RELIGIOUS HOUSES and was ordered to be castigated, otherwise to appear before the provincial chapter. The other offender was brought before the visitor for defects in singing the collects ; but he refused to ask pardon, and was ordered to say the nocturn of the psalter in cloister the same day after dinner, as discipline. The bishop entered that everything else was excellent, that there had been much progress in the building of the church and conventual houses, and that there was no debt.^ At the visitation of September, 1491, there were six canons in addition to Abbot Skerning, but one was a rebel. Thomas Milham, the rebel of the last visitation, had not improved, but the contrary ; he was sentenced to forty days of pen- ance and to three years' absence at Sulby. The abbot was ordered to raise the number of canons to at least eight. ^ There was, however, no im- provement in numbers when the bishop again visited in 1494 ; the canons, including the abbot, numbered six. On this occasion there were various ritual injunctions, and John Barlyng, for incontinency, was condemned to forty days' pen- ance and two years at some other house.' At the visitation of 1 497, there were five canons and two novices. On this occasion the bishop found nothing worthy of correction ; the house was not in debt, and was abundantly supplied. The abbot was ordered to repair the dormitory. Ave Maria Stella was to be sung daily at evensong. The last recorded visitation of Bishop Redman was in 1500, when there were six canons and two novices. The visitor found that all was delight- ful.^ In 1536 the secret comperta of Legh and Leyton allege incontinency against the abbot. ^ Later in the same year the county commis- sioners reported that the abbot and convent had leased, on i November, 1534, a large portion of their lands and possessions for ninety-nine years to Richard Southwell (one of the commissioners) and Robert Logan. They found at the house
- religious persones and all prystes who done Re-
quire Capasities ; Ther name ys nott goode.' There were also two hinds and ten servants at the abbey. The lead and bells were worth j^ioo, but the house was in much decay. The goods were worth £12 8^ ()d. but the house owed j^66 1"]!. iidJ^ According to the same com- missioners' certificate, dated 27 January, 1537, the 'stufF' of this house contained in the inven- tory was sold to Robert Logan for ;^ 1 3 6;. 8(/. ,• the plate, valued at 415. 8^., was reserved in the charge of Richard Southwell. On 6 February, 1537, ex- Abbot Thomas Ellington was assigned a pension of iooj. in spite of the charge of incontinency.' This small abbey was one of those whose dis- solution was permitted by Clement VII's bull of 1528, and whose possessions were granted to Cardinal Wolsey for the erection of his two colleges. But Wolsey 's fall prevented that dis- solution being carried out. Eventually, in 1546, Henry VIII granted it to the dean and chapter of Christ Church, Oxford, on its own foundation. Abbots of Wendling Nicholas,* appointed 1265,' occurs 1273 Robert,'" occurs 1286 John,^' resigned I 329 William de Saxlingham,*^ elected 1329 John de Norwich, '* died 1339 John de Tytleshallc," elected 1339 Thomas, occurs 1352 " John,'^ occurs 1377, 1398 Ralph,^' 1425 Edmund,^* 1432 John Skerning,'^ elected 1 474 Tliomas Walsoken,-" elected 1503 Richard Rolston,"' elected 1504 John York,^^ elected 1509 George,^' occurs 1529 Thomas Ellington,-^ occurs 1535, last abbot HOUSE OF KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS 45. THE PRECEPTORY OF CARBROOKE In the time of Henry II, Maud, countess of Clare, gave the church of St. Peter, Great Car- brooke, and of St. John Baptist, Little Carbrooke, to the Knights Hospitallers, together with the manor and other endowments. The house it- self of the preceptory was dedicated to St. John Baptist, with a chapel attached. The sixteen stalls in the parish church of Great Carbrooke were supposed by Blomefield to indicate the ' Redman, Visit. (BoJl.) fol. 72. = Ibid. fols. 99, 100. ' Ibid. fols. 118, 124. -• Ibid. fol. 152.
- L. and P. Hen. Fill, x, 143.
number of Knights of the Order there resident ; but this was an error, for the house was far smaller, accommodating one knight or preceptor, " Chant. Cert. Norf. No. 90. ' Aug. O. Bks. ccxxxli, 4^. « Pat. 6 Edw. III. pt. i, m. 25. ' Ibid. '" Tanner, Norw. MSS. i, 25 " Norw. Epis. Reg. ii, 38. " Ibid. " Ibid, iii, 27. '* Ibid. " Assize R. 1450, m. 15. '" Blomefield, Hist of Norf. x, 90. " Norw. Epis. Reg. ix, 4. " Ibid. 58, " Blomefield, Hist, of Not f x, 90. '" Tanner, Norw. MSS. i, 136. " Ibid. '-' Ibid. »' L. and P. Hen. Vlll. iv, (3), 2699. " Valor Eccl. (Rcc. Com.) 423
