XXIV. DR. LAYTON TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cott. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 249.] Pleasit your mastershipe to understonde, that yesternyght late we came from Glassynburie to Bristowe to Saint Austins, wheras we begyn this mornyng, intendyng this day to dispache bothe this howse here, beyng but xiiij. chanons, and also the Gawntes,* wheras be iiij. or v. By this bringar, my servant, I sende yowe relyqwis, fyrste, two flowres wrappede in white and blake sarcenet that one Christynmas evyn hora ipsa qua Christus natus fuerat will spring and burgen† and bere blossoms, quod expertum esse, saith the prior off Maden Bradeley; ye shall also receve a bage of reliquis, wherin ye shall se straingeis thynges, as shall appere by the scripture, as, Godes cote, Oure lades smoke, Parte of Godes supper in cena domini, Pars petre super qua natus erat Jesus in Bethelem, belyke ther is in Bethelem plentie of stones and sum qwarrie, and makith ther maingierres off stone. The scripture of evere thyng shall declare yowe all; and all thes of Maden Bradeley, wheras is an holy father prior, and hath but vj. children, and but one dowghter mariede yet of the goodes of the monasterie, trystyng shortly to mary the reste. His sones be tale men waittyng upon hym, and he thankes Gode a never medelet with marytt women, but all with madens the faireste cowlde be gottyn, and always marede them ryght well. The pope, consideryng his fragilitie, gave hym licens to kepe an hore, and hath goode writyng sub plumbo to discharge his conscience, and toc hoys Mr. Underhyll to be his gostely father, and he to gyve hym plenam remissionem, &c. I sende yowe also oure lades gyrdell of Bruton,‡ rede silke, • Billeswyke Hospital, in the suburbs of Bristol, was also called Gaunt's from Maurice de Gaunt, by whom it was founded, before 1229. + Burgen, to bud. The priory of Bruton or Brewetone, in Somersetshire, was founded about the year 1005, by Athelmer, earl of Cornwall. It was converted into an abbey in the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII. wiche is a solemne reliquie sent to women travelyng, wiche shall not miscarie in partu. I sende yowe also Mare magdalens girdell, and that is wrappyde and coveride with white, sent also with gret reverence to women traveling, wiche girdell Matilda thempresse, fownder of Ferley,* gave unto them, as saith the holy father of Ferley. I have crosses of silver and golde, sum wiche I sende yow not now bycause I have mo that shalbe delivered me this nyght by the prior of Maden Bradeley hym self. To morowe erly in the mornyng I shall bring yow the reste, whan I have recevide all, and perchaunce I shall fynde sum thyng here. In casse ye depart this day, hit may please yowe to sende me worde by this bringer, my servant, wiche way I shall repaire affter yowe. Within the Chartar Howse hath professide and done althynges accordyng as I shall declare yow at large to morowe erly. At Bruton and Glasenburie ther is nothyng notable; the brethren be so straite keppide that they cannot offende, but faine they wolde if they myght, as they confesse, and so the faute is not in them. From Sainte Austines withoute Bristowe, this saint Bartilmews day, at iiij. of the cloke in the mornyng, by the spedy hande of your moste assurede poir preste, RYCHARDE LAYTON. John Bartelot, the subject of the following letter, is probably the same person who will be found a little later concerned in a somewhat similar discovery to that here mentioned. His transaction with the prior of the Crutched friars is not greatly to his credit: and the chancellor appears to have formed no very unjust opinion of him. XXV. JOHN BARTELOT TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleopat. E. iv. fol. 134.] Pleas it your honourable mastership to be advertisid, that in the tyme of Lent last past your contynuell oratour John Bartelot, • Farley, in Wiltshire, was a small house dependent on the priory of Lewes, founded by the second Humphrey de Bohun. The empress Matilda was a benefactress, as appears from the confirmation charter of Henry 111. therunto to depart out of the chapter-house, there was found none emong thaim whiche departed. Albeit I was informed this nyght that one Agnes Smyth, a sturdy dame and a wylful, hath labored diverse of her susters to stop that we shuld not have thair convent seal; but we trust we shal have it this mornyng, with the subscription of thabbes for her self and al her susters, whiche is the best fassion that we can bring it to. The persone whiche ye spak with at the grate, covyteth very muche to speke with you, seyng she hath suche thinges whiche she wold utter to no man but to you, and what they be I can not conject. We purpose this after none, or els tomorow mornyng, to awaite on the king grace, to know his pleasir in every thing, and specially towching the muring up of the howses of utterward confessions. Maister Leyghton hath wreten certen compertes unto you, and therefor I forber to spek any thing therof. The ladys of Sion besecheth you to be good maister unto thaim, and to thair house, as thair special trust is in you, and that they all run not into obloquy and slaunder for the mysbehavor of one person. A greate number of the ladys desired me to speke unto you that Bisshope and Parkere myght be discharged from the house of Sion, and Bisshope and Parker desire the same; I mervaile that they desire not likewise to be discharged of the person with whom ye talked at the grate, seing Bisshopes caus and that is one. From Sion, the xvijth, day of December, By yours, as your servant, THOMAS BEdyll. state in which the The early history The next letter forms a link in the long chain of evidence of the English monastic houses had fallen, when the visitation took place. of the monastery of Stavordale in Somersetshire is very obscure. It is said to have been founded by Sir William Zouche. In the reign of Henry VIII. it was annexed to the Abbey of Taunton. There appears no reason for believing that Richard Zouche obtained the appointment which he here solicits. XIX. RYCHARD ZOUCHE TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cott. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 260.] Sure, pleshyt your goode mastershype to underston that wer I dewlle ys a pore pryery, a fundacion off my nawynsetres, wyche ys my lorde my fatheres ynerytans and myne, and be the resone off a lewyde pryore that was ther, wyche was a schanon off Tawntoun afor, browytte hytt to be a sell unto Tawntoun, and now hys hytt dystryde, and ther ys but to chanons, wyche be off no goode levyng, and that ys gret petty, the pore howseholde be so yett yntretyd; werfor yff ytt may plese your good masterchyppe to be so good master to me to gett me the pore howse wyche ys callyd Staverdell, I wer bownde to pray for your masterchyp, and also I schal bere you my herty servys nextt the kynge ys gras, and be at your commayndment, be the gras off God, ho ever preserve your goode masterchype. Your howyne pore servantt and bedman, The following letter belongs, perhaps, to the next year, although it is strange that Sir Peter Dutton should address Cromwell by the simple title of mastership at so late a date. From documents given in Ormerod's History of Cheshire, it appears that the abbot of Norton refused to surrender his house, and that the attempt to enforce the orders of the court excited a serious insurrection, and the commissioners were obliged to take shelter in the tower of the priory church. The abbot and other persons con. cerned in this affair were arrested by Sir Peter Dutton, then Sheriff of Cheshire, and the former is supposed to have been executed. It may be observed, however, that this insurrection appears to have taken place at the beginning of October, 13 36, whereas the present letter is dated at the beginning of August. This little house was founded as a priory, about 1113 or 1135 at Runcorne in Cheshire, by William Fitz Nigel, and was moved by his son in the time of Stephen to Norton. Early in the fifteenth century it was changed from a priory to an abbey therunto to depart out of the chapter-house, there was found none emong thaim whiche departed. Albeit I was informed this nyght that one Agnes Smyth, a sturdy dame and a wylful, hath labored diverse of her susters to stop that we shuld not have thair convent seal; but we trust we shal have it this mornyng, with the subscription of thabbes for her self and al her susters, whiche is the best fassion that we can bring it to. The persone whiche ye spak with at the grate, covyteth very muche to speke with you, seyng she hath suche thinges whiche she wold utter to no man but to you, and what they be I can not conject. We purpose this after none, or els tomorow mornyng, to awaite on the king grace, to know his pleasir in every thing, and specially towching the muring up of the howses of utterward confessions. Maister Leyghton hath wreten certen compertes unto you, and therefor I forber to spek any thing therof. The ladys of Sion besecheth you to be good maister unto thaim, and to thair house, as thair special trust is in you, and that they all run not into obloquy and slaunder for the mysbehavor of one person. A greate number of the ladys desired me to speke unto you that Bisshope and Parkere myght be discharged from the house of Sion, and Bisshope and Parker desire the same; I mervaile that they desire not likewise to be discharged of the person with whom ye talked at the grate, seing Bisshopes caus and that is one. From Sion, the xvijth, day of December, By yours, as your servant, THOMAS BEDYLL. The next letter forms a link in the long chain of evidence of the state in which the English monastic houses had fallen, when the visitation took place. The early history of the monastery of Stavordale in Somersetshire is very obscure. It is said to have been founded by Sir William Zouche. In the reign of Henry VIII. it was annexed to the Abbey of Taunton. There appears no reason for believing that Richard Zouche obtained the appointment which he here solicits. |