A HISTORY OF NORFOLK &c., at Feltwell, in order to sustain the lights and ornaments of the abbey church, and for the dress and shoes of the canons and lay brethren. By other charters William de VVendling conveyed to the canons all his possessions or rents in Lang- ham, Yaxham, Reymcrston, Cranworth, Letton, Shipdham, Rising Crethemere, Tilney, Wiggen- hall. Saddlebow, Clenchwarton, North Lynn, Walpole, Elmham, Oxborough, Brandon, Thet- ford, Dunham, and Kempstone. Reyner de Gimmingham granted to Nicholas, the first abbot, and his convent the advowson of the church of All Saints, Burnham Ulph, with two and a half acres of land, and the advow- son of a moiety of Burnham St. Margaret with three and a half acres of land. Robert de Stoteville granted to the same abbot, in 1273, his lordship in VVendling and the ad- vowson of the church, and all the church and chapels of Weasenham, together with forty acres at a place called Merledelond.' At the compiling of the Valor of 1 29 1, this abbey had possessions in twenty-nine Norfolk parishes, and its annual value was ;^39 19^. 7i(/. This total was slightly augmented in succeeding years by occasional gifts of lands and rents ; thus in 1306, the abbot and convent were licensed to accept the gift, by Nicholas de Stokesley, of a messuage, a mill, three acres of land, three acres of meadow, and 26s. Sd. rents in Yaxham." A considerable number of deeds relating to grants and leases made by or to the abbey in Scarning and the neighbourhood are preserved at the Record Office.' The abbey obtained the royal licence to appro- priate the church of Langham ^ in 1329, and that of Yaxham in 1363.' The clear annual value of the abbey was de- clared to be £$S i8f. 4f(^. by the Valor of 1535, when Thomas Ellington was abbot. In September, 1291, the abbot of Wendling received the papal mandate to grant a dispensation to John de Scippedaham, priest of his monastery, of illegitimate birth, to minister in orders received, and to be promoted to dignities of his order.* In September, 1327, the constable of Dover Castle was ordered to permit the abbot of Wend- ling to cross the fens from that part to attend the general chapter at Premontr^, and to supply him with twenty marks towards his expenses.' In 1330 Lady Margaret Foliot, as patroness of the abbey, was buried before the high altar of the conventual church on the north side. Pope John XXIII, in 1411, granted an in- dulgence during ten years, of one hundred days ' The whole of the above grants are cited in a royal confirmation grant of 1332. Pat. 6 Edw. Ill pt. i, m. 25. ' Pat. 34 Edw. I, m, 17. ' Ca/. of And. D. vol. v. ' Pat. 3 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 2. ' Ibid. 37 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 17. • Cal. Papal Reg. i, 541. ' Close, I, Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 12 a'. to penitents who, on certain specified feasts, should visit and give alms for the repair of the monastic church of Wendling, where were preserved cer- tain pieces of the true cross, a foot of St. Lucy the Virgin, and other relics.* On the death of Abbot John de Norwich ia 1339, the canons proceeded at once to the election of a successor, without waiting for the necessary formalities. Thereupon the abbot of Langdon,. who was acting as visitor and commissary for the abbot of Pr^montr^, wrote to the abbot of Dere- ham, styling the late John of Norwich an unworthy man who had assumed the position of abbot, and pointing out the irregularities of the canons who had proceeded to make another unworthy election. He ordered the abbot of Dereham to cite before him, as commissary, in the church of St. Rade- gund, on Mondav after the Exaltation of the Cross, the new abbot, (if he could be called so) and two proctors to represent the convent, to show cause why this uncanonical election should not be annulled.' The result is not known, but John de Tytle- shalle eventually succeeded as superior. At his first visitation tour as commissary of the abbot of Pr^montr^, in 1475, Bishop Redman tarried at Wendling from 28 to 30 June."' Three years later he was again at Wendling, on 30 June, when the abbot was ordered to see to the observance of the day and night hours, which was imperilled through paucity of numbers, and to rebuild the church, which had been destroyed by fire, as soon as possible. The debt of £,bo noted in 1475 had been reduced by the abbot's care to ;^13. In addition to John Skerning, abbot, and John Grey, sub-prior, there were only four other canons. They had three churches in their charge, which were served either by secular curates, or by canons who could be recalled at will.'^ When Bishop Redman reached Wendling on his visitation tour of 1482, he praised the general condition of the house. Considerable progress had been made with the new buildings, but he urged greater speed with the church. He gave some attention to the smaller details of worship (»'« minut'ts obiervanciii) such as directing that the antiphons of the canticles should be sung only by the priests. Richard Fenwick, contumacious and rebellious, was sentenced to forty days of severe penance, and to banishment to Leicester Abbey for three years. In addition to abbot and prior, there were but four other canons, two of whom were novices.'^ The numbers were the same at the visitation made on the 27 June, 1488, when two of the inmates were sentenced by the bishop. In one case there had been rebellion (disobedience) but the offender promised obedience
- ■ Cal. of Papal Reg. vi, 308.
' SloaneMS. 4935, fol. 83. '" Redman, Visit. (Bodl.) fol. 5. " Ibid. fols. 13, 21. " Ibid. fols. 33, 44. 422
