favour,
and exhorting the clerks to implicit obedience to
the master in accordance with the statutes.
Queen Catherine was lodged at Fotheringhay
Castle during June, 1541, and advantage seems
to have been taken of the presence of the queen's
court to secure a judgement after a somewhat
irregular fashion. Meetings of the privy council
were held at Fotheringhay in October of the
same year during the king's progress. (fn. 21)
A third volume at the Public Record Office
contains full accounts of the whole of the estates
of the college for the year 1544-5. (fn. 22) In this
large paper book the details of the management
of their farms, mills, etc., are set forth with much
nicety. The management and administration
seem to have been good. The salaries of the
master, precentor, and the eleven other fellows
amounted to £64 11s. 0d.; that of the nine
clerks, including extra pay for one who had the
custody of the clock, to £18 5s. 0d.; that of the
choristers to £9 3s. 8d.; and of the servants to
£18.
With the volume of sacrist's accounts are
bound up various inventories which show the
great wealth, particularly in vestments, of the
king's college of Fotheringhay. (fn. 23)
An indented inventory of seven folios was
made on 31 March, 1546, between Edward
Gryffyn, solicitor-general, and two fellow commissioners, John Marshe and Francis Southwell,
on the one part, and John Russell, master of the
college, on the other part, whereby all the
ornaments and chattels enumerated were left in
the charge of the master until the king's pleasure
should be further known.
This inventory included 'Jewels belonging to
the Church' and 'Parcell of Plate belonging to
the College, to be used in the House' (the total
of all the plate amounted to 1,450 ounces), followed by an imposing list of vestments, chasubles, altar cloths, etc. The quire books included
eleven antiphoners, nine of which had the psalter
and two lacked it, three legends, one of which
was divided into two volumes, and a mass book
for the high altar. Fuller details in a roughly
written inventory of the 'chauncell' mention
twelve 'grayles covered with lether,' and 'a boke
of Venite in parchment.' Also twenty-three
processionals, four psalters, a mass book of pricksong for the Lady Mass, one fair antiphoner, and
an ordinal. Also 'ii faire pair of organs, thone
of iii stops very good and lyght, the other of iiii
stops lesser and wors, with ii desks and stairs for
the players at the same.' The rough inventories of copes, vestments, etc., in the reign of
Edward VI. include 'a banner of whyte sarcenet
with tokens of ye passyon,' 'an old penon of
changeable sylke with the Armes of Ye Duke
of York,' 'a faire herolds cote of tharmes of Ingland of gold, the ground velvet,' 'xlii banners
and streamers of sylke of dyverse colors, and xli
painted with Armes and conysannces of gold,
and xl lytell stremers with stripes of dyverse
sortes.' The chancel inventory included
'one table of ii yardes length and one ell of
depth annexed to the high Aulter the grounde
thereof of blewe velvet wherein is imbrodered
the Assencion of our Ladye with iii Angells of
ether syde of the seid Image. And in the same
table bee vi Images, so all the seid Assencion
Angells and Images bee sete with rayed perels.'
The commissioners were ordered to dispatch this
reredos to London. In the Lady Chapel was a
candle standard of five branches of laten and also
'two paires of crutches tipped with silver,' which
might possibly be votive offerings from those
recovering from some form of lameness or accident to the legs. (fn. 24)
A later inventory in 1548 specifies various
plate which had been omitted in the 'King's inventory' of 1546, and enumerates 'diverse
parcells of silver and plate not found at Fotheringay on the dissolution of the seyd College
which by report of Thomas Gyles ought to have
bene there.'
Among the rough notes of inventories it is
stated that there were ninety-three books in the
library, all chained to the desks; and that all the
books of the church, with those in the master's
chamber, had been piled up in the lower vestry;
that there were five chests and one double box
filled with the evidences of the house in the
master's chamber; that in the cloister yard there
was a fair well covered with lead, a little cistern
of lead attached to the well, and a lead pipe to
convey the water to the buttery. In the master's
chapel there were three chests with locks, one of
which had painted on the side 'a man and woman
pulling apples of a tree'; the taker of an inventory for confiscation purposes was apparently shy
of referring to the first sin of Adam and Eve. In
another of the chests that was banded with iron
were some organ pipes. Two clocks were mentioned, one with 'a lyttell chyme.' Mention is
also made of a large number of hangings for the
quire of divers colours, some of which were of
silk embroidered in gold; they were all ringed
for speedy use; of two pieces of white silk with
the founder's arms; of three lectern cloths of
flowered changeable silk; of 63 albes and the like
number of amices; of 'the vele of lynyn stayned,
which hunge before the quire in lent'; of 'two
red clokes of red sarcenet for lent'; two pairs of
organs and their cases, with two chairs belonging
to them; the 'latten lecterne with the egle; and
the brase that covereth the founder's grave.'
Almost immediately after the completion of this
second edition of the Fotheringhay inventories, the
goods of the college were seized by the commissioners of Edward VI., and the church, which had
sustained one of the most stately rounds of continuous services of a melodious and magnificent character throughout the whole of England, was stripped
of all the beautiful accessories of worship.
At the Dissolution all the fellows and servants
of the college received their full salary for one
quarter. Of the fellows, Richard Ward, chaunter,
received 36s. 8d.; Thomas Topclyf, overseer of
the choristers, 22s. 6d.; John Gylbert, sacrist,
26s. 8d.; John Stanyborne, steward, 23s. 4d.;
Thomas Styrope, John Flynt, Thomas Thorp,
Robert Stores, Robert Webster, Robert Hemsley,
and John Horton the curate, each received 20s.;
whilst John Rysham received 1s. 3d. more
because he kept the clock key. Of the seven
clerks, Richard Ball received 25s.; and the rest,
including John Robynson, 'organ-pleyar,' 15s.
Twelve of the thirteen choristers received 3s. 4d.,
but Richard Wattell only 20d. The thirteen
house servants received sums varying from 8s. 4d.
to the cook, down to 3s. to the under-brewer;
the payments to seventeen husbandry servants
varied from 10s. to 5d.
The pension list was drawn out on 6 March,
1548. Richard Ward was assigned £8, Thomas
Topclyf and John Gilbert £4 6s. 8d., John Stangare £4 3s. 4d., and the rest of the fellows £4.
Master Russell must have died before this date.
No pensions were assigned to the clerks or
choristers, though they were on the foundation;
but small sums were bestowed on them when
they were discharged to the total of £6 16s. 8d.,
the largest share of which, 26s. 8d., went to the
organist.
The certificate as to the value of the college
in 1547 gives £536 19s. 7½d. as its income, and
£471 11s. 6¾d. as its expenditure.
The actual surrender of the college and its
liberties to the crown took place in 1539, but
it was allowed, as we have seen, to continue
until the second year of Henry VIII.'s successor.
The commissioners of 2 Edward VI. declared
the clear annual value of this college to be
£535 6s. 2d. 'Memorandum that for as muche
as my Lorde Admeralle Smith had entryd in the
seyd College and Surveyed the same before we
came downe to survey the same We are not
able to make any perfecte Certificate of the state
of the same howse.' (fn. 25)
The college was granted by Edward VI. to
Dudley, duke of Northumberland, who immediately pulled down the quire of the great church
(the nave was parochial) and unroofed the college
buildings for the value of the lead. On the
duke's execution, the site of the college reverted
to the crown and was sold shortly before Queen
Mary's death, in July, 1558, to James Cruys.
From an estimate made previous to the sale, it
appears that the site of the college with its two
courts, woodyard, orchards, and garden occupied
nearly 3 acres. At that time there was in the
eighty-eight windows or lights of the cloister a
good deal of painted glass, but much broken and
considered of no value when pulled down. The
library must have been a fine room; it had seven
windows. In the rooms and chambers of the
cloister were eighteen doorways of freestone, valued
at 3s. 4d. a door. (fn. 26) The cloister windows had
been glazed, temp. Edward IV., when William
Fielde was master, with pictures of the miracles
of the Old Testament, with verses below them
from the Eclogues of Theodulus. (fn. 27) When
Queen Elizabeth first visited Fotheringhay, she
professed herself dismayed and shocked at the
desecrated and despoiled tombs of the royal dukes
of York, Edward and Richard, and of Cicely
Nevil, Richard's wife. The queen ordered the
disinterment of the bodies from amid the ruins of
the quire, and their re-burial at the east end of the
parish church, with monuments over them, which
Camden rightly described as 'very mean for such
great princes, descended from kings, and from
whom the kings of England are descended.' (fn. 28)
Masters of Fotheringhay (fn. 29)
John Buckland
John Maston, 1423
Thomas Peckam, 1434
Richard Vautort, 1437
Thomas Buxhall, 1461
William Feild, about 1480
Robert Bernard, about 1500
John Russell, 1521
The pointed oval seal of the college, taken
from a cast at the British Museum, (fn. 30) represents
the Annunciation in three canopied niches; on
the right the Virgin with nimbus standing on a
plinth, lifting up her right hand; in the centre
a lily flower growing out of a tall pot having a
scroll entwined in the foliage and inscribed
AVE MA.; on the left the Archangel Gabriel
with nimbus, wings outspread, kneeling on a
plinth. One of the fragments of a seal attached
to a Sloane charter (fn. 31) gives a part wanting in the
cast, showing above the canopy a shield of the
royal arms of Henry IV. In base a similar
shield of arms with label of three points Edward
Plantagenet, second duke of York, co-founder
1411.
The legend, which is defaced, runs: SIGILLŪ
COMMUNE COLLEGIJ B[EATE] MARIE [+] ŌĪM SCŌS
DE FO[the]RINGHEY.