RELIGIOUS HOUSES has been swept away, but his memory is preserved in the college founded by him early in the sixteenth century. He directed, by his will, dated 15 lO, that his executors were to provide two secular priests ' to sing and do service divine perpetually and daily ' after his decease, in his chapel in the church of St. Margaret. He adds by his will to the endowment of the charnfil priest, founded by his predecessor, Walter Cany, and then continues :
- I will that the said charnel priest and also the
said two priests that shall sing continually for my soul shall have convenient chambers in the college newly by me builded in Lynn.' This college, begun in 1502,^ was designed for the lodgement of these and other priests serving St. Margaret's church and the chapels of St. James and St. Nicholas. It was unfinished at his death, and he left towards its completion 500 marks, or more at the discretion of his executors. There was to be a master of the college, each priest had his chamber, but they had their commons in the hall.^ The Valor of 1535 mentions 'Trenite College in Lynne ' in connexion with the Gild of the Merchants. There was a master with a stipend of j^6 1 31. 4^/., and two chaplains each with a stipend of ^^5 6s. Sd.^ The date of the destruction of this college is not known. A special commission appointed in 1 561 to inquire into the chapels, colleges, and chantries of Lynn, reported : — We saye there was a house which was called Trenytie College, the founder thereof was one Thomas Thursbye, late of the same town, merchant, but to what use it was founded we know not, which college was sold by the mayor of the saide towne to one (Houghton, now owner thereof.) ' III. THE COLLEGE OF THE CHAPEL-IN-THE-FIELDS, NORWICH.' At some date prior to 1248* an important hospital and chapel, dedicated to the honour of the Blessed Virgin, was founded in the parish of St. Stephen by John le Brun, priest. It stood at the time of its foundation in the open fields on the south-west of the city, and hence became known at an early date as the Chapel-in-the- Fields. In a short space of time, aided by various benefactions, the foundation became a collegiate church on a noble scale, consisting of ' Mackerell, Hist, of Lynn, 224. ' Beloe, Kin^s Lynn, 97-103. Much of the college remains, and is well described and illustrated in this volume. ^ Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iii, 402.
- Exch. Spec. Com. 1524.
'Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. iv, 169-83 ; Dugdale, Mon. vi, 1459 ; Taylor, Index Monastkus, 48.
- In that year John Bond bequeathed a rent of 6d.
a year to the hospital of St. Mary in the Fields. a dean, chancellor, precentor, treasurer, and seven other prebendaries. To these there were afterwards added six chaplains or chantry priests, termed conduct!, as well as other chantry priests and gild chaplains — not on the foundation. They had a common table and various ordinances similar in the main to other collegiate establish- ments. The founder gave to the college the advowson of the church of St. George [Tombland] as well as that of St. Andrew. Of the latter church his brother Geoffrey, who confirmed the gift, was rector. His brother, Matthew le Brun, also gave the church of St. Mary Unbrent, Norwich. The taxation of 1 29 1 shows that the canons were then in receipt of £4. 2s. 6d. per annum in small sums from no fewer than nineteen of the Norwich parishes, as well as c)d. in rent from Thurston and 75. from lands in Earlham, giving a total of £l^. 10s. ^d. On 16 July, 1341, Edward III gave leave for the appropriation of the churches of St. Andrew and St. George,' but episcopal sanction for these appropriations was not granted until 1350.' The same king granted licences for the appro- priation of the church of Moulton and half the church of Fressingfield (Suffolk) in 1361,' and of Easton in 1374.^° In 1 38 1 the college paid a fee of ;^20 in the hanaper for the alienation in mortmain of the church of Field Dalling, the gift of William de Walsham, chaplain, and four citizens of Norwich.^' This appropriation was sanctioned by the bishop of Norwich in 1384, together with that of the church of St. Peter Mancroft.^' In the same year 40 marks were paid in the hanaper for licence to hold the church of St. Peter Mancroft, saving to the abbot and convent of Gloucester a yearly pension of £4..^^ The other half of the church of Fressingfield was appropriated to the college in 1420." In 1374 Roger Middleton, rector of St. Peter Mancroft, gave the college ;^iO towards the building of their common kitchen and the pre- cinct walls. Building was also in progress between 1377 and 1379, when the dean and canons received several bequests towards the building of their cloister. In 1428 ;^20 was given towards leading the quire of the collegiate church, and a like sum for a similar purpose in 1433. In 1458 William Martyn, notary public, left a considerable sum towards the rebuilding of the church, and Thomas Bachcroft, of Little 'Pat. 15 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 27. ' Norw. Epis. Reg. iv, 9. 'Sanctioned by the bishop (ibid, iv, 33). '"Pat. 26 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 24; 39 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 26. "Ibid. 4 Ric. II, pt. iii, m. 15. "Norw. Epis. Reg. vi, 343. " Pat. 7 Ric. II, pt. ii, m. 7. "Norw. Epis. Reg. viii, 1 37; Pat. I Hen. V, pt. iv, m. 12. 455
