on it, on condition to keep his anniversary yerely for evermore in the church, that is with 11s. 4d. to be given to three honest priests, and in other deeds of charitie and ryngyng, to pray for my soul, and the souls of friends and benefactours.
- 1563, John Rivet of Diss, 25th Sept. buried in the steeple porch; he gave a surplice: to repair the Market-street pavement, 20s.
Some of the lands that were settled on the soul priests, and to maintain the lamps, &c. were seized by Edward VI. in 1547, and were granted with divers others to Roger Townsend, Knt. and some to others.
Soul Priests Of Diss
- 1487, Sir John Dobbys, Sir William Alred, and Sir John Collop.
- 1490, William Bokynham; 1504, Sir John Clerk.
- 1536, Sir Reginald Wotton, and Sir Roger Birde.
- 1546, Sir John Collet, and Sir Dobbes; their stipends were 5l. 6s. 8d. per annum each.
At the Reformation, the church plate was sold to Henry Earl of Sussex, August 15th, 1546, at which time he gave the inhabitants a bond for 20 marks for it; and after this I find a letter from the same earl, dated at his manor of Attleburgh, July 25th, 1587, directed to the chief inhabitants, signed by him, Your lovyng and assured good Lorde, (as he calls himself,) desiring them, that as he had already received part of their town plate, that he may have the nay (as we call it) of such portion more, as shall be sold, at a reasonable price, which shall be paid them, by warrants directed to his bailiff, out of his manor of Diss; at the same time intimating, that as they do by him in this affair, they may expect he should do to them and theirs. I never could meet with an account of the plate, but do not doubt but that it was fine and valuable, else so great a man as the earl would never have thought it worth his while to trouble himself about it. I find that they sold all so far, that in 1572 they had only one cup of 23 oz. wt. There is now [1736] belonging to this church, a chalice, a cup, two silver dishes, a small plate, a spoon, and a silver-hafted knife and fork.
This place is said to have produced the following writers and remarkable men:
Ralph de Diceto
Dean of St. Paul's and a great benefactor thereto, was a very learned man, and a great author; some of his works are printed: he lived in
