RELIGIOUS HOUSES Robert de Nythcote, 1340 Richard Ive, died 1637 Adam de Cringlewood, 1367 John Hennye, 1369 John Bronn, 1374 John Cleneans, 1383 Henry de Well, 140 1 John Rekincall, 1436 Thomas Ringstede, 1440 Simon de Thornham, 1459 Robert Popy, died 1467 John Neel, 1467 Nicholas Goldwell, 1498 Robert Honywood, 1502 Freeman, died 1 5 13 Thomas Hare, 1 5 1 3 Nicholas Carr, 1526 Miles Spencer, 1532 The thirteenth-century oval seal of this college (ifxiin.) simply bears an ornamantel fleur-de-lis. Legend : — + DE CAPIS ~ NOM . £T VIRGO ome' DEDIT . ADD The fourteenth-century- second seal {2^ in. X if in.) has the crowned Virgin standing under a canopied niche with Holy Child on left arm ; in base, profile of kneeling figure (the dean). Legend : — + DE . CAMPIS . NOM . EN . v'gO. DEDIT. ADDAT . ET OMEN ^ 112. THE COLLEGE OF RAVENING- HAM' The college of Raveningham was founded on 24 July, 1350, by Sir John de Norwich, eldest son of Sir Walter de Norwich and Catherine his wife. It consisted of a master and eight secular priests or canons who were to officiate in the parish church of Raveningham for the weal of the souls of the founder and Margaret, his wife, in honour of God and the Blessed Virgin, St. Andrew the Apostle, and All Saints. The church was dedicated to the honour of St. Andrew, but the collegiate house, according to the foundation charter, was to be named after the Blessed Virgin.* The college was well endowed by the founder and his heirs with the manors of Lyng, Howe, Blackworth, Hadeston, and Little Snoring, and with the appropriation of the churches of Raveningham and Norton Subcourse,' as well as with lands and rents in various other parishes. In 1382 there was a proposal to remove the college to Mettingham Castle (Suffolk). On 'B.M, 'Add. XXXV, 239 ; Blomefield, Nor/, iv, 578. Ch. 15889; Ackn. of Supr. (P.R.O.), 94 • ^ Blomefield, Hist. 0/ Norf. viii, 52-4; Dugdale, Mon. vi, 1459 ; Taylor, Index. Monastkus, 49.
- Weever, Funeral Monuments, 365.
'Norw. Epis. Reg. iv, fols. 31, 32. 5 July of that year John Plays, Robert Honeard, and Roger de Boys, knights, and John de Wolterton and Elias de Byntre, rectors of the respective churches of Harpley and Carleton, paid the immense sum of £ib(> 135. j^d. to the crown for licence to transfer the chantry of eight . chaplains from Raveningham to Mettingham Castle ; to increase the number of chaplains or canons to thirteen, and to alienate in mortmain to the college the said castle and 60 acres of land, 18 of meadow, 2 of pasture, ^^5 los. in rents, and much more land in various townships, three parts of the manor of Bromfield, the manor of Mellys, and the manor of Lyng, notwithstanding that the manor last named is held of the duke of Brittany as of the honour of Richmond.^ Some difficulty as to this transfer arose chiefly through the opposition of the nuns of Bungay, who had the appropriation of the church of Mettingham, and the college continued at Raveningham for several years after this date. On 6 August, 1387, the same applicants ob- tained a grant from the king, on the payment of the modest fee of one mark in the hanaper, to transfer the chantry of Sir John de Norwich's foundation from Raveningham, where it still was, to the church which was then being newly built in the rectory of Norton Subcourse, and that in consideration of the great fine of 1382 the master and twelve chaplains and their successors at Norton should hold all the lands and possessions granted to the chantry at Raveningham with the castle of Mettingham and all lands and possessions granted when it was proposed to move the college to that castle.' A proposition for this transference to Norton had been made in the reign of Edward III and licence obtained in 1371, but it came to nought.* Sir John de Norwich of Mettingham Castle, by will of 1373, left his body to be buried in Raveningham church by his father Sir Walter, there to rest till it could be moved to the new church of Norton Subcourse, to the building of which he bequeathed ;^450. On the death of Sir John de Norwich, the last heir male of the family, his cousin, Katharine de Brews, was found heir ; Sir John Plays and Sir Robert Howard and the others who obtained licence for the removal of the college to Metting- ham in 1382, and to Norton in 1387, were that lady's trustees, on whom she settled the college's inheritance. On the removal of the master and twelve chaplains to Norton the college still retained the title of the place where it was first founded ; the society was termed ' Ecclesia Collegiata S. Marie de Raveningham in Norton Soupecors.' But the college merely tarried at Norton for seven years ; in 1394 it was eventually removed
- Pat. 6 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 35.
' Cat of Pat. 1 1 Rich. II, pt. i, m. 25.
- Pat. 45 Edw. Ill, pt. ii. m. 35.
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