Thomas Southouse Monasticon Favershamiense London 1671 file ness of the stamp, or meanness of the allay thereof, not cur= rant in this our more refined age, move you unto

Thomas SouthouseMonasticon FavershamienseLondon1671

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MonasticonFAVERSHAMIENSEINAgro Cantiano:

OR

A SURVEIGHOF THEMonastry of FavershamIN THECounty of KENT.

Wherein its Barony and Right to sit inParlament is discovered. Together withits Antient and Modern estate described.As also its Founder and Benefactors Re=membred.

By Tho Southouse of Greys-Inne Esq;

—— Olim meminisse juvabit.

To which is added an Appendix of the De=scent of King Stephen, by Tho. Philipot Esq;

London, Printed for T. Passenger living at thesign of the three Bibles upon London bridge, 1671.

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TO THERight WorshipfulSir George Sonds,

Knight of the Bath, Lordof the Mannor and Hun=dred of Faversham, andthe Royalty of the Fish=ing-Grounds thereuntobelonging.

Sir,

This ensuing Piece (asa treaure trove) be=ing discovered with=in the circumference and do=minion of your Seigniory, Ihumbly offer up unto Yourview and acceptance, as byLaw and Duty I am obliged todo: Let not then the antique=

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ness of the stamp, or meannessof the allay thereof, not cur=rant in this our more refinedage, move you unto any dis=respect thereof, since this wasthe common Bullion or Ore inwhich our sacred treasureonce lay confused and blend=ed together, untill such timeas Henry the Eighth, (thatsubtle Refiner) however im=pure himself, purified it fromthat drossy mass, and stamptupon it a different worth andcharacter. And now, Sir,having discharged this debt,I crave the honour only of be=ing esteemed,

YourFaithful Servant

Tho. Southouse.

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THEEPISTLETO THEREADER.

Among which,

To the Major, Jurats, Com=monalty, and the rest of theInhabitants of the town ofFaversham, and the Pa=rishes adjoyning.

SIRS,

Having lived so manyyears within the vergeand precincts of so remark=able an Abby as this oncewas, & observing with howruinous and maimed an as=pect it now beholds us, ex=pecting it every day to sink

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under the heavy pressure ofits own weight, and lie en=tombed in the rubbage of itsruines amongst the rest of itsno less comely parts, and thehistory thereof be quite for=gotten, I thought my self induty bound (partly for thehonour I bear unto the townI live in, to which this stru=cture (when in its primitivespendor and beauty) was no

Camb.Brit.Preface.

mean ornament; as also thatthe piety of our forefathers,

(which was in nothing moreconspicuous than in such sa=cred foundations) might notlanguish into decay, and becrowded into the grave ofoblivion by the fall of thesetheir depressed monuments)to rescue from the teeth of

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all-devouring time and obli=vion some memorials con=cerning the primitive state& condition thereof; whichI found my self the bettercapacitated to do, in respectof certaine Manuscripts inmy own possession (hereun=to relating) not elsewhereto be found, amongst whichthe Leiger of this house lentme by the Honourable SirGeo. Sonds, to which I havemade many references inthe ensuing Discourse. Gen=tlemen, this History is calcu=lated chiefly for the Meri=dian of Faversham, althoughit may not altogether beunserviceable to othersmore remote, and thereforeit is expected to thrive a=

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mongst you. The main aimeand design I had in compo=sing hereof, was to unhood=wink your eyes, and to bringyou acquainted with the an=tiquities and venerable mo=nument within your selves,that you may not, like thelazy and ignorant Syracu=sians, stand in need of astrangers information todiscourse unto you of theHistory of this our Abby,with which your selves(with shame be it spoken)are unacquainted.

Sirs, I have sent out thisparticular Treatise as an har=benger to bespeak your en=tertainment of a surveigh ofthe town it self, which (ifthis be kindly accepted of)

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I shall be encouraged to ha=sten with the greatest dili=gence and speed that maybe; expecting that you willbe free in communicating

unto me such Manuscriptsand Records which are with=in your keepings, which mayany ways tend unto the ad=vancement and carrying onso charitable and necessarya work: And in the meanwhile I commend this myfirst-born unto your handsand protections, which ifyou gratefully receive, youwill very much oblige thetender Parent thereof to be,

Sirs,

Your Faithful Friendto serve you

Tho. Southouse.

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To his Worthy Friend ThomasSouthouse of Greys-Inne Esquire,upon his Publication of his Mo=nasticon Favershamiense.

Should now the Goth and barb’rous Vandal rise,And raze again Records and Histories,And crush those Trophies into shuffled dust,In which Antiquity was put in trust,To treasure up the Ashes, and the FameOf those who had improv’d a Publick Name;Your active Pen would like some vigorous charmeThe rudeness of those wilder hands disarm;And gasping Records from two burials save,In dark Oblivion and the gloomy Grave,And buoy them up, though they were sunk and runTo Ruine, and Dilapidation:Since then an angry tempest did enstateUpon this Abby a destructive fate,And savage hands did scatter and o’returnWith ruinous violence that Royal Urn,Which was the Exchequer, where King Stephen’s / clay,Until the Souls return, as hostage lay;

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Posterity will find this Book aloneShall to this Abby stand the noblest stone,And as the lasting’st Evidence becomeBoth Brass and Marble to King Stephens Tomb:So that though time and testie zeal have rentThis Abby, and the Regal MonumentTo moulder’d heaps, that they themselves interrThemselves, and are their own rude sepulcher;This Book shall to these crumbled ruines beBoth Everlasting Urn, and Obsequie.

Thomas Philipot.

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To his Industrious Friend ThomasSouthouse Esquire, on his MonasticonFavershamiense.

Arise brave Stephen, come and see how farThy acts of peace transcend thy acts of war;Thy Chronicle’s a narrow History,This is a large as was thy Charity:That but recounts thy acts whilst thou hadst breath,This shews how long thou livest after death,And shews thee greater than when foes in fieldTo thy blood-thirsty Battle-Axe did yield.And this (the more’s the Author’s Industry)Through th’ obscure light of dim Antiquity.The world’s bright eye thus greatest doth appearWhen ’tis within the dusky Atmos Sphære.To th’ rule in Opticks now I’le ever stick,[The object’s biggest where the medium’s thick]Take an example for’t; all things appearGreater i’th’ water, than i’th’ aire when clear.This is thy happy fate, Great Prince, ’tis so,Thou’rt greater now cause, under water too;They whose Phanatick zeal did prompt their handsT’ ore-throw thy Abby, and to grasp the lands,Least th’ Earth should prove too faithful, or the stonesTell truth, to th’ Channel they commit thy bones.Had Rufus thee succeeded, surely heHad took the Seaman’s counsel not the Sea.Spight of all this, and th’ clouds of ages past,The Author shews us clearly what thou wast.Best Pilates thus steer as direct a wayI’th’ darkest night as in the clearest day.

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Thou’st done so well (my friend) that were’t my caseNow, as ’twas Stephen’s then, his steps I’de traceIn some such work: provided it might beDeliver’d to posterity by thee.

Rob. Platt A. M. <r ‘Plott’>

In opus, opere precium, Authore ThomaSouthouse, Legum consule, Amico suomeritissimo, Carmen Panegyricum,1671.

Heylini obtinuit multum Microcosmus honoremOmnibus in plebis, Principis atque choris.

Multa & magna manet tibi Cambden gratia, cujusRelliquias sacras tota Britann’a colit.

Cantia si taceat Lambarti encomia, cantatPer regnum celebris transitus ille suus.

Denique in Abbatiam sufflat tuus Auster (amice!)Nomen cui infaustæ fata dedere Febris.

Fertur ab antiquis, Virtus post funera vivit;Funera virtutum tu renovare studes.

Nec minor est virtus peritura ac parta tueri.Hic labor, hoc opus est, (vir venerande!) tuum

Hic interponas vice (Lector!) seria ludis,Et quæcunque sapis, sacra, profana legis.

Sacra satis, nimis atque prophana horrendaq; furta,Qualia vix ætas ulla nefanda tulit:

Hæc tu deploras; nec mirum. Talia fandoQuis, nisi sit saxum, lumina sicca gerat?

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Quæ si præscirent Sancti super astra colentes,Ut Sanctum in terris, te celebrare velint.

Perge ergo Legum, pergas dignissime consul,Te Mecænatem Lexque, propheta colent.

Tho. Cater M. A.Vicar. de Ospr.

Idem Amicus in opus idem.

Some forraign Countries do desire to range,When to their own they often times are strange;And like some birds, their own nests they defile,Whilst strangers with their Legends them beguile.But thou (most worthy friend) such love dost bearUnto they native Soil, that it to rearOut of the dust, with it thou dost begin,And ransackst the Old Monuments therein:Where we may see the Piety and ZealOf former Ages, which these times repeal;And to out-face their fearful SacrilegeSay, All of Superstition’s but a pledge:But be it so, yet they did know no better,Then let us not corrupt the Text or Letter;Which is the care of this our Author here,If truth by antient Records may appear.Then read it o’re, and do not act the Mome,But as it’s fit give’t thy Encomium.

Farewell then (honour’d Hero!) May thy dayesBe crown’d with years, thy Book and Thee with / Bayes!

Sic vult vovetque Amicus tui devotissimus,

Tho. Cater.

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Monasticon Favershamiense.

So great was the esti=mate and regardprecedent Ages hadfor Monastical andretired dwellers,that there was scarce any placeso inconsiderable, but had oneor more of these Religious Semi=naries within its Precincts andBounds. The Prayers of Monksbeing lookt upon as more effe=ctual towards the procurementof prosperity and wealth to anyplace, than the tedious Homiliesof any long winded secularPriest. Hence came it to passe(not to stray far from home) Da=vington had an house for Nuns;Ospringe a Major Dieu; and Fa=versham her Abby: of whichthree in this ensuing Treatise it

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is my purpose to give the Readeran indifferent account. Andfirst, I will begin with the Abby,it being (whilst it had a being)of greatest Honour and Esteem.

It was Founded by the Pietyand well meaning of King Ste=phen, in the year of our Lord,1148, and was by him commend=ed unto the Patronage of ourblessed Saviour, and was com=monly known by the name of theMonastry of St. Saviour’s of Fa=versham.

The Charter of his Donationthereof take as followeth:

Stephanus Rex, &c. Archi=episcopis, Episcopis &c. salutem.Sciatis Me pro salute animæ meæ,& Matildis Reginæ uxoris meæ,& Eustachii filii mei, & alio=rum puerorum meorum & ante=cessorum meorum Regum Angliæ,dedisse manerium meum de Faver=sham ad fundandam Abbatiamunam ibidem de ordine Clunia=censium, &c.

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It seems by this Charter theKing designed them for the orderof Cluniacks, but afterwards (Iknow not for what reason) Cla=renbald the first Abbot of thisplace procured his and hisfellows release from that Order,(a thing not usual:) A Recordof which Absolution is kept inChrist Church Cant. to this effect.

Somn.Cant.

Literæ absolutoriæ Petri Abba=tis Cluniacensis & B. Priorissanctæ Mariæ de caritate, quæprædictum Clarenbaldum & Mo=nachos qui secum venerant de Ber=mondeseia ab omni subjectione& obedientia ecclesiæ Cluniacen=sis absolvebant, ne viz. ecclesiaCluniacensis aliquid subjectionisin eundem Clarenbaldum sive insuccessores suos, vel aliquid Jurisin monasterio de Faversham ca=lumpniare posset in posterum.

Another to the same purposeout of the Monasticon Anglica=num take as followeth:

Mon. Ang. —— Præterea absolvo ipsumPriorem Clarenbaldum & præ=

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scriptos Monachos ab omni obe=dientia vel subjectione quam mihiseu Cluniacensi ecclesiæ ante hæcpromiserunt, & debebant, siveecclesiæ de Caritate ut Deo ser=viant apud Faversham, ita viz.libere, ut nec Abbas Cluniacensis,vel Prior de Caritate præsumantquicquam in Abbatia de Faver=

sham calumpniari.Which absolvatory letters of

these Monks from the Order ofClugni never coming perchanceto the eyes and ears of Mr. Cam=den, and others, may occasion thatpardonable mistake of theirs insaying, King Stephen stocked thishis Abby of Faversham with theMonks of Clugni, whereas uponthis their release from that Orderthey betook themselves unto theancient rules of St. Bennet, ofwhom and his profession expectmore hereafter in this ensuingDiscourse.

Come we now from the Orderunto the tenure by which thisAbby was holden of the King —

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And that was per Baroniam, forInst. 1. 97.A.

saith the Lord Coke, King Stephendedit Abbati & Monachis &successoribus suis Manerium deFaversham in Comitatu Cantiæsimul cum Hundredo &c. tenen=dum per Baroniam.

And this foundation was sopleaded Canc. Pasch. 30. Ed. 1.coram Rege.

And with this accords thatTitl. Hon.730.

great Luminary of Antiquity Mr.Selden, who saith, that this Abbyantiently held per Baroniam.

Upon which Authorities (al=though in divers Charters andPetitions I have found themterm themselves Tenants inFrankalmoigne, and so termedby others) I shall incline that theyheld this their Abby of the Kingper Baroniam; and so conse=quently were in a capacity to sitin the High Court of Parla=ment.

And here it is to be known bythe way, that no ReligiousHouse, but such as was really of

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the Kings Foundation, couldhold per Baroniam, and be capa=ble of a voice in Parlament.

4 Inst. 45. For the Abby of Leicester,which was founded by Rob. FitzRob. Earle of Leicester (not=withstanding the Patronagethereof came to the Crown bythe forfeiture of Simon Mount=ford Earle of Leicester) yet beingbut of a Subjects foundation itcould not be holden per Baroni=

am, and therefore the Abbotthereof was not in a capacity tobe called to Parlament. Where=upon the King granted, quodidem Abbas & successores sui deveniendo ad Parliament. & con=cilia nostra vel hæredum nostro=rum quieti sint & exonerati im=perpetuum.

And this was after the saidAbbot had often de facto hadplace and voice in Parlament(quod nota.)

And here it is to be furtherknown, that not all those housesneither which were of the Kings

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foundation did regularly holdby a Baronie, but only such aswere specially founded to holdby that tenure.

For there were within thisRealm of England one hundredand eighteen Monastries found=ed by the Kings of England, ofall which there were not abovetwenty six or twenty seven Ab=bots and two Priors, that wereLords of Parlament, and hadplaces and voices there: Amongstwhich number this our Abbot ofFaversham is not to be ranked,

Inst. 1. 9. a. saith the Lord Coke; for saith he,‘Albeit this Abbot held by a Baro=nie, yet because he was never (thatI find) called by Writ thereunto,he never sate in Parlament.’

Whence is to be observed,that beside the aforesaid quali=fications these Abbots had, viz.

1. To be of the Kings founda=tion.

2. To hold by a Baronie,which were requisite as hathbeen said to capacitate them to

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sit in Parlament, there oughtto have been a Writ or Summonsto have impowered them to havetaken their place and honour inthat High Court.

For the honour of Baroniebeing in them in right only oftheir Abbies, and not inherent inthem as in men personally eno=bled, or as in such as by reasonof their spiritual dignity had ne=cessarily a right to place andvoice in Parlament, they couldnot appear there without a spe=cial Summons to enable them.

Inst. 1. 16.B.

But otherwise I suppose it wasin men personally enobled, for ifa man had been once generallycalled to Parlament, he hadgained a Fee-simple in the Ba=rony without any words of in=heritance (tamen quære.) the mo=dern creation of Barons by Pa=tent being not then in use.

Joh Beauchamp le Holt beingthe first that was created Baronby Patent, who was created Ba=ron of Kederminster, 11. R. 2.

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by Letters Patents of that King.Well, but since it hath been

said, that the Kings Writ anti=ently directed to an Abbot, wasonly so effectual as to make him

Obj. a Baron of Parlament; I mustexpect it to be demanded of me,what preheminence those Te=nants per Baroniam had of themwhich held in Frankalmoigne,towards the promoting them tothe honour of ParlamentaryVotes, since the Kings Writ (asappears) was essential to theirthere sitting, which ad libitumRegis might have been dire=cted as well to the one as the o=ther.

To the Answer and resolutionwhereof take the words of that

Inst. 4. 44,45.

learned Lawyer and AntiquarySir Ed. Coke, who saith, ‘If theKing by his Writ calleth a Knightor Esquire to be Lord in Parla=ment, he cannot refuse to servethat King in communi illo con=cilio for the good of his Countrey:But if the King had called an

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Abbot, or other Regular Prælateby Writ to Parlament, if he heldnot of the King per Baroniam, hemight refuse to serve there, be=cause quoad sæcularia he wasmortuus in Lege, and thereforenot capable to have place andvoice in Parlament.’

But to proceed: whetherthese our Abbots of Favershamwere ever called by Writ to Par=lament will be one question,and how they came to be dis=charged thereof another:

1. For the first, the Lord Coke(with submission be it spoken)is mistaken, when he saith, ‘ThisAbbot was never called by Writ to

Selden’stit. Hon.

Parlament’: For the great Sel=den affirmes, that these our Ab=bots were called to twelve se=veral Parlaments in elder times,viz. in the Reigns of Ed. 1. &Ed. 2.

2. As to the second, whetherthey were against their willsomitted, or whether by petitionthey procured their own dis=

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charge, is not yet agreed upon:But after the Eighteenth year ofEd. 2. it is certain they were notcalled, which omission of themthen (I am apt to conclude) wasoccasion’d either through theirown modestly declining such se=cular employments, and troubles,as well knowing, Quod non con=venit iis qui militant Deo, seimplicare negotiis secularibus.The Clergy in those Ages notbeing so much affected with idlepomp and secular vanity as af=terwards they were found to be.Or else,

2. Through the infirmitiesand weaknesses that accompaniesold age (sufficient essoines tohave them excused) from takinglong journeys to the hazard oftheir lives. Or,

3. And what is most likely,from the low ebb and shallow=ness of their estate at that time;(which not long before had beendrained almost dry by the ex=actions of the Court of Rome, as

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shall be shewed more at largehereafter) and poverty (allknow) is the most soveraigneantidote to dispel the tympanyof ambition.

And that these my conjecturesmay not altogether be thoughtimprobable, I shall give you someinstances, where some such Re=ligious foundations have refusedthese Parlamentary honours oftheir own accord, having by Pe=tition or otherwise purchasedtheir discharge:

As for Example, The Prior ofCoventry played at in and out,

Full. Ch.Hist.

and declined his appearance inParlament.

So also the Abbot of St. Jamesby Northampton may be said tohave sitten but on hip in Par=

lament, he appears so in thetwilight between a Baron andno Baron in summons thereunto:But afterwards the first was con=firmed in his place, but the otheron his earnest request obtainedhis discharge.

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So also the Abbot of Teuxberryin Glocester-shire, notwithstand=ing his great Revenue and Roy=al favorites, alwayes absentedhimself from Parlaments.

To conclude once for all inthe words of the same Author.

‘When Parlaments proved fre=quent, some Priories far from theplace where they were summoned,the way long, the weather (espe=cially in winter) tedious, travel=ling on the way costly, living atLondon chargeable; some Prio=ries were so poor they could not,all so lazy and loving their ease,that they were loath to take longjourneys, which made them after=wards desire to be eased of theirhonourable, but troublesome, at=tendance in Parlaments.’

And who knows but these ourAbbots of Faversham, being atforty or fifty miles distance fromthe Imperial City, might uponsome of these reasons procuretheir Writs of Ease to tarry athome, and like good husbands

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provide for the well govern=ment of their covents andcharge, especially consideringthat most of those who attainedto the honour of being Abbotsmust needs be men well strickenwith years, to whom long jour=neys could not be overpleasant,and Honour it self would provebut quarries to recall their Piousand Religious thoughts fromHeaven unto the restless andvainglorious world, from whichwith Fastings, Prayers and Painsthey had before retired them=selves. But thus much concern=ing their qualifications — Letus now take a prospect of thepersons qualified, which fromthe erection of this Abby untothe dissolution thereof amount=ed just to twenty, whose namestake as followeth, viz.

The names of the Abbots.

1. Clarenbald, who was Priorof Bermondsey in Southwark, asshall be shewn hereafter, andtranslated hither by King Ste=

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phen to be Abbot of this Mona=stry.

2. Guerricus, alias Swerricus,alias Werricus.

3. Algarus: In this mans timethere hapned a great Suit in theKings Bench, about the Patro=nage of the Church of Ludden=ham, between the said Abbot andWilliam de Insula, heir to SirWilliam de Insula by Mabilia thedaughter of William de Ludden=ham, which last William had gi=ven the Church of Luddenhamto this Abby; as shall be shewnhereafter:

4. Nicholas5. Geoffrey6. Peter7. John8. Peter of Rodmersham9. Peter10. Oswald, sirnamed de E=

stry, who in the third year ofEd. 1. was chosen Abbot by theArch Bishop of Canterbury, Ordi=nary of the place, in lieu of oneJohn Romenhale, whom the

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Monks had chosen to be Abbot,and disliked by the Arch-bishop,which will appear by the ensuingCertificate of the Bishop’s to theKing, requesting him to restorethe temporalties to the said Os=wald, which take as followeth,

Ex Archi=vis Tur=ris.

Excellentissimo principi Domi=no Edvardo dei gratia illustri RegiAngliæ, Domino Hiberniæ &Duci Aquitaniæ. R. miserationedivina Cantuar. Episcop. totiusAngliæ primas salutem & perRegni temporalis administratio=nem vitam consequi sempeternam:Cum nos nuper electionem factamde fratre Johanne de Romenhaleper Monachos Monasterii de Fa=versham in Abbatem electo, justi=tia exigente cassaverimus & eis=dem Monasterio & Monachis defratre Oswaldo de Estry, cuiassensum Regium ad nostram in=stantiam devote adhibuistis pro=viderimus. Excellentiam vestramattente rogamus, quatenus præfatoOswaldo in Abbatem per nos con=

firmato administrationem bono=

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rum temporalium & possessionumMonasterii antedicti, juxta Regnivestri consuetudinem concederedignemini in hac parte. Dat. apudLambeth, 8 Idus Nov. Anno Dom.1275. consecrationis nostræAnno tertio.

Hence may be noted the exor=bitant power of the Arch-bishopin those times in intrenchingthus upon a Royal foundation,which by its prerogative andright should have been exemptedfrom his inspection and jurisdi=ction; as being under the visita=tion only of the Chancellor, be=cause of a King’s foundation.

11. Clement12. John13. John14. John Abbots.15. William16. Robert17. Robert18. John19. Walter Sirnamed Goore,

who resigned his government ofthis Abby into the hands of the

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Arch-bishop of his own accord,6 Sep. Anno 14. H. 7.

20. John sirnamed Castlock aliasShepey, who succeeded him, andwas the twentieth and last Abbotof the Monastry of St. Savioursof Faversham; being Abbot atthe time of the dissolution ofthe Abby, as shall be shewn here=after.

He had the King’s Writ to re=store his temporalties directedunto him, 10 Feb. 14. H. 7.which because it doth evidenceunto us the Kings Prerogativeand Power in Ecclesiastical affairsin those elder times, when theBishop of Rome’s interest was somuch advanced, I think not im=pertinent to insert here verbatim.

Henr. Dei gratia Rex Angliæ

Leig.Book ofthis Abby.Penes G.Sond mi=litem.

& Franciæ & Dominus Hiberniæ,Omnibus ad quos præsentes literæpervenerint salutem. Sciatis quodnos certis de causis nos specialitermoventibus de gratia nostra spe=ciali ac de certa scientia & mero

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motu nostris concessimus venera=bili patri in Christo Johanni nuncAbbati Monasterii Sancti salvator.de Faversham in comitatu Cantiæ,quod quidem Monasterium de fun=datione inclytorum progenitor’nostrorum quondam Regum An=gliæ, & nostro patronatu ex=istit, omnia & omnimodos exi=tus, proficua, firmas, redditus,Reventiones, & emolumentaomnium & singulorum domorum,maneriorum, terrarum, tenemen=torum, possessionum & hæredita=tum, ac omnium aliorum tempora=lium quorumcunque, quæ sunttemporalia Monasterii prædicti,ac eidem Monasterio quovis modopertinent’ sive spectant’ & quæ admanus nostras seu in manibus no=stris ratione ultimæ vacationisMonasterii illius per liberam &spontaneam resignationem Wal=teri Goore nuper Abbatis Mona=sterii illius, viz. sexto die Sept.ultimo præterit’ in manus reve=rendissimi in Christo patris Johan=nis tituli Anastacii sacrosanctæ

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Romanæ Ecclesiæ presbyteri Car=dinalis & Apostolicæ sedis legati,ac Cantuar’ Archiep’ loci illiusOrdinarii devenerunt aut existe=runt jure prærogativæ nostræ Re=giæ, a dicto tempore resignationispræd’ Walteri nuper Abbatis Mo=nasterii præd’ hucusque perveni=ent’ crescent’ sive emergent’ Ha=bend’ & percipiend’ omnia &singula præd’ exitus, proficua,firmas, redditus, reventiones &emolumenta præd’ omnium &singulorum præmissorum quæ no=bis ratione ultimæ vacationispræd’ quoquomodo pertinerent autspectarent præfato nunc Abbatitam per manus suas & ministro=rum suorum proprias quam permanus omnium & singulorumnunc & nuper Eschaetorum nostro=rum in singulis comitat’ in quibuspræmissa seu aliquid præmissor’seperatim existunt, ac per manusomnium & singulorum recepto=rum, firmariorum, tenentium, oc=cupatorum, aut ministr’ temporal’præd’ seu alicujus inde parcellæ

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adeo plene & integre ac licite &impune prout nos præmissa seualiquam partem præmissorum

dicto tempore vacation’ Mo=nasterii præd’ haberemus si præ=sens concessio nostra eidem nuncAbbati inde fact’ non fuisset abs=que impetitione seu perturbationenostri seu hæredum nostrorum,Justiciar’, Baronum de Scac=cario nostro, Vicecomitum, Es=chaetorum seu aliorum officiar’aut ministr’ nostr’ quorumcunque,& absque compoto responso seualiquo alio onere nobis aut hære=dibus nostris pro præmissis seu ali=quo præmissorum reddendo sol=vendo seu faciendo quovis modo.Et ulterius de uberiori nostra gra=tia perdonamus, remisimus, re=laxavimus ac per præsentes per=donamus remittimus & relaxa=mus eidem Johanni nunc Abbatiomnimodos intrusiones & ingres=sus in præd’ temporalia Mona=sterii præd’ per se vel aliquem nu=per Abbatum prædecessorum suo=rum per seu post mortem aut resig=

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nationem, cessionem vel depositio=nem alicujus nuper Abbatis Mona=sterii illius prædecessorum suorumabsque debita prosecutione, libe=ratione, acceptatione, restitutioneaut traditione eorundem extramanum Regiam ante præsentemdiem qualitercunque fact’ habit’attempt’ sine licentia Regia. Acomnimodas punitiones, execu=tiones & demanda quæ versus ip=sum Abbatem habemus seu haberepoterimus ullo modo in futurum,eo quod expressa mentio de certi=tudine exituum, proficuorum, fir=marum, reddituum, reventionum& emolumentorum præd’ per noseidem nunc Abbati per præsentesconcessor’ in præsentibus fact’ nonexistit, aut aliquo statuto, actu, or=dinatione seu restrictione ante hæctempora fact’, edit’, ordinat’ siveprovis’ aut aliqua causa, re seu ma=teria quacunque in aliquo non ob=stante. In cujus rei testimoniumhas literas nostras fieri fecimuspatentes.

Teste meipso apud Westm. 17.

27

die Feb. Anno Regni nostri 15.

Having now so far entred theAbby as to be acquainted withthe Abbots thereof, let us a littlereflect on the Monks likewise

and enquire into their number,order, and habits.

1. Then for their number. Itwas Apostolical, they beingtwelve besides the Abbot, a num=ber in which the Sacred Writseems much to be delightedFor to pass by the Apostles, theTribes of Israel were twelve,the Patriarchs were twelve, andSolomon’s Officers were twelve,1 Kings 4. 7.

So here I find King Stephen,when he had finished this hisAbby, to repleate and stock itwith Religious Votaries, trans=plants from the Monastry of Ber=mondsey in Southwark the Priorthereof named Clarenbald andtwelve other Monks all of thatPriory, and placeth them here, itbeing usual in those dayes for

28

one Religious House to begetanother.

A testimony of the truthwhereof will appear by the en=suing Charter.

Monast.Ang.

Thomæ Dei gratia Cantuar’Archiep’ frater Petrus fratrumCluniacensium indignus ministersalutem & dilectionem in Domino.Notum volumus fieri vestræ di=lectioni, quod nos dedimus & con=cessimus Stephano Regi Angliæ& Matildi uxori ejus ReginæClarenbaldum qui fuit Prior Mo=nachorum de Bermunseia & cumeo 12. Monachos ejusdem cœnobiiad construendam Abbatiam suamquam apud Faversham fundarecœperunt.

Thus much then for theirnumber; come we next to en=quire of their Order,

2. Which was that of St. Ben=net’s, an Order so appropriatedto this our Realm, that as onesaith, All the Abbies of Englandbefore the time of King Williamthe Conquerour, and sometime

29

after consisted of this Order.They were called Benedictinesfrom St. Bennet or Benedict anItalian, first Father and Founderof that Order, of whom and hisMonks I shall have occasion toenlarge hereafter.

3. Their habits were black,and they were sworn to chastity,

poverty, and obedience to theirSuperiours, three excellent ver=tues, which that they might themore faithfully observe and ea=sier keep — they renounced thedebauched world and all its al=luring vanities, and buried them=selves alive in a gloomy reposito=ry, conversing with iron bars andflinty walls, before the effemi=nate and corrupted secular peo=ple.

—— Fuit hæc sapientia quondamPublica privatis secernere, sacra

prophanis.

In which their solitude andapartement, they seem’d like

30

stars of the first magnitude, bythe rayes of whose devotion theignorant vulgar found oftimesthe way to Heaven.

To be short, such was theirseverity to themselves, theirkindness to their friends, andlastly, which exceeds all, theirfervency in their Religion totheir God, that all the world ad=mir’d them: and Monks werein those elder times of so sacredesteem, that from the Throne tothe Gentleman there was scarceany family so irreligious, but oneor other of their Issue was de=voted to the Cloysters.

Let us next cast our eye uponthe rules and prescripts by whichthey order’d their lives and con=versations, which was of twosorts: —

1. The Rules for their devo=tion:

2. Their Rules of morality:Both which we shall find exceed=ingly severe and rigid; such as,I fear, the looser gallants of our

31

age would forfeit Heavensooner than observe.

1. Then for their Rules ofdevotion: They served Godseven times a day;

1. At Cock-cowing; becausethe Psalmist saith, ‘At midnightwill I praise the Lord’; and‘most conceive’ (saith my author)‘that our Saviour rose from thedead at that time.’

2. Matutine: At the firsthour, or six of the clock, when

the Jewish morning sacrifice wasoffer’d, and at what time Christ’sResurrection was by Angels firstnotified to the women.

3. At the third hour, or nineof the clock before noon, whenaccording to St. Mark, Christwas condemned and scourgedby Pilate.

4. At the sixth hour, or twelveof the clock, at high noon, whenChrist was crucified and darknesswas over the whole earth.

5. At the ninth hour, or threeof the clock in the afternoon,

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when Christ gave up the Ghost,which was an hour of publickprayer in the Temple, and pri=vately in his closet with Cor=nelius.

6. Vespertine, at the twelfthhour, or six of the clock in theafternoon, when the evening sa=crifice was offered in the Templeand when Christ is supposed ta=ken down from the Cross.

7. At seven of the clock at night,(or the first hour beginning thenocturnal twelve) – when Christ’sagonie was conceived to begin.

Thus much for their devoti=on; let us next take a prospectof their moral way of living, andwe shall see them out-do theStoicks for strictness of beha=viour; which take as followeth:

1. No Monk was to go alonebut alwayes two together, thatso they might have both testemhonestatis & monitorem pietatis;and this was done in some imita=tion of Christ’s sending his Disci=ples to preach two and two be=

33 <sig C>

fore his face, that so they mightalternately ease one another.

2. They were to fast on Wed=nesdayes and Frydayes till threea clock (except between Easterand Whitsunday.)

3. In Lent, they were to fasttill six a clock at night.

4. No Monk was to speak aword in the Refectory or Hallwhen they were at their meals.

5. They were to listen to theLecturer reading Scripture tothem whilst they fed them=selves.

6. The completory was to be

sung solemnly about seven atnight: It was called Completory,because it completed the dutiesof the day. This service wasconcluded with that versicle ofthe Psalmist, ‘Set a watch O Lordbefore my mouth, and keep thedoor of my lips.’

7. None was to speak a wordafter the Completory ended:but to hasten to their beds.

This silence, saith my author,

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was so strictly observed by somethat they would not speakthough assailed by thieves, tomake discovery in their offence.

8. The Monks were to sleeptogether in beds by themselves,if possible in one room (calledthe dormitory.)

9. They were to sleep in theirclothes girt with girdles.

10. The youth was not to lieby themselves but mingled withtheir Seniors, that their gravitymight awe them into good be=haviour.

11. The Infants incapable ofexcommunication were to becorrected with rods: such aswere under the age of fifteenwere accounted infants.

12. The offenders in smallfaults, whereof the Abbot wassole judge were to be only se=questred from the table —

Small faults] as coming aftergrace to dinner, breaking,though casually, the earthenEwer wherein they washt their

35

hands, being out of tune in set=ting the Psalms, taking any bythe hand (as a Preface forsoothto wantonness,) receiving lettersfrom, or talking with a friendwithout leave from the Abbot,&c.

From the Table] Such wereto eat by themselves and threehours after the rest, until theyhad made satisfaction.

13. The offenders in greaterfaults, viz. Theft, Adultery, &c.to be suspended from the tableand prayers.

14. None was to conversewith any excommunicate personunder the pain of excommuni=cation.

15. Incorrigible offenderswere to be expelled the Mo=nastry.

16. An expelled brother be=ing readmitted on promise ofhis amendment was to be set lastin order, losing his former Seni=ority.

Note, that whosoever willing=

36

ly quitted the Covent threetimes, or was thrice cast out forhis misdemeanours might notany more be received.

17. The bed of every Monkwas to have a matt, blanket, ruggand pillow; no down, feathersnor flock used by them, nor nolinnen worn by their bodies.

18. The Abbot was to bechosen by the merits of his lifeand learning.

19. He was never to dinealone, and when guests werewanting, he was to call some bre=thren unto his table, such as wererelieved by his hospitality wereby canonical Criticks sected intofour ranks, viz.

1. Convivæ [guests,] livingnear the City where the Coventstood.

2. Hospites] coming from distantplaces yet still of the same Coun=ty.

3. Peregrini] Pilgrims of ano=other nation, and generally tra=velling for devotion.

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4. Mendici [Beggars,] who re=ceived their almes at the gate.

Thus have we passed over mostof the Rules prescribed for theBenedictine Monks. I will onelyadd one more which hath beenhitherto omitted, viz. Thatthe Monks of this Order by theirFounders rule were to eat no=thing but fish except upon some

Poly=chron. lib.5. fol. 203.

special occasion; which puts mein mind of a remarkable storyconcerning two Monks of thisOrder, who being taken captivesby some Turkish Pirats, were bythem prostituted unto the prideand scorn of the Imperious Sul=tan, who finding them by theirhabits to be men in Orders, andlearning from them that theyowned the rules of St. Bennet,He began to be much inquisitive

concerning the rules of theirprofession, and especially con=cerning their diet, demandingof them whether the severity oftheir profession would permitthem to drink wine and eat flesh?

38

who modestly reply’d, that some=what of wine by their rules theywere allowed to drink and to eatfish — but from flesh (exceptupon some eminent occasion)they were totally debarred.

The subtle Mahometan hearingthis presently commanded, thatin their confinement they shouldhave two fair women to attendthem, and that their fare shouldbe inlarged: debarring themfrom fish and wine their usualdiet, he orders them plenty offlesh and water: – The inno=cent Fathers whose sublimerthoughts were fix’t on contem=plations far above the frailty of awomans beauty, fall to their un=usual fare like men that hadgood appetites, and pledge them=selves with those cold draughts,with as great content as doth theEpicure with his Chian wines, notminding those fair baits that hadbeen laid to entrap them with (Imean the women;) which whenthe inquisitive Sultan under=

39

stood, he chang’d their fare, andthe next day assigns them fish andwine their Founders diet, andthe same waiters to attend theirmotion. They eat and drinksuspecting no design; their heartsgrow merry and their bellies full,when loe the treacherous winesteals to their sober brains, at=taques their reason, and theirgiddy heads grow light as are thewomen they admire. Their eyesonce shut to vanity are now likecasements open’d wide to let inlust. Their tongues which oncecould charm heavens ears arenow tuning amours to please asilly woman. To be short, theythat had been us’d to fast andpray, to penance, and all thehardness of a Christian life, donow most tamely and cheaplydegenerate into softness and ef=feminacy, and are betray’d intothe embraces of those sinful wo=

men.So have I seen a stubborn flint

at first resist the fury of an ham=

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mers strokes, rescuing it self un=broken & intire in spight of theopposers malice; when beingremov’d unto some softer place,laid on some downy bed or easiecushion, it hath fallen in pieceswith less violence and more ease.

The Antichristian Prince isglad to see them so disguised,and takes occasion to upbraidtheir Saint, that gives them suchwild rules. Commending muchthe wisdom of their Mahomet,who restrain’d them not fromflesh, that hurts not mind norbody, but forbids them drinkingwine, which wrongs the bodyand besots the understanding,making the wisest person act ascene of folly, and become an ap=pellative of scorn and laughterto his more sober beholders. Anexcellent lesson for us all to ob=serve, although an heathen spakeit.

Of the original of Monks, &c.

The occasion of this their re=

41

tirement and solitude was not o=riginally voluntary but rathercompulsive and forced.

For when persecution like aravenous Eagle or rather Har=py had expanded her talons, andmenaced destruction and immi=nent ruine to such as ownedChristianity; then did good anddevout Christians, that theymight serve God with more safe=ty and greater security, with=draw themselves from the sightthough not the malice of theirpersecutors, betaking themselvesunto the wilderness and closerdesarts, expecting rocks andstocks, and the wild forragers ofthe woods more merciful thancruel man.

So have I seen united Coviesrange a field together gleaningthe shatterings of the pregnantshocks, when loe a treacherousSpaniel hath betray’d their so=ciable haunts, and rudely brokein upon their close retirements;then have the affrighted birds

42

broke up their leagues, and se=verally sought out new fields forsuccour.

So did our Primitive Christi=ans at first cohabit and enjoy thepleasures of a sociable and friend=ly life, exchanging love andfriendship one with th’ other;no wild conceit t’ immure them=selves alive, and court calamitieshad yet possest their sober brains:Nor was there so much sanctitysuppos’d in a blind cell, or anaffected cowle as since there is:But afterward, when persecutionhad broke in, and disturbedtheir friendly leagues, for pre=servation of their lives and reli=gion they unwillingly brake offsocieties and fled unto the de=sarts to expect security: Butwhen the beams of Christianityhad dispelled those clouds ofPaganisme, and the storms ofpersecution ceased —Then did they return untotheir old imployments forsakingthe desarts, and the wild am=

43

buscadoes of the mountains,trading together midst theircities plenty, improving boththeir friendship and their wealth.

But as in all ages of the worldthere were several and differentconstitutions of men, some of amore jovial and sociable natureaffecting society and company,others of a more Saturnine andmelancholly disposition, delight=ed with solitariness and privacyof life: so even then (when onewould think their late constrain=ed exile should have endear’dthem to company) there weresome whom a melancholly andsullen disposition had so far pos=sest, that even in those intervalsand times of peace, they wouldestrange and persecute them=selves.

The number of which Sepa=ratists grew in a small time intoexcess, owning no superioritybut their own wills, nor no rulesbut such as every one shouldprescribe himself.

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St. Basil. 1. The first that regulated

them, and subjected them torules was St. Basil a Priest inCæsarea the chief City of Cap=padocia, in the year of grace 300.who built a spacious Monastryin Armenia, containing above3000 Monks. This St. Basil isreputed to be the first builder ofMonastries.

St. Austin. 2. Next to him St. Austin in=stituted a Religious Order. Hewas born in the Castle of Tegastin Carthage about the year of ourRedemption 358. His Fathersname was Patricius, his MothersMonica, by whose intreaties, andthe Sermons of St. Ambrose, hewas drawn from the errours ofthe Manichees. He died of afeaver at Hippo, when he had sit=ten forty years in that Bishoprick,being seventy six years of age, onthe fifth of the Kalends of Sep=tember, leaving to posterity twohundred and thirty books of hisown writing.

45

St. Bennet. 3. About forty years after thedeath of St. Austin, St. Benedict,alias St. Bennet appeared to theworld, who is accounted the Pa=triarch and Father of all theMonks in Europe. He was bornin Umbria, a Region in Italy, ofthe Noble Family of Regards;his Fathers name was Propre, hisMothers Abundantia. He wassent to Rome at the age of tenyears to learn the liberal Arts:but being weary of the tumultsand war during the Reign of Ju=stinian the Emperour, he retiredhimself from thence into a de=sart near Sublack, a town someforty miles from Rome, wherethe fame of his integrity and ho=liness of life drew people from allparts to see him. He gatheredthe Monks of Italy together,gave them a rule in writing,caused them to be called Bene=dictines or Monks of St. Bennet,and lived till he had seen twelveMonastries filled with them.After his death this Order grew

46

so popular, that there have beenof it twenty nine Popes, 200Cardinals, 1603 Archbishops,4000 Bishops, and 50000 cano=nized Saints. Their habit is a

loose gown of black reachingdown to the ground with anhood of the same, an under gar=ment of white woollen, andboots on their legs.

St. Francis. 4. The fourth and last thatprescribed Orders was St. Francisof Assis in the Dutchy of Spoleto.He was bred a Merchant, but pre=ferring the gain of souls beforethat of worldly goods, he be=took himself unto the study andprofession of Divinity, goinghimself barefoot, and behavinghimself very penitently; where=upon great store of Disciples fol=lowed him, to whom he prescri=bed a rule by which they arebound to profess absolute beg=gery, and are not permitted tocarry any money about them, ormore victuals than will serve atpresent themselves and brethren.

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St. Francis to intimate their hu=mility, ordained them to be cal=led Minors; but they are gene=rally called Franciscans by thename of their Father.

Thus have I markt out thefour chiefest trees of this sacredgrove, as for the many cions andunder-branches that are sprungfrom hence, they are too nume=rous for this small garden spotto contain, wherefore let whathath been said already of thismatter suffice.

Come we next to survey therevenue that supported this ourAbby.

Of the Antient and modern estateof the Abby of Favershamand its Benefactors.

In the third year of Ed. 1. Ifind this Cloyster to be but in avery low and mean condition,(they being greatly indebted toMerchants and others by theirexpences at Rome, and Papal

48

exactions) in so much that theKing by his Soveraign Ecclesia=stical Authority (to preserve themand their house from ruine) tookthem and their Lands, Moniesand goods into his special pro=tection, and committed them tothe management of certain per=sons for discharge of their debts

and necessary support by thisensuing Patent.

Ex Archi=vis Turris.

Rex omnibus Ballivis & fide=libus suis ad quos &c. Salutem.Cum dilecti nobis in Christo Abbas& conventus de Faversham Mer=catoribus & aliis creditoribussuis in diversis debitis multimo=dis & immensis teneantur, ad quo=rum solutionem facultates ejus=dem domus per magni temporisspatium sufficere non possent absq;dispersione conventus præd’ velfeodalium suorum dilapidationeseu forte illius domus subversionetotali quod nollemus. Nos imbe=cillitati status ipsorum compa=tientes ne hujusmodi discriminis

49 <sig D>

aut depressionis periculum ipsisvideatur imminere, Domum illamcum terris, redditibus, possessioni=bus ac rebus aliis ad eam pertinen=tibus cepimus in protectionem &defensionem nostram specialem,& eam cum omnibus pertinentiissuis commissimus dilectis & fide=libus nostris Fulconi Peyforer &magistro Hamoni Doges custodi=end’ quamdiu nobis placuerit, itaquod omnes exitus redditus &proventus terrarum reddituum &possessionum præd’ domus, salvarationabili sustentatione Abbatiset conventus ejusdem loci, ad exo=nerationem debitorum suorum etrelevationem aliorum defectuumejusdem domus reservetur et eis=dem exonerationi et relevationiper visum aliquorum de discre=tioribus domus ejusdem per adju=torium et concilium dictorumFulconis et Hamonis prout meliusfieri poterit, applicentur. Necvolumus quod aliquis Vicecomes,aut Ballivus, aut minister noster,aut alius quicunque in dicto

50

domo, aut grangiis ad eam spe=ctantibus dum in custodia præfa=torum Fulconis et Hamonis sint,hospitetur sine ipsorum licentiaspeciali. In cujus &c. Teste Regeapud Merrival. 17. Aug.

Thus much of their antientEstate and condition; come wenow a little nearer home untothe reign of H. 7. who requiringa benevolence from the Clergy,sent his Letters to the Abbies,

and other Religious houses inthis Realm, amongst which tothis our Abby, requiring onehundred pounds of them, whoreturn’d this ensuing letter untothe Council-table, excusing them=selves by reason of divers formerContributions made to KingRichard lately, which being notrepaid did incapacitate them atpresent to furnish his Majestywith any considerable sum ofmoney.

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Literæ missæ ad consilium Regis.

Leig. bookPenes G.Sonds mi=litemBalneis

Senerissimi & venerabiles Do=mini! Vestra scire dignetur ge=nerosa celsitudo quod literas vi=ctoriosissimi Principis & DominiHenrici dei gratia Angliæ &Franciæ & Domini Hiberniærecepi 13. die Julii ultimo elapsoper quendam servientem ejusdemDomini nostri Regis ad arma.Sed quia novissimis temporibusDomini Richardi nuper RegisAngliæ penes eundem crebris de=cimarum & aliarum rerum so=lutionibus insuper multimodis &gravis contributionibus, necnon mutuis pecuniarum præsta=tionibus in toto vel in parte mihihucusque nullatenus solutis ultravires fatigatus, & quasi ad ex=tremam inopiam devolutus adsubsidium gratiosæ expeditionisDomini nostri Regis juxta teno=rem dictarum venerabilium lite=rarum suarum de summa centumlibrarum non possum prout teneo

52

& si mihi suppetierint facultatesad præsens maturius providerevestræ metuendæ Domini < >< > devote supplico utuna cum præmissis meis incommo=dis & gravaminibus ad exiguas& paucas Monasterii mihi com=missi possessiones propitium vestræpietatis intuitum dirigentesquamvis modo dictam summamvel aliam quamcunque notabilemnon promittam dignem’ moreDomini habere excusatum & a=lias Deo opitulante cum favorpinguioris fortunæ me affluentiusrespexit ad obsequii Domini no=stri Regis me cum omnibus bonismeis secundum bene placitum ejuscum omni famulatu habebitis et

paratum sub Regimine sancti spi=ritus in omni prosperitate valeatet floreat vestra gratiosa subli=mitas per tempora longiora. Scri=ptum apud Faversham, &c.

But this would scarce servetheir turns; for Richard Foxthen Bishop of Winchester as=

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sembling the Clergy before him,exhorted them to be liberal intheir contributions: But theClergy (saith Sir Richard Baker)being of two sorts rich and poor,made each of them several ex=cuses. The rich, and such as had

BakersChron.Reign ofHen. 7.

great livings said they were atgreat charges in keeping hospi=tality, and maintaining their fa=milies, and therefore desired tobe spared; the poorer sort al=ledged that their means wassmall, and scarce able to findthem necessaries, and thereforedesired to be forborn: But theBishop answered them both witha pretty Dilemma, saying to theRich, It is true you live at greatcharges in Hospitality, in Ap=parel, and other demonstrationsof your wealth, and seeing youhave store to spend in that Or=der, there is no reason but foryour Prince his service, youshould do it much more, andtherefore you must pay: To thepoorer sort he said, though your

54

livings be small, yet your felicityis great, and you spend not inhouse-keeping and apparel asothers do, therefore be content,you shall pay.

Leig.Book.

In the 14. year of this KingsReign, I find the whole estate ofthis Abby cast up, which thenamounted to two hundred fiftythree pounds sixteen shillingsand ten pence halfpenny per An=num, the particulars whereoftake as followeth:

l. s. d.1. The Parsonage of

Boughton by the year 36 00 02. The Parsonage

of Hernehill, which isCapella annexa toBoughton, by the year 10 00 0

3. The Parsonageof Preston per annum 13 06 8

4. The pensions ofthe Churches of Lud=denham and Newnham 05 00 0

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l. s. d.5. The principal

Mannor of Faversham,with the demean landsper annum 42 11 8

6. The rent of Up=land per an. 52 10 0

7. The custom be=longing to the saidMannor per an. 22acres and an half

8. The Rent in thetown of Faversham 20 00 3

9. The Farm of thesaid town per an. 06 16 4

10. The Farm ofCastert, and great Ber=ton by the year 00 12 0

11. The Farm andRent at Frythenden 02 16 3

12. The Farm inHarty per an. 08 06 8

13. The Farm ofNegdon 08 00 0

14. The Farm ofLamberts land 11 00 0

15. The Mannor ofKingsnoth 05 06 8

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l. s. d.16. The Farm of

Woodleese there 00 10 017. The Farm of

land called Horse-hope 00 13 4

18. The Farm ofWoodleese in the Bleane 00 11 0

19. The Farm ofBridewell in London 04 00 0

20. The Farm ofthe Mannor of Bendishper annum 24 00 0

21. The Farm ofSnowtwerry 00 02 8

Concerning these Weares Ifind a Petition preferr’d to KingEdward the third, by the Abbotand Covent of Faversham, de=siring that the King would abatehis Rent, which the Abbot wasto pay for these Weares, for thatthe said Weares were destroy’dby the rage and tempest of theSea; which for the lovers ofAntiquity I present in the selfsame language it was written.

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Petition.

Rylys plac.Parlament646.

A nostre Signeor le Roy et a soncounsel prie l’ Abbe del Esclise deSeint Saveour de Faversham, etle Covent de mesmes le luy sesChaplains que come le dit Abbe etces predecesseurs aient tenus dutemps le Roy Joan tanques en ca lapecherie de Middleton ceo est asaviour le gors appellez sesalterrendrant per an al dit Roy 20. s.a tenir al dit Abbe et ces suc=cessors rendrants mesme le farmeavant dit. Za quele pecherie en=semblement our les gors ia percretine grand refoule et tempestede mer de tout en tout sont de=strues per touts jours el la ditpecherie perdur de quel la rentsne poet este levie ne nul parcel deycel. Quil please a nostre Signeorle Roy avoir regard de ceo que ledit Abbe ne ses predecessors un=ques ne furent charges de la ditrent forsque solement de la pe=cherie sus dit si defeate que des

58

ore soient quittes de cele demandeet que cessante la cause cesse leeffect.

Upon which Petition it wasthus indorsed.

Dorso.Soit ceste Petition mande devantTros. et Barons del Escheker etmande a eux que oye le pleynt ledit Abbe face droit.

These Weares it seems wereagain repaired and demised toseveral persons in the 15th yearof H. 8. at a greater Rent thanthey are before valued at.

The names of the Tenantsthat Farm’d them, and their par=ticular Rents I find written withthe Abbots own hand in the Lei=ger Book of the Abby as fol=lows.

1. Simon Hopkinpayeth per Annum 00 03 4

2. John Swanton p. a. 00 03 43. Richard Hawe p. a. 00 03 44. John Mersh p. an. 00 03 4

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l. s. d.5. John Northwood

per an. 00 03 46. Will. Savyr p. a. 00 03 4

01 00 0

22. The Farm ofLodgemark per annumyielded 01 13 4

23. The Farm ofPriestfield per annum 01 13 4

Summa totalis —

The names of divers houses in thetown of Faversham that wererented of the Abby.

1. The great housenear the Abby gateeastward, rented at 03 00 0

This is the Scene where thatfatal tragedy was really acted byAlice Ardern and her wicked ac=complices upon the body of herHusband Mr. Thomas Ardern(sometime Major of this town)Feb. 15. being Sunday 1550. Anno4. Ed. 6.

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l. s. d.2. Two houses an=

nexed, now made intoone 00 16 8

3. The house on thewest side of the Abbygate, where the Stew=ard now dwelleth,paid per an. 01 06 8

An house conveniently suita=ble to his employment, for theCourt was kept at the Abby gate,and the street now called Abby-street, was from thence calledCourt-street. In this house I myself now dwell.

4. The tenementnext to the said houseon the west side of thestreet

5. Another tenementnear to it where thesub-porter dwelled 00 13 4

This I take to be the housewherein Daniel the sea-man nowdwelleth.

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l. s. d.6. Another house

near to that, by theyearly Rent of 01 00 0

7. The house there=unto adjoyning 00 10 0

Redditusad mensamAbbatis.

8. A tenement onthe north side of theCrown. 00 04 2

Which crown I take to havebeen in the West-street, now inthe possession of Stephen Blanketand Joseph Edwards, which I aminformed in antient writings wasknown by the name of theCrown.

9. A Bakehouse nextGorewell-lane; 00 01 0

A lane so called in the West-street.

10. A tenement atSnowre-hill. 00 00 6

The hill near the stone bridgein the West-street so called.

11. A brew-housenear the Gaol; 00 0 6

This house must be some=

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l. s. d.where in Tamers-street, for atKings-mill the Abbots Gaolwas holden

12. A tenement some=time Garrard’s. 00 00 6

This was in the North-street,now called Court-street.

13. A tenement some=times Robert Baker’s 00 00 8

The last six of these houseswere to supply the Abbots tablewith necessary provisions; theRents whereof were called Red=ditus ad Mensam, or table rents.

Redditusad Came=ram.

14. An house calledthe Crown in West-street, per an. 00 05 0

15. The Bakehousenext Gorewell-lane, perAnnum 00 02 5

16. An house some=time Simon Baker’s 00 00 8

All these belonged unto theChamberlain or Treasury, andwere called from thence Redditusad Cameram.

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l. s. d.Redditusad Sacri=siam

17. A tenement in themarket place calledthe Bear 00 06 8

This is the house whereinGeoffry Stills now dwelleth, for=merly one Rob. Withiot’s.

18. The tenement inHog-market-lane, lateRichard Drylond’s 00 00 4

This is the corner house nearthe Fish-market, wherein Mr.Francis Waterman now dwell=eth.

These two houses paid theirrents to the Sacrist, as allotted to=ward his support and mainte=nance, as I find in the accountsof Robert Withiot, sometimesMajor of this town, and Receiverof the said Rents for the Abbot.

19. Here was likewisean house in the towncalled the Chequer w/chpaid to the Abbot 00 16 8

This house I take to be thatwhich Mr. John Kennet now

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l. s. d.dwelleth in, which formerly wasknown by the name of the Che=quer.

20. Another tene=ment near thereunto,rented per annum 00 06 8

21. An house calledthe Lewsell, sometimeone William Dyce’s ofLondon 01 13 4

Quære where this house stands,for I acknowledge my self ig=norant thereof.

22. An house in theWest-street, which es=cheated to the Abbotpaid per an. 00 06 8

Thus have we informed youof their Rents reserved uponLeases. — Let us next cast oureye on their feoda Militaria orKnights fees; and be acquaint=ed with their Tenants that weresubject to that tenure.

And here it is to be knownthat in antient times thirteen

65 <sig E>

Knights fees and a quarter didin the vulgar estimate make upa tenure per Baroniam, whichby just account amounted tofour hundred Marks per annum,conceived in those cheapertimes to be a competent estateto maintain the porte and de=gree of a Baron.

Twenty pounds per annum be=ing the Estate of a Knight, and

Twenty Knights fees amount=ing to four hundred pounds perannum, which was a Baronie andan half, were allotted as suffici=ent for the supportation of anEarldome.

A Marquisdome, which con=

sisted of the revenue of two Ba=ronies, amounted to eight hun=dred Marks per annum.

A Dukedome consisting of therevenues of two Earldomes wasvalued at eight hundred poundsper annum.

Of these tenants by Knight,the Abbot was to have Ward andMarriage of the Heir within age,

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and relief upon every descent oralteration of their estate, viz.five pound for every intireKnights fee, and suit to the LordsCourt.

The names of which Tenants,and the places where theirfees lay, take as followeth.

1. Dominus de Badlesmer 3.quart. unius feodi in eadem.

2. Richardus Peyforer unumquarterium in Bucklane.

3. Richardus de Rokesle 3.quarter’ in Westwood.

4. William Pyrie unum feodumin eadem.

5. Hæredes < > God=winstone unum feodum in eadem.

6. Johannes Vyne unum feo=dum in eadem.

7. Simon de Chellefend unumfeodum in Estling.

8. Johannes de Estling unumfeodum ibidem.

9. Willielmus de Steringdendimidium unius feodi in Estling.

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10. Johannes filius Arnoldide Estling dimidium unius feodiin eadem.

11. Radulphus de Estling di=midium feodi in Estling.

12. Hæredes de < > Lo=denham unum feodum in eadem.

13. Willielmus de Godislanddimidium feodi de Johanne deEstling.

14. Magister Hospitalis deOspring quadragesimam partemunius feodi in Elverland.

15. Richardus Peyforer dimi=dium feodi de Galfrido de Lucy.

16. Robertus de Gatton unumfeodum in Throwleigh.

17. Johannes de Estling dimi=dium quarter’ in Ospring.

18. Johannes de Criol duaspartes de quarta parte unius feodiin Harty.

19. Richardus Kentys & Basi=lia filia Rogeri Coci dimidiumquarter’ in Ospringe.

20. Robertus de Campaniaunum feodum in Norton & New=enham. His dwelling was at

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Champion Court in that parish.21. Idem Robertus dimidium

feodi in Harty.22. Willielmus de Vyane unum

quarter’ in Norton.23. Bartholomæus de Moreston

unum quarter’ in Herst.24. Mabilia de Mars unum quar=

ter’ in Kingstone.25. Thomas de Fishbourne

dimidium feodi in eadem.26. Galfridus de Sconynton

unum quarter’ in Sholand.27. Willielmus de Edesse di=

midium feodi in eadem.28. Willielmus de Vyndefield

& Jordanus de Vynefield unumquarter’ de Reginaldo de Corne=hill.

29. Willielmus de Vyane unumquarter’ in Ospringe.

All which being put togetheramounted to about sixteenKnights fees, an Estate of a largerdimension and proportion thanwas required by those eldertimes to maintain the degree

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& porte of a Baron, as hath beensaid. And that these Rents wereno new perquesites but such asdid antiently and very early ap=pertain unto this covent, cannotbetter be proved than by thenames of the above recited Te=nants, most of which, if not all,had none other existence, butsuch as charitable Records andHistories afforded them somecenturies of years before thedissolution of this Monastry, as isevident and perspicuous to suchas are acquainted with the anti=ent sirnames and persons of Emi=nence in this our County pre=served from Oblivion by thelearned pains of my ingeniousfriend Mr. Philpot in his VillareCantianum.

Having now dispatch’d their re=venue, and satisfied our selves intheir Estate both antient andmodern. The next thing I pro=

pose to my self, is, to acquaintyou with a List of the Benefa=ctors to this our Abby, through

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whose munificence and bountyall the former Revenues wereheaped upon this house, which,according as I have promiscu=ously gleaned them from antientCharters and Inquisitions, I offerup unto thy view.

A List of some of the Benefactorsto this our Abby.

The first that deserves thattitle is Queen Maude, who be=stowed upon this her Husbandsnew Foundation Her Mannor ofTrenges, as appears by this ensu=ing Charter.

Monast.Ang.

Matild’ Regina Angliæ omni=bus Christi fidelibus Francis &Anglis salutem in domino sempi=ternam. Sciatis me dedisse &confirmasse & concessisse Abbati& Monachis sancti Sal=

Quære, Where thatMannor lies? whe=ther it be not in theDiocess of Lincoln, forthere this Covent hada Mannor and a pre=sentation call’d Tryeng.

vat’ de Faversham in li=beram puram & perpe=tuam eleemosynam Ma=nerium meum de Tren=gis cum omnibus perti=

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nentiis suis pro salute animæ meæ& omnium fidelium, quare voloquod, &c. habeant & teneantbene & in pace cum omnibus suispertinentiis & cum omnibus aliislibertatibus & liberis consuetu=dinibus ad me vel hæredes meosspectantibus in perpetuum quie=tum &c. ab omnibus secularibusexactionibus, sectis & demandis.Testibus Theobaldo Archiep’ Cant.H. Episc. Winton. &c.

Note that this clause quietumab omnibus secular’ exactionibus&c. did not exempt them fromParlament, nor from finding menfor the wars &c. as by their Ba=rony tenure they were obliged:See Selden’s Tit. of Hon. themeaning of that clause.

This Queen, I find, gave like=wise certain other lands to thisAbby, viz. Burdefield and Kings=down which she purchased ofFulke de Newnham.

WilliamEarl ofBoloigne.

The next that enters the List,is, William Earl of Boloigne, &c.whom I take to be King Stephen’s

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third Son by Queen Maude, whogave unto this Abby a certainMannor called Benedis; and alsoconfirms unto them the Mannorof Treungla or Trenges, as is evi=dent by this his Charter.

Mon. Ang. Willielmus comes Boloniæ War=renæ & Moritoniæ Archiep’ E=pisc. &c. salutem. Sciatis meconcessisse & dedisse & hac præ=senti charta mea confirmasse Abba=tiæ sancti Salvat’ de Faversham,& Monachis Deo ibidem servi=entibus Manerium de Treungla,

Quære,wherethat Man=nor lieth.

&c. Et Manerium meum de Bene=dis cum omnibus appurtinentiissuis, &c. pro anima patris meiRegis Stephani & Reginæ Matil=dis matris meæ et Eustachii fra=tris mei, & pro anima mea & om=nium antecessor’ meorum, quarevolo &c. prænominata ecclesia deFaversham habeat omnia supra=dicta, &c. Teste Willielmo Priorede sancto Pancracio, Rogero sub-priore, &c.

H. 2. The next in order is King Hen=ry the second, who is so far from

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injuring this work of pietyraised by King Stephen, althoughhis adversary, that he not onlyconfirmed the former lands andprivileges granted unto thisMonastry, as shall be shewn here=after, but also granteth themdivers new privileges, viz. a=mongst the rest a Fair yearly tobe holden on the feast of St.Peter ad Vincula or Lammas-day,to last the space of eight dayes.The Estates which he confirmed(besides those which King Ste=phen and his Queen had grantedto this Abby) were these ensuingparticulars, viz.

1. Chetham, given to this Mo=Rich. Lucy. nastry by Richard de Lucy.

This I take to be the Boroughof Chatham in the hundred ofFaversham, which still is perma=nent and fixed to the signiory ofthe Mannor of Faversham, out ofwhich the Court Leete holden forthe said Mannor every year electsone Borsholder, and not Chethamby Rochester as Mr. Kilburn

74

would have it in his Survey of

Kent.2. The Mannor of Monkton,

Ralph Py=cot.

which Ralph Pycott bestowed up=on this Abby.

3. Socam de feodo MatildisReginæ, quam dedit eis Williel=

WilliamBosevil.

mus de Bosevil in London etSouthwark.

Soca signifies a liberty or pri=vilege of holding Court; bywhich it appears, that they hadantiently some Jurisdiction ofCourt-Leet, or Court-Baron in thatplace.

4. Westbrooke in Ospringe withits appurtenances given to this

WilliamBrotherto H. 2.

Abby, by William, brother to KingHenry the second, saith the Char=ter: Tamen quære, for I read ofno such Brother he had.

SimonTurvil.

5. The Mill at Goodwinstoneof the gift of Simon Turvil.

Clarembald 6. Bosindene which Clarembaldpurchased.

King John King John after the Exam=ple of his Predecessor Henry thesecond, not only confirms all the

75

aforesaid Mannors, Lands, Pre=mises and Franchises by the se=veral persons fore recited be=stowed upon this Abby; but alsoconfirms certain Lands, calledMessewell with their appurte=nances of a fresher date confirm=

Rob. deBetun.

ed on this Abby by Robert deBetun.

He also by another Charter, asan argument of his Princely Cha=rity, infranchised this Abby withthe Royalty of the fishinggrounds sometimes belonging tohis Mannor of Milton, as appearsby this his ensuing Charter.

ChartaRegia propiscaria.

Johannes Dei gratia Rex An=gliæ, Dominus Hiberniæ, Dux Nor=manniæ, Aquitaniæ et comes An’Archiepisc’ Episcop’ &c. salutem.Sciatis nos dedisse concessisse ethac præsenti Charta nostra confir=masse Deo et Ecclesiæ sancti Sal=vator’ de Faversham, et Abbatiet Monachis ibidem Deo servien=tibus piscarias de Middleton quashomines de Sesalter tenuerunt per

76

annuum Redditum viginti soli=dor’ per annum, apud Maneriumnostrum de Middleton, et faciendoinde consuetudines et servitia

quæ piscariæ illi fieri solebant.Quare volumus et firmiter præci=pimus quod præd’ Abbas et Mona=chi habeant et teneant præd’ pis=carias de Middleton cum omnibuspertinentiis suis bene et in pace,libere et quiete, integre, plenarieet honorifice in omnibus locis, etrebus ad eas pertinentibus, sicutpræd’ est. Teste Willielmo Comit’Sor’ Com’ Roger’ Lepigod, &c.Dat’ per manus Hugonis de WellsArcidin’ Wellens’ apud sanctumEdmundum decimo nono die Maii,Anno Regni nostri septimo.

The Fisheries hereby grantedare most eminent for Oysters,which surpass those famous onesof Lucrine, and what not.

Auson. Ostrea Baianis certantia quæ —Dulcibus in stagnis refluit maris

æstus opimus.

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As in the Romans dayes Rutu=pis or Richborow a decayed Cityin Kent was renowned for itsOysters, according to that in Ju=venal,

4. Satyr. — Rutipanove edita fundoOstrea callebat primo depren=

dere morsu.

so since the decay of that mosteminent City, and the Romansforsaking us, these particularFishing Grounds granted byKing John unto the said Abbotand Covent of Faversham,which since the dissolutionof that house are by Patent ofKing Charles the first come intothe hands of the right Worship=full Sir George Sonds instant Pro=prietor thereof, must next havepreferment before any elsewhereupon our English shoars; of whichthe industrious Hollander is acompetent witness, who everyyear expendeth at least 2000, or2500 pounds upon Oysters takenfrom these grounds, not caring

78

to trade elsewhere as long as hecan be supplyed with Oysters forhis money here.

Upon these fishing groundsthere are above seventy familiesin the Town and Hundred of Fa=versham, which have their soledependance and livelyhoods,

through whose open fingers, asthrough a sive, the whole townreceiveth no inconsiderable pro=fit. And besides this profit whichaccrues to the town thereby,His Majesty is supply’d fromhence with a company of stoutand resolute Seamen, who havegiven as good proof of theirValours and Loyalties at all timeswhen commanded thereunto, asany in the Nation besides.

And now that these aforesaidFisheries which have been fromage to age the Nurseries of suchvaliant Seamen may not be in=trench’t upon and invaded bystrangers who are not Tenantsthereunto, I shall shew you outof an antient custome of the

79

Abby, the Dominion and Juris=diction which the Abbot hadover these waters in his time; itbeing no more than what thetenants thereof under Sir GeorgeSands their Lord, and Proprietorthereof, may now well claim, ifthey please to regard it, viz.saith the Custumal —

M.S. Penesaathorem.

a molendino de Colemanssole instrand’ maris crescent’ & decresc’usque ad gurgites Angl. vocat’Snowtwears, & a gurgitibus us=que Ride nullus debet piscari sinelicentia Abbatis de Favershamquia ad eum pertinet dominium:< > Et Mercatores quiveniunt & Custumarii fuerint& vendiderint infra limites su=pra dict’ licet ad < > vel adterram non applicuerint, dabuntTheolonium de omnibus Merchan=disis suis emptis vel venditis.

And then again saith the sameCustumal, Nullus piscari debet inaqua prædicta sine fine faciend’ad Abbatem. Et nihilominus re=serventur Abbati quatuor Piscesprincipales.

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If these priviledges were welllook’d unto, the Barquing menwould keep themselves to Sea,and not dare to trespass thus up=on a particular Liberty and Ju=risdiction. For from Colemanssoleunto the Snowtwears, and fromthose Wears unto Ride the wa=ters and Strand at Flood andEbb beong unto Sr. G. Sonds.

I shall next shew you an ac=knowledgment by the Commis=sary of the Admiral, that thesewaters are out of his jurisdicti=on, and that all Wrecks, Flot=sons, Jetsons, Lagonds, &c. hap=pening thereon did belong untothe Abbot, and now to Sr. G.Sonds &c. as appears by this hisCertificate.

MS. PenesHenric.Knowlergenr’ ami=cum no=strum tamin scriptisquam inverbis.

Sciant præsentes et futuri quodego Johan. Woodhall Commissa=rius sive Deputatus generalis etspecialis Domini Arthuri Plan=taginet Vicecom’ Lysly &c. vidiinspexi et perlegi omnia et singu=la privilegia, concessiones et do=nationes concessa Abbati et con=

<catchword> ventui

81 <sig F>

tui Monasterii sancti Salvatorisde Faversham, per illustrissimumprincipem Steph. Regem & suc=cessores suos imperpetuum, nec non& omnes confirmationes omniumRegum a tempore præd’ Ste=phani una cum confirmatione il=lustrissimi et metuendissimi Prin=cipis ac fidei defensor’ Regis, Mo=derni H. 8. quorum quidem pri=vilegiorum vigores terræ possessi=ones, et portus omnes et singulitam per terras quam per aquas etmare, nec non tenentes firmarii etcæteri homines omnes qui et sin=guli infra dominia libertatis Mo=nasterii antedicti tam in comitatuCantiæ quam in aliis locis perti=nent’ ab omnimoda Jurisdictioneet potestate Admiralli Angliæ protempore existentis et officialiumejus quorumcunque plenarie suntexempti, in tantum quod omnespunitiones, correctiones, deodandaFlotson, Jetson, Lagon, et Wreck,et alia omnia contingentia quæ=cunque quandocunque et qualiter=cunque per terras aquas et mare

82

cum omnibus et singulis suis per=tinentiis præfato Abbati et Con=ventui Monasterii antedicti exi=stent’ nec non ex consuetudine præ=scripta a tempore et per tempusimmemoratum usitatum pertineredignoscuntur. Acta fuerunt hæcomnia prout super scribuntur &recitantur Anno regni Regis H. 8.18. penultimo die vero mensisNovembris apud Faversham ante=

dict. coram me Johanne VVood=hall commissario sive Deputatoantedict’ quem quidem processumac omnia & singula in eademcontent’ rata & grata habentesauthoritate nobis commissa ap=probamus, ratificamus & confir=mamus. In cujus rei testimoniumsigillum magni officii nostri Ad=mirallitatis Angliæ præsentibusapponi mandamus. Dat’ Londini,&c. sexto die Decembris, AnnoRegis H. 8. 18. supradict’.

But now towards the pursuitof our Benefactors to this Abbyagain.

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H. 3. Confirmed unto thisCovent all the Mannors, Landsand Premises, Franchises andFreedoms granted unto them bythe former Benefactors.

And now from the Eleventhyear of this Kings Reign must wetake a stride or leap unto theReign of H. 8. not knowing howto recover the names of suchBenefactors which hapned in thislarge interval or space of time,which doubtless did afford some,though not so many as the pre=cedent times, by reason of theStatute of Mortmain, made inthe ninth year of the last KingsReign, which tied up the handsof all bodies politick from re=ceiving any more the Lands andTenements of charitable andwell devoted persons.

Somn.Cant. 58.

But notwithstanding this re=straint, which rendred them un=capable to receive Lands, &c.This loss was in part supplyedand made less sensible unto theReligious by a piece of Policy

84

which they quickly put in ure;and that was the procuring notonly of privileges and immunitiesfrom payment of Tythes, but alsoof Impropriations or Annexi=ons of Parsonages to their houses,which though invented, and onfoot long before, yet now theother current of their gain beingstopt much more abounding thanever before.

Hence came it to pass that thisAbby had these following Chur=ches appropriated unto it, viz.

1. Luddenham Church, of thegift of William de Luddenham,whose Charter thereof I find Re=gistred in the Leiger Book of thesaid Abby: part of which (toacquaint the Reader with howgreat Ceremonies our Ancestorsconveyed the Estates which theydevoted to pious uses) I willcrave leave to insert —

Leig. penesG. SondsMil.

Superscriptam eleemosynam do=nationem & oblationem feci inEcclesia sancti Salvator’ de Fa=versham super altare per cultellum

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< > annuente hæredemea Mabilia filia mea & Gysleuxore mea similiter assistente con=ventu Clericis & Laicis plurimis.VVillielmusq; de Insula evolutopost hæc aliquanto tempore factusest gener meus postulans devote incapitulo ecclesiæ sancti Salvat’ deFaversham fraternitatem & com=munionem beneficiorum ejusdemecclesiæ & accipiens etiam ipsetextum Evangelicum ponens superaltare hanc eleemosynam et be=nigne concessit et quod eam manu=teneret ante altare fideliter pro=misit, &c.

This William de Luddenham’sName and Family was extingui=shed and went out in a Daughtermarried unto William de Insula,who afterward I find was Knight=ed.

Vide Lam=berts Kent.349.

By these two persons Nameswe may observe the antientmanner of our fore-fathers as=suming to themselves and poste=rities Sirnames, viz. from theplaces of their dwellings. Hence

<catchword> came

86

come it to pass, that the town ofFaversham gave Sirname to anantient Family long since expi=red; The village of Ore to anantient Family of the Ore’s; Pre=ston, Selling, Graveny, Green=street, Norton, Sedingborn, &c.to men and families of the samename: Nay, not a considerableand antient house about us, buthath imparted his Name to theantient Proprietors thereof; Asfor Example, I have met withJohn de Brokedale, John de Pyrie,Ade de Ham, Alexander de Hol=

manstone, &c. but let this suf=fice.

And now to proceed to ourpurpose:

2. Fulke de Newnham gavethe Church of Newnham to thisAbby; but there hapning somedifferences between the Prioressof Davington and Abbot aboutthis Church; the said Prioressclaiming it by a like grant to be=long to her Cloyster. They bothresolved to resign it into the

87

Archbishops hands for him todetermine who had the bestright in it — Who awarded thesaid Church to the Prioress andher Cloyster, paying yearly there=fore into the Firmory of this ourAbby two Marks and an half.

Hubert’ Dei gratia Cantuar’Archiep’ totius Angliæ primas.Omnibus & ad quos præsens scri=ptum pervenerit, Æternam inDomino salutem. Noverint uni=versitas vestra quod cum interAbbatem & Monachos de Faver=sham ex una parte & Moniales deDavington ex altera parte superEcclesia de Newnham controver=sia verteretur, Tandem pars u=traque in præsentia nostra con=stitut’ totum jus quod in eademEcclesia de Newnham sibi ven=dicavit sponte in manum nostramresignavit totum nobis relinquensut pro voluntate et arbitrio nostroinde disponeremus. Nos autem eofacto Ecclesiam illam cum omni=bus pertinentiis suis dictis Moni=

88

alibus considerata paupertate ea=rum pro intuitu concessimus et de=dimus in proprios usus perpetuohabend’ & possidend’ statuentesut præd’ Monachis inde annuatimper easdem Moniales duæ Marcæ& dimid’ reddantur quas speci=aliter assignavimus ad eorundemMonachorum firmariam. Ut igi=tur hoc in posterum nulli veniat indubium, verum ratum permaneat& inconcussum id presentiscripto & sigilli nostri apposi=tione protestari dignum duximuset confirmat’ his testibus, &c.

3. To these we may likewiseadd,

1. The Rectory of Boughton.

2. The Rectory of Preston.3. The Rectory of Hernehill.

which three I conceive might beconferr’d on this Abby by severalArchbishops of Canterbury. JohnStratford Archbishop, I find, fixedPreston.

And now my hand is in amongstthe Churches which were ap=

89

propriated unto this house, Ithink it not amiss to acquaintyou that they had an advowsonin the Diocess of Lincoln calledTryeng, which I take to be thatwhich is called in Latin Treungla,and Trenges in the Charters ofQueen Maude and her Successorsoften mentioned before; the pre=

Pryns Hist.K. John.H. 3. Ed. 1.988.

sentation whereof was recover=ed from them by King Ed. 1. in31. year of his Reign by suite inthe Kings Bench.

Well, now let us come to theReign of H. 8. where I find thesepersons following deserve thename of Benefactors, viz.

1. Sir John Fyneux Chief Ju=stice of the C. B.

2. Edw. Guildford Esquire.3. William Crowmer Esquire.4. George Guilford Esquire.5. Lodowick Clifford Esquire.

who by License of this King, not=withstanding the statute of Mort=maine, gave unto this Monastrythirty two acres of land, calledUpland, with a certain Barn

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thereupon builded; and also acertain Marsh called Gore-marshadjoyning to the said twentythree acres in the Parish ofBoughton under the Bleane andHernehill.

The said Sir John Fyneux gavelikewise twenty three acres ofother land to this Abby lying atHegdale in Preston. In this fieldis one of those pits mentioned byMr. Camden in his Britan. to beabout this town, where the Brit=tains were supposed by him an=tiently to have dug their Marle,which to this day is known bythe name of Hedgale Pit.

Ralph SeyntlegerEsquire.

John Norton Esq.William Norton

Gent. Benefactors.William Clerke

Priest.John at Stocke.Robert Rey.

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Out of a charitable and piousintention devest themselves ofthis Estate following, and settleit upon the Abbot and Coventof Faversham, viz. The Mannorof Elynden with its appurte=nances, and 77 acres of land, 77acres of pasture, 64 acres ofwood, and the quit tent of 02l.and 11d. 53 Hens and 6 Cocksper annum, with their appurte=nances in the Parishes of Whit=staple and Seasalter.

Next to these I find,

John Roper Esq.Ralph Seyntleger

Esq.John Norton Esq. Benefactors.Tho. Hankewel.John at Stocke

andJohn Turner.

To joyn in a settlement of twoacres of marsh land lying in Lud=denham, called Egging-Worth-marsh, alias Weld marsh, upon thisCloyster.

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Next to them I find one JohnBovyor to invest this Abby with13 acres of pasture in Hernehil,called Botterells Dobbys, andYaldings Croft, and an acre andhalf of meadow in Priest-meade.

John Sare out of a like chari=table meaning bestowed 6 acresand 1 rodd of land, being in 2Crofts lying in Hernhill, calledHertange, on this Monastry.

John at Stockeand Benefactors.

Rob. Goodhewe.

Gave 13 acres and an half ofland called Newland and Hertangto the said Covent.

Thomas Ovyn next to them inorder deserves our notice, whosetled upon this our Abby 16acres of land with its appurte=nances lying in the Isle of Harty,at Keyborow hill.

Upon the return of an Ad quod

damnum, (for that was the wayafter the statute of Mortmain,) Ifind it certified, that,

93

William BrookeJohn Goodwin Benefactors.andJohn Goodhew

might give, without prejudice tothe King, 11 acres of land, calledMentylham, and 12 acres of landcalled Cockham with their ap=purtenances, in Hernehill, untothe Monastry of St. Saviour atFaversham.

Richard Colwell at the sametime obtained likewise licenseto give unto the said Monastry86 acres of salt-marsh, called Ju=lian marsh in the Parish of St.Thomas the Apostle in Harty.

This Richard Colwel lies buriedin the parish Church of Faver=sham, at every corner of whosestone there is the lively pour=tract of a Well, and Coll writtenunderneath, an antient device tointimate unto posterity theirnames called a rebus.

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In Thomas Colwel grandson tothis Rich. did that antient Nameand Family expire, whose Mo=nument is to be seen in St. Sepul=chers Church on Snow-hill Lon=don.

From the Daughter and Heirof this Thomas my very worthyfriends, Richard Brickenden, andJohn Brickenden of Grays-InnEsquires are descended, who asHeirs and Gavel-kind to theirMother, became proprietors ofan antient Estate of the Colwelsin Hernehil and Graveny.

My industry cannot yet reco=ver any other Demeans this Mo=nastry was endowed with, andtherefore I intended RichardColwel should have brought upthe rear, and have ended thismy Catalogue of Benefactors tothis Abby.

But that I find in the Leiger ofthis Abby, Cardinal Woolsey ac=knowledged for no less, where=fore it would be injustice in meto deny him that place.

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How great his deserts were Icannot tell, but this I assure you,he was high in their esteem, asappears by this their complementunto him.

Leig. penessæpe com=memora=tumG. Sondsmilit’

Reverendissimo in Christo Patriet Domino, Domino Thomæ Car=dinali Eborac’ Archiep’ Angliæque Cancellario vestri humiles etdevoti Johannes permissione di=vina Abbas Monasterii sancti Sal=vator’ de Faversham, et ejusdemMonasterii conventus ordinissancti, Benedicti Cant. Diocesiossalutem, et augmentum continuumcælestium gratiarum, Exigentevestræ devotionis affectu quemad nostram habetis ordinem etEcclesiam vobis omnium missa=rum orationum, Jejuniorum, Ele=emosynarum, Abstinentiarum, vi=giliarum, laborum, cæterorumqueactuum bonorum quæ per fratresnostri ordinis Dominus fieri de=derit participationem tam in vi=ta quam in morte, et confrater=nitatem concedimus tenore præ=

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sentium specialem. Volumus in=super ordinamus et concedimusut post obitum vestrum anima ve=stra per omnia Monasteria et do=mos Religiosorum totius Angliæubicunque capitulum regularitertenetur absolutionibus et oratio=nibus recommendetur et nomenvestrum una cum fratribus nostrisdefunctis per nostrum communembrevigerulum ad omnia Religio=sorum loca per totam Angliam con=script’ deportetur sicut consuevitfieri pro Abbatibus & fratribusnostræ congregat’ Ac etiam nomenvestrum in Martilogio Capitulinostri ob perpetuam rei memoriamspecialiter intituletur. In cujusconcessionis testimonium sigillumnostrum commune præsentibus op=poni fecimus. Dat’ in Monasterionostro præd’ undecimo die AprilisAnno Dom. 1516.

See theHistory ofhim.

This complement was bestow=ed on him, I conceive, when helodged with them in this theirAbby in his journey towards

97 <sig G>

France as Ambassador to mediatefor the French King, who wastaken prisoner by the Empe=ror.

It is an old saying, that A friendat Court is worth a peny in onespurse; & put case he parted withnothing at present to this Abby,he was in a capacity to do themcourtesies elsewhere.

And thus I end my Catalogueof the Benefactors. Let us nexttake a view of the Offices andOfficers that I read of once to bewithin this Abby.

1. The first Officer we meetwith is the Porter and sub-Por=ter. The sub-Porter I supposeattended the outward gate, andhad his dwelling house near ad=joyning, which I take to be thatwhere < > Daniel the sea=man now dwelleth.

2. The next (for we tie ourselves to a certain rule or me=thod) that we meet with is theAlmnery or Amnery, whereinpoor and impotent people did

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live maintained by their Cha=rity. It had divers Rents tomaintain it, amongst which Iconceive the Meadow nowknown by Shooting Meadow didappertain unto it; it being an=tiently called Amery, quasi, Amne=ry croft.

3. The Sextary comes next toour view, which still continuesits name: It is so called, becauseantiently it did appertain andrelate unto the Sacrist or Sexton.In this place sometime stood theChurch of this Govent so totallylong since demolish’d, that thereis not so much as a stone or un=derpinning left to inform poste=rity where abouts it stood. Butthough the malice of the otherage was such, as to deprive us ofthe view thereof, yet will I en=deavour Chymist-like to redeemit from oblivion and its ownashes, and afford it room in thisour History.

It was, when in being, franchi=sed with a sanctuary, so called,

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of an old Mosaical rite usedamong the Israelites, amongstwhom every Tribe had certainCities and places of refuge towhich the guilty might repaire,and for a time be protected fromthe rigour of the laws, of which

you may read in the sacred, Ex.21. 3. Numb. 35. 1. Deut. 4. 41.and John 20. 2.

The use of them here in Eng=land was, that whatsoever offen=dor could reach the Altar im=mediately after the offence com=mitted before he was arrested byany Officer, was to have the pri=vilege of Sanctuary, and be freedfrom the rigour of the laws andsave his life, or other corporalpunishment that was by the lawsto be inflicted on him; never=theless on this condition, thatwithin 40 days after such takingsanctuary before the Coronerof the place he confess the fact,and take an oath for his and herperpetual banishment out of thisRealm into a forraign Country,

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choosing rather perdere patriamquam vitam.

An example of the manner ofthis Abjuration by a Felon I havemet with, which for a theft com=mitted took Sanctuary in thisChurch of the Abby of Faver=sham, which take as followeth.

VVillielmus Clerk Hosier, dieMercurii prox. post festum san=cti Alphegii Anno regni RegisH. 4. secundo, fugam fecit ad Ec=clesiam sancti Salvatoris de Fa=versham pro tuitione Ecclesiæpræd’ habend’ Et petiit Corona=torem Et super hoc VVillielmusLedys Major & Coronator Do=mini Regis in hac parte ad lo=cum præd’ accessit coram quo addiem & locum præd’ recognovitseipsum esse felonem Domini regis& fatebatur quod in die Domi=nica in festo sancti Stephani anno

MS. Penesmajoremvillæ deFaversh.

supradicto Regis Henrici unumpar de Beads pretii 2s. AgnetisThorneton de la Newcastle superTynum felonice furatus est, &petiit &c. secundum legem et con=

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suetudinem Regni Angliæ ipsumab Ecclesia deliberari. Et superhoc ad foras Ecclesiæ ductus co=ram eodem Coronatore ad diempræd’ regnum Angliæ abjuravit,qui quidem Coronator portumpassagii sui Donor’ assignavit —

Here it is to be observed, thatwhen by the Coroner a place cer=tain (as in this case there was)

Wing. A=bridgmentof theCommonLaw, pag.70.

is assigned unto the Felon to takeshipping, that he was to go thedirect way thither, tarrying atthe Port but one flood and ebbif he can have passage, and tillhe can so pass going every day inthe sea up to the knees to assayif he may pass over, and if hecannot pass within forty dayes,then to put himself into theChurch again as a Felon.

Note also, that though theywere banished the Realm, yetthey were not to be sent amongstInfidels and Pagans. And thiswas the antient law of theRealm which saith —Prohibemus autem ne Christiani

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fide tinctus quispiam a regnoprocul amandetur neque ad eosqui nondum Christo fidem adjun=xerant relegetur ne eorum ali=quando fiat animorum jactura.

The foundation of abjurationwas the Sanctuary of the Churchor Church-yard, and he or shethat was not capable of this San=ctuary could not abjure; there=fore it is said, that he that com=mitted sacrilege, because hecould not take the privilege ofSanctuary could not abjure.

Cock. 3. Ins.115.

The Common Law herein wasvery antient, and had saved thelife of many a man, and conti=nued without change untill anAct made in the 22 H. 8. 14. andother Statutes, for which causeall Statutes before 35th Eliz.concerning abjur’d persons standrepealed by the Stat. 1 Jac. 25.whereby the antient CommonLaw concerning abjuration wasrevived.

But since by an Act made 21year of King James all privileges

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of Sanctuary are quite taken a=way.

In this Church were depositedthe bodies of many a worthy per=son, whose Monuments are longsince become as ruinous and dis=persed as their ashes, whosenames must with their dust sleepin the grave of oblivion till themalice of time and tyranny ofman shall cease, and the wholeuniverse must confess its ashes.Amongst which numberless num=

ber here rested in quietness, un=til the dissolution, our GraciousFounder King Stephen, Maudehis Queen, our Royal Benefactor,and Eustace their eldest Son,

SpeedsChron.

when for the gain of the leadwherein this Kings body was in=coffin’d his sacred Remains weredislodg’d and thrown into theneighbouring river.

O strange act of reforming agethus to disturb the quiet of thedead! A cruelty which Pagansdid abhor and most severely pu=nish, counting such crimes equallwith Parricide —

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And amongst the Christians —Adeo flagitiosum hoc scelus habi=tum fuit, ut etiam inter causasrelatum sit, cur uxor a maritodivertere possit si nimirum sepul=chrorum dissolutorem esse proba=verit —

Weaver.Mon.

Nay, whosoever in the repair=ing of any ruinous decayed Se=pulcher did any way undecentlytouch the body of the dead per=son therein laid down to his eter=nal rest, that party so offendingwas commanded by the law de=cem pondera auri fisco inferre —to pay ten pound weight into theExchequer: But these over-zealous reformers did by one andthe same Patent or Commissionboth rob the dead and living,couzening the Exchequer & theGrave, and yet escap’d unpunish=ed: but beware o’th’ otherworld —

Si pia majorum violes monu=menta viator,

Vltrices furias experiere brevi.

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I shall now obtrude upon theReader this short and impartialCharacter of that pious Prince,it being too great an ingratitudenot to remember our Founder.

King Stephen’s Character.

1. For his Birth, it was Noble,he being the son of Stephen Earleof Blois, by Adela Daughter toKing William the Conquerour.

2. As his birth was noble andhigh, so were his actions as tran=scendent and surpassing as hisbirth — He being not by the

worst of his enemies (whodoubtless cannot be suspected ofpartiality or kindness to him)observed to be sullied with anyparticuar vice.

3. As his excess and height ofcourage had given him an advan=tage to reach the Crown overanothers head and place it on hisown; so did his goodness andjustice onely prompt him to re=store it again (which if rightlyconsider’d will represent him ra=

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ther as a Guardian or Protectorthan an Usurper) he but defend=ing it during the minority of theheir against the pretensions ofstrangers.

4. And lastly, as perpetualmonuments of his piety (al=though they now languish intheir own ruines, and standthemselves in need of monu=ments) are these following Re=ligious houses, viz. The Abbiesof Cogs-hall in Essex, of Furneysin Lancashire, of Hurguilers andFaversham in Kent, an house ofblack Nuns at Heigham in Kent,and also another for Nuns atCarew, all which were of his ownFoundation and Endowment,which shews, that as he was milesegregius (saith one,) so was hemente piissimus, there being moreReligious houses founded in hisReign, than in an 100 years be=fore.

He died at Dover the 25th Oct.1154. with his old disease of theEmrods, and was buried in this

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our Abby Church of Favershamnear his wife and son Eustace,who before had taken possessionthereof, in the 49th year of hisage, and almost nineteenth of hisreign.

And now having pursu’d ourRoyal Founder from his birth tohis Tomb, let us a little reflect onhis Royal Consort Queen Maude,whose character being most con=cisely and ingenuously drawn toour hands by Sir Richard Baker,we will crave leave here to in=sert.

Queen Maude her Character.

BakersChron.

She was the Daughter and

Heir of Eustace Earle of Bo=loigne, a woman made for theproportion of both fortunes; inadversity not dejected, in pro=sperity not elated. Whilst herHusband was at liberty a woman,during his durance, as it were, aman, acting his part for him whenhe was restrained from acting it

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himself: not looking that For=tune should fall into her lap, butindustrious to procure it. Shewas Crowned Queen at West=minster upon Sunday beingEaster day, and the 22 of Marchin the first year of her HusbandsReign, and of Grace 1136. andbeing Queen 15 years, she diedat Henningham castle in Essex thethird of May, and year of Christ1151. and was from thence con=veyed unto this our Monastry ofFaversham to be interred. Shehad this Epitaph formerlyinscribed on her Monument,(though long since what throughthe malice of time, and impietyof sacrilegious hands, both Epi=taph and Tomb are mouldredinto nothing) which to preserveher still in memory I will hereinsert —

Weaver exBibli. Cot=tonis.

Anno Milleno C. quinquagenoq;primo,

Quo sua non minuit sed sibinostra tulit,

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Mathildis foelix conjux Ste=phani quoque Regis

Occidit insignis moribus &titulis.

Cultrix vera Dei, cultrix &pauperiei,

Hic subnixa Deo quo fruere=tur eo;

Fœmina si qua polos conscenderequæque meretur,

Angelicis manibus diva hæcRegina tenetur.

It would be uncharitable topass by Eustace their Son in si=lence who made such a bussleand stir whilst living —

And here as skilful Gardinerscan judge of the fruit by thetree; so are we left to estimateof this Princely bud by the royalstems that produc’d it: It beingas common for Rationals as Ve=

getives to come forth in theimage and likeness of their Ori=ginals.

His years were too few to lethis actions be many; that small

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part he acted upon the stage ofthis Kingdom was tumultuousand boysterous, and arguedmore of the Lion in him than theLamb.

The agreement which his Fa=ther had made with H. 2. hadanimated his early courage, andcertainly had he not beensnatch’d away by an untimelyfate, this Kingdome had stillcontinued the scene of wars, andgroan’d under the direful strokesof his displeasure. To be theHeir of a King and be bauk’d ofa Crown was an injury unsup=portable.

He married Constance sister ofLewis the seventh King of France,daughter of King Lewis theGross, who afterward was re=married to Raimond the thirdEarle of Tholouse. For Eustacedied before her without issue byher in the 18th year of his age,and in the same year of his Fa=thers Reign 1152. And was bu=ried beside his Mother in his Fa=

111

thers Monastry of Faversham.Peter-Rood-Chappel.

In this Church I read of twoChappels,

1. The one called the Peter-Rood-Chappel, in which I findRobert Fale, sometime of thistown to lie buried.

St. MariesChappel.

2. And also another dedicatedunto St. Mary, commonly calledSt. Maries Chappel.

And this is all that I have everyet read concerning this Church.

But before we depart fromOstiarius. the Church we must encounter

with Ostiarius or Hostolarius, anOfficer so called, whose duty wasto open and shut the Churchdoor, and look to the decentkeeping of the Church and theholy Ornaments laid up in theVestry. As also the Reliques ofSaints and Holy men; amongstwhich was formerly to be shewnyou sometime a piece of the holy

Rob. Gloc. Cross presented to King Stephenby Godfry of Bovillon his Kins=

man, King of Jerusalem.

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To this Officer, there werelikewise certain Rents assigned,amongst which in the accountsof the aforementioned RobertWithiot, I find an house calledthe Crown in the town, chargedwith 7s. 6d. Rent per annum,payable to this Officer, andalso two Hens valued at sixpencedue for the same.

Firmary. Having thus discharged thisOfficer, let us next make to theFirmary or Hospital, so calledby a Metonymie, quia infirmosfirmos homines reddit; whereinpersons down-right sick (troubleto others and troubled by o=thers, if lodging in the Dormi=tory) had the benefit of Physickand attendance private to them=selves. It was punishable for anyto eat herein except solemnlydesigned for the place.

The Master or Chief of thisFirmary was called Firmerarius.

To this place the Nuns at Da=vington paid yearly two Marksand an half upon the decree of

113 <sig H>

Hubert Arch. Bish. of Cant. as hatheen said before.

From hence let me next leadRefectory. you unto the Refectory or hall

whose building still remains in=tire: it being now made a re=pository and Storehouse for lad=ders and other little Fruitererstrumpery, which servile officeand employment thereof hathdoubtless been the main cause ofits continuance and survivingthe rest of its neighboring partsand allyes.

I find nothing left remarkablein it, save that on the Northdoor cut in stone remains yet le=gible this old inscription in cha=racters of that age, ‘Jhesus Christhave mercy on us.’

It had formerly an officer be=longing unto it called Refectori=us or the Controller thereof.

On the East parts of this Re=fectory stands some part, as I

AbbotsLodgings.

take it, of the Abbots lodging,by reason of its convenient scitu=ation for the supervising that

114

place. In which are an antientchamber or two, whose roofsare sieled with oaken wainscotafter the manner of some chan=cels.

On the west side of this Re=fectory standeth a building ofstone, which opens with twodoors into the Refectory or halland with another into the close,Northwards, which I take to bethe Almnery afore mentioned,whereunto the needy might re=sort without troubling the hallor officer thereof.

Camerari=us.

The next officer that challen=geth our notice is the Camerariusor Chamberlain, an officer ofgreat trust, as keeping the Keysof the treasury, issuing out andreceiving in all considerablesums of mony.

To this great office, as to allthe others, divers lands andhouses were assigned; Amongstwhich I find a piece of land cal=led Chamerary croft to belong:& also the rents of divers houses

115

in Faversham aforementioned.Bailiff. The next officer of eminency

is the Bailiff, whose power andauthority was most visible in thetown where he represented theperson of the Abbot, being coe=quall, if not in many things par=amount, the secular Magistrateor Major. Nothing could be e=nacted or consulted on by thetownsmen but this officer was tobe privy to it.

Town bookfol. 20.

He was distinct from the com=monalty in the election of MajorJurate, or any other officer.

He was a person learned inthe lawes of the Realm, amongstwhich officers of greatest honourwas Sir John Fyneux, who wasafterwards a Judge in the com=mon pleas in the time of H. 7.and H. 8. Who was a bountifulbenefactor to this our Abby towhich he had been Bailiff, ashath been shewn you elsewhere.

One Robert Edmunds I find tobe the last Bailiff of this Mona=stry being there at the dissolution

116

thereof. These officers werewont to carry a white Staff orwand in their hand, like the Ma=

jors.And notwithstanding the disso=

lution of this house the office ofbailiff continued in the town.For in the year 1562 Robert Coll=well being then the Kings bailiff,as they then called him, thetown finding this officer to be ofno great use, procured a releasefrom the said Robert Collwell,of this his office of Bailiff, pay=ing him therefore an annuityduring his life, and since thattime to this that officer hath beenclean laid aside.

Senescallus The Seneschall or steward comesnext in order, whose office wasto keep their courts and deter=mine controversies therein ari=sing. See his dwelling before.

Cellerarius. And after him the Cellerariusor Collector, whose office regard=ed the cibum Monachorum (theprovision or food for the monkes)and to this purpose the Pistri=

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num, Bracinum &c. viz. TheBake-house, Malt-house and Brew-house were committed to hischarge and custody; the tat=ter’d skeletons whereof remainyet visible.

Kitchin. The Kitchin must next like=wise be remembred, which isnow totally erazed. It stood,when in being, contiguous tothe well. In which, as I havebeen informed, there was a man=tle piece of timber, 30 foot inlength. The foundation of thiskitchin being of stone, in theyear 1652 was dug up to help topave the broad street in thetown, commonly called Court-street, and as the labourers weredigging, an arched subterraneanvault was discovered, whichwas supposed by the credulousvulgar to have undermin’d thechannel, and to have served themonkes for a passage to the nunsat Davington. But by the morejudicious it was conceived to beonly a sewar to convey the sul=

118

lage and water from the Kitchin.To this place as to the others

there were certain peculiar Offi=cers assigned as the Coquus andSubcoquus, Salsarius Coquinæ,Focarius Coquinæ &c.

As a relative to the Kitchinwe will next take in the Pastoror Shepherd. For you must knowthe Abbots kept a stock & Marsh=land in their own hands for thesustentation and maintenanceof their table. Wherefore ifyou please we will examine thisofficers accompts and see how hestands charged and discharged.

The charge of the Shepherd inthe 24th year of H. 7. in firstweek of Advent.

Imprimis, He is toanswer for 258

Item, He is to an=swer for increase thisyear, 50

Item, For Ews re=ceived of S. H. 40

price 50 s.

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Item, For Ewesand Weathers, 4

price 5 s. 8 d.Item, For 3 Ews

sold, 3price 3 s. 6 d.

Sum 366

The Shepherd’s discharge.

The said Shep=herd demands allow=ance, as deliveredto the Kitchin, fromChristmas to the be=ginning of Lent inthe Weathers. 32 at 2 s.

and 6 d.apiece.

He also craves tobe allowed in We=thers, delivered tothe Kitchin fromEaster unto Midsum=mer. 32 at 2 s.

and 4 d.a piece.

He also demandsto be allowed inEwes delivered tothe Kitchin, fromMidsummer unto thefeast of St. Andrewthe Apostle. 100 at 14 d.

apiecefor 40.and16 d. a=piece for

the other60.

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He also prays al=lowance for 4 We=ther-stags that died,price 2 s. a piece andfor ewes dead 7 at16 d. a piece 17 s. 4 d.

Sum CLXXV.

And so there remained in thecustody of the Shepherd on thefeast of St. Andrew 1. H. 8.190. unde in Wethers 70.

Here would I have the Rea=der observe with me the exceed=ing cheapness of provision inthose days. An whole substan=tial sheep being valued not a=bove 2 s. 8 d. and many at but14 d. apiece as appears by theprecedent accounts.

This was the time when astout labourer could afford towork for three pence or a groata day, and thank you too;when nine or ten shillings hadbeen sufficient to have treated a

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King. As was experienc’d byone Norwood of this country, whonot many years before feastedHen. 5. at the Red Lyon Inn inSittingborn, where the wholewine that was drank by the Kingand his Retinue at that time a=mounted but to nine shillings andsix pence.

Next to the Shepherd in order,Som. Cant. although of a far different qua=

lity, are we lead to the Forre=starius or Forrester.

This was an officer that re=lated to the Blean which in eldertimes was reputed a Forrest: itbeing much more in latitude

Forrester. than now we behold it; extend=ing it self even unto Herbal down:being plentifully also stock’dwith wild and savage animals,such as the Boar & fiercer Bear.One part or portion of this for=rest, viz. Bosindene was purcha=sed by Clarenbald, the first Ab=bot of this Monastry, and hathever since, until the dissolutionof this cloyster, continued faith=

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ful thereunto. In the possessi=

on of the office of chief Forresterof the Blean, I find one Mr. Tho=mas Hungerford, not long beforethe fall of this house, admittedthereunto by the grant or char=ter of John last Abbot of thismonastry bearing date the 26 ofFebr. in the 25. H. 8. wherebythis officer was to have for hissalary three pounds sterling perAnnum.

Calefactory Having now given you an ac=count of this Forrester. Thereis one room formerly belongingunto this monastry, and hithertoforgotten by me, which is worthour notice, and that is the Cale=factory, a place where the monkeswere wont to warm themselvesafter they came from their mat=tines. To this purpose I findone Robert Fale aforementioned,by his will 21. H. 8. to devise 8load of wood a year to be burntin this place.

The Stables have not yet been

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remembred by me, which stoodin that we call the Abby-close, atdistance from the other Offices:I read of one Stable called the

Palfry sta=ble.

Palfry stable, which was for thesaddle Nags and Geldings of theAbbot. This Stable stood uponthe ground whereon Sir GeorgeSonds hath lately built his Farm-house.

To this place there were di=vers Officers appointed, as theStallarius or Master of the horse.And under him the Provenda=rius, who was to provide pro=vender for them, &c.

By the death of every Abbot,&c. the King by his Preroga=tive was to have his Ring, Cup,Palfry and kennel of Hounds, forwhich he was wont to issue outa Writ to his Eschaetor to seisethe same. And although that thecustody of such Abbies in thetimes of their vacations, toge=ther with their goods, &c.had been granted over by theKing to some Subject, yet this

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special privilege passed not bysuch grant, but the King mightnotwithstanding write to the Es=chaetor to seize the same, as ap=

pears by this ensuing Writ.Ex archi=vis TurrisAnno 30.Ed. 1.

Rex &c. Escaetori suo salutem.Licet dilecti nobis in Christo prior& conventus ecclesiæ Sanctæ Cru=cis de Waltham per cartas pro=genitorum nostrorum Regum An=

Prins Hist.K. J. H. 3.& Ed. 1.930.

gliæ quas inspeximus, habere de=beant custodiam domus suæ præd’& omnium bonorum ejusdem insingulis vacationibus suis postmortem Abbatum suorum quorum=cunque, per quod vobis mandavi=mus quod occasione mortis Rober=ti nuper Abbatis ejusdem domus,vos de eadem domo aut bonis ejus=dem quibuscunque in aliquo nonintromitteretis & si quid inderecepissetis occasione prædicta ideis sine dilatione restitui facere=tis. Intentionis tamen nostræfuit & est quod Annulus, Cuppa,Palefridus & Mota canum quifuerunt præd’ Abbatis die quoobiit a prædictis Priore & Con=

125

ventu per vos ad opus nostrum, siad nos per mortem ejusdem Ab=batis pertinere debeant, exigan=tur. Ita tamen quod Annulo, Cup=pa, Palefrido, & Mota sic exactis,vos exactionem illam ponatis inrespectum usq; ad proximum Par=lamentum nostrum, ut tunc indefiat quod de consilio nostro superhoc duxerimus ordinand’. Et ideovobis mandamus quod facta ex=actione hujusmodi, eam ponatis inrespectum usque ad proximumParlamentum nostrum et habeatisibi tunc hoc breve.

Teste Rege apud Edenburgh 2.die Feb.

Per breve de privato sigillo.

But to proceed: Here was like=wise within this Abby a GrammarSchool, founded by John Cole,sometimes Warden of All soulsColledge in Oxford, wherein thisCovent was to be instructed inGrammar.

To the maintenance whereofthe said John Cole by License of

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H. 8. under the Great Seal, in the12th year of his Reign gave theseensuing lands to the Abbot andCovent of Faversham, viz.

1. A messuage with 16 acres ofland, and 8 acres of pasture withtheir appurtenances, in the parish

of Leydon in the Isle of Shepey.2. One messuage and 20 acres

of land in Hernhill, late StephenStocke’s.

3. Another messuage and 19acres of land in the said parish ofHernhill late John Stephen’s.

4. Two Crofts of land with theappurtenances, called Gyblottsand Lovecote containing 3 acresand 3 rods, and one Croft of landcalled Martyn Lands containing4 acres in the parish of Hernhill.

5. Two pieces of land calledColkeham and Mentleham con=taining 23 acres in Hernhil afore=said.

6. One piece of land calledSurrendens Croft containing 7acres lying in the parish of Fa=versham.

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7. One Marsh with the appur=tenances called Poynings Marshcontaining 10 acres, and 35 acresof land lying in Ewell field in Fa=versham, and the part of the Man=nor or Tenement of Ewell withth’ appurtenances of one Gardenand 170 acres of land called Ewellands in Faversham aforesaid, andGoodnestone near Faversham.

The Warden and Fellows ofAll-souls in Oxon, were to nomi=nate the School-master, and theAbbot and his Successors was toallow the said Master 10/l per An.wages, meat, drink, and a gownof cloth, a chamber, and 4 loadeof fuel annually.

But not long were these andother the foremention’d lands &premisses (which the piety ofour Forefathers had endowedthis Abby with) employed totheir primitive uses: For soonafter fell that dismal storm of dis=solution in the 27th year of H. 8.so ominous to all Religious Stru=ctures, whose malignity and fury,

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although it first fell hardest onthe lesser houses, beating themdown, and distorting their de=means, yet even those of thegreater magnitude (amongstwhich this our Abby) whosegrandeur and haughtiness wassuch, that they would not pre=sently fall, had their foundationsterribly shaken by it. Insomuch,

that within two years after, likecrazy buildings whom a stormhad weakned, most of the Reli=gious Houses in England calmlyand tamely, rather by insinuationand flattery than violence, yieldthemselves to fate, and theirinterest in their lands into thehands of H. 8. Amongst whichthis our Abby, in the 30th year ofthat King, in the month of July,was by an instrument in Latin(prepared by Cromwel and hisagents to that purpose) surren=dred into the hands of RichardLeyton one of the then Mastersof the Chancery (a person com=missionated for the same pur=

129 <sig I>

pose) to the use of the King withall its goods, ornaments, &c. by

The Office ofPrior was tobe chief in theabsence of theAbbot, andsecond in hispresence.

John, Abbot thereof.Robert Faversham, Prior.John Harty, Sacrist.Thomas Selling, Cellerar.Dunstan Chartham, sub-Prior.William Frytenden.Ralph Ulcomb.Peter Sedengborn.

Whose names are all written inthe margent of the said instru=ment, being to be seen in theAugmentation Office, under theseal of the said Abby; which sealis become so maimed and imper=fect, not so much through timeas ill usage, that I cannot welldescribe it, wherefore pardonmy omission of it at present.

Thus have we seen, Reader,that bodies politick as well asnatural bodies can dye.

I might inlarge my self nowby making inquiry into the causesthat moved H. 8. to the extirpa=tion of so many Religious Foun=

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dations; but because I aime atbrevity, and have already sur=passed the limits I at first pre=scribed my self, I shall sum upthe causes briefly in the wordsof an elegant and witty Poet.

—— In the common fateThe neighboring Abby fell. May no such stormFall on our age, where ruine must reform!Tell me my Muse what monstrous dire offence,What crime could any Christian King incenseTo such a rage? Was’t luxury or lust?

Was he so temperate, so chast, so just?Were these their crimes? They were his own much / more.But they (alas!) were rich and he was poor;And having spent the treasure of his Crown,Condemns their luxury to feed his own.And yet this act, to varnish or’e the shameOf Sacriledge, must bear Devotions name.And he might think it just, the cause and timeConsider’d well, for none commits a crimeAppearing such; but as ’tis understoodA real, or at least a seeming good.Thus to the ages past he makes amends,Their charity destroys, their faith defends.Then did religion in a lazy cell,In empty, airy contemplations dwell,And like the block unmoved lay, whilest oursAs much too active like the Stork devours.Is there no temperate Region to be knownBetwixt their frigid and our Torrid Zone?

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Could we not wake from that Lethargick dream,But to be restless in a worse extream?And for that Lethargy was there no cure,But to be cast into a Calenture? &c.

But enough. If not to much of this.

To proceed.

King Henry 8. by vertue of thesaid surrender being investedwith all the revenues & goods ofthis Abby, for a competent pro=vision and maintenance for theAbbot and Monkes, who werestrangers to the world and theaffairs thereof, granted themseveral pensions for their lives.

The Abbot himself had an 100markes per annum, as appears bythis ensuing grant.

penes Au=thorem.

Henricus octavus Dei gratiaAngliæ & Franciæ Rex fidei de=fensor, Dominus Hiberniæ &in terra supremum caput Anglica=næ Ecclesiæ. Omnibus ad quospresentes literæ pervenerint salu=tem. Cum nuper Monasterium deFaversham in comitatu nostro

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Cantiæ jam dissolvatur, unde qui=dam Joh. Castlock alias dictusShepey tempore dissolutionisillius & diu antea Abbas ibidemfuit, Nos volentes rationabilemannualem pensionem sive promoti=onem condignam eidem Joh. advictum exhibitionem & sustenta=tionem suam melius sustinendumprovideri, Sciatis igitur quod nosin consideratione præmissorum degratia nostra speciali ac ex certa

scientia & mero motu nostrisper advisamentum & concensumCancellarii & consilii Curiæ aug=mentationum reventionum Coro=næ nostra dedimus concessimus, acper præsentes damus & concedi=mus præfato Joh. quandam annui=tatem sive annualem pensionemcentum Marcarum Sterlingor’ ha=bend’ gaudend’ & annuatim per=cipiend’ easden centum Marcasprafato Joh. & assignatis suis afesto annuntiationis Beatæ Ma=riæ virginis ultimo præterit’ad terminum & pro termino

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vitæ ipsius Joh. vel quousque i=dem Joh. ad unum vel plura be=neficia ecclesiastica sive aliampromotionem condignam clari an=nui valoris centum marcarum autultra per nos promotus fuerit, tamper manus Thesaurarii reventio=num augmentationum Coronæ no=stræ pro tempore existenti de The=sauro nostro in manibus suis dereventionibus præd’ remanere con=ting’, quam per manus Receptorisparticularium exituum & re=ventionum dicti nuper Monasteriipro tempore existentis de eisdemexitibus & reventionibus ad fe=sta sancti Michaelis Archangeli& annuntiationis Beatæ Mariævirginis per æquales portionessolvend’, Eo quod expressa mentiode vero valore annuo aut de certi=tudine præmissorum sive eorum a=licujus aut de aliis donis siveconcessionibus per nos prefato Joh.ante hæc tempora fact’ in præ=sentibus minime fact’ existit, autaliquo statuto, actu, ordinati=one, provisione sive restrictione

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inde hic fact’ ordinat’ sive pro=vis’, aut aliqua alia re, causavel materia quacunque in aliquonon obstante. In cujus rei testi=mon’ has literas nostras fieri feci=mus patentes. Teste RichardoRich milite apud Westm’ 24 JuliiAnno regni nostri tricesimo.

DUKE.Per Cancellarium & concilium

Curiæ Augmentationum Coro=næ Regis, virtute warranti Re=gis.Let us a little winnow the

words of the Patent, and we shallfind in it two things observable.

1. That the Pensioner was tobe in the covent (diu antea) longbefore the dissolution thereof.

2. The annuity or pension wasto cease when the party was ad=vanced by the King to a Churchdignity or living amounting to an100 markes per annum.

1. For the first our Abbot couldfully satisfie that clause of (diuantea;) he being chosen Abbotupon the surrender of Walter

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Goore, which was made (as hathbeen said) in the 14th. year ofH. 7 and in the year of our Lord,1499. so that by just accountshe had been Abbot at the disso=lution of this house full 40 years.The years then of his age mustneeds be as much more, for hemust be supposed to have beenthe Senior of the house, (the ho=nour of Abbot descending com=monly upon the eldest) and fortyyears was but a moderate ageto undertake the gravity andweight of so considerable anoffice and charge.

2. As to the annuity of 100markes, how long it lasted, whe=ther it ceased by the death ofthe said Abbot (as being promo=ted to an heavenly, before anearthly benefice) I cannot say.But that he was every way fittedand capacitated for the last (theoath of his profession and regularhabit being released) will ap=pear by the ensuing Patents.

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Letters of dispensation grantedby the Archbishop of Cant. un=to the Abbot to take uponhim a secular habit andqualifie him for a benefice.

penes Au=thorem.

Tho. miseratione Divina Can=tuariens’ Episcop’ totius AngliæPrimas & Metrapolit’ ad infra=scripta authoritate parlamentiAngliæ legitime fulcitus, Dilectonobis in Christo Joh. Shepey nu=per Abbati soluti Monasterii deFaversham nostræ Cantuariens’diocesios ordinis divini Bene=dicti probro regularem vitam pro=fesso salutem gratiam & bene cu=pientes te ob tuorum exigentiammeritorum favore prosequi gra=tioso ut Religio=

nem quam professus es exire &ad sæculum te conferre Ac ibidemde cætero in veste sæcularis pro=bri vitam agere Nec non Benefici=um ecclesiasticum etiamsi curamhabeat animarum obtinere libere& lictie valeas & possis auth=

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ritate prædicta dispensamus, con=trariis dicti ordinis & canonicisinstitutis non obstantibus quibus=cunque. Dat’ in manerio nostrode Lambeth sub nostro sigillo adfacultates, 26 die Julii, AnnoDomini 1538 & nostræ consecrat’anno sexto.

John Hughes.

Besides this of the Archbi=shop’s, it was thought requisiteto have the King’s letters patentsfor the confirmation thereof;which, because it hath relationto the former and either of themare not to be met with in print(as I have yet discovered,) I willnot withhold from you.

Henry the eight his confirmationof the Archbishop’s dispen=sation.

penes Au=thorem.

Henricus octavus Dei gratia An=gliæ & Franciæ Rex fidei defen=sor, Dominus Hiberniæ & in ter=ra supremum caput Anglicanæ ec=clesiæ. Omnibus ad quos præsentes

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literæ pervenerint salutem. In=speximus quasdam literas dispens’præsentibus annexas quas & sin=gula in eis content’ juxta quen=dam actum inde in Parlamentonostro edit’ ratificamus, appro=bamus & confirmamus per præ=sentes, ita quod Johannes Shepeyin dictis literis nominat’ omnibus& singulis in eisdem specificatisuti, frui & potiri valeat &possit libere & quiete, licite &impune secundum vim formam eteffectum earundem impedimentoquocunque in aliquo non obstante.In cujus rei testimonium has lite=ras nostras fieri fecimus patentes.Teste meipso apud Westm’ ul=timo die Julii Anno Regni nostritricessimo.

Vaughan.

Thus have I shewn you our Ab=bot exactly qualified for a bene=fice: and ’tis very likely he had

it, for being so provided for, hispension or annuity ceased, and

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the Exchequer was dischargedfrom future paying him any ex=hibition.

When or where he died, I con=fess I cannot tell, and shall ac=knowledge my self oblig’d tohim that can inform me: But theantient name of Castlock conti=nued with credit and eminencyin the town, till lately it expiredand went out by the death ofJohn Castlock Grandson to JohnSon of William Brother to Johnthe last Abbot of the Monastryof St. Saviours at Faversham,whose Monuments are visible inthe Parish Church.

Having now done with the Ab=bot, and given you an account ofwhat provision was made forhim; It remains, that I give youan account of the Monks his Bre=thren, and of the care that wasused by H. 8. for them likewise.

And at the time of the surren=der of this house, I find thesepersons, Monks there, viz.

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1. Robert Chillenden2. John Fillpot3. Dunstan Goodhew4. John Tayler5. Tho. Dene6. Peter Mynce7. William Coydon8. Ralph Post. al.Ulcomb.

All which had several Annualpensions of 4 or 5/l per an. assign=ed them for their lives, as I findin a parchment book in the Aug=mentation Office in the custodyof Mr. Moore.

And with this pittance werethey pack’d away, turn’d out oftheir warm and hospitable Cloy=sters into the cold and unchari=table world, where dig theycould not, and to beg they wereashamed; their fingers were ei=ther too stiff (as one saith) byreason of old age, to begin nowto bow to a manual trade, orhands too soft (because of theirtender breeding) to take painsin a laborious vocation.

What a sad condition these mi=

serable wretches were in, I willleave to the Readers tenderbreast to judge.

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And now (the Bees beingflown) let us a little consider thestrange havock was made by apack of drones within their hives.

HeylingEccles.Restaurat.134.

For although that some profitwas raised by the pilching of theMonastries of their Plate, &c. tothe Kings Exchequer, yet the fargreatest part of the prey came toothers hands. Insomuch that ma=ny private mens Parlours werehung with Altar-cloths, their ta=bles & beds covered with Copesinstead of Carpets and Coverlies,and many made carousing cups ofthe sacred Chalices, as once Bel=shazzer celebrated his drunkenFeasts in the sanctified vessels ofthe Temple. It was a sorry houseand not worth the naming whichhad not somewhat of this furni=ture in it, though it were only afair cushion made of a Cope orAltar-cloth to adorn their win=dows, or make their chairs ap=pear to have somewhat in themof a chair of state: But enoughof this —

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I shall now briefly conclude mysurvey of this Abby with this re=markable Memoire. That neitherthe Abbot of this house, or anyof his Brethren were detected orbranded with any crooked or ir=regular deviation from the pathsof honour and vertue, but withall sincerity and faithfulness theyare found to have led their livesin this their sequestration and re=tirement from the world, inno=cent as Doves and harmless asSheep. — None of those blackand hainous crimes of Fornica=tion and Adultery being charg’don their accounts.

The Revenues and Rents oftheir Covent and Cloyster theyspent in hospitality and goodhouse-keeping, welcoming thestranger, and relieving the poorand needy. They did not riot itaway upon their Concubines andHarlots, diminishing the estate oftheir Monastry, to improve andenlarge the estates of their Ba=stards, as did the Abbot of Ston=

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ly in the county of Warwick, whowas found by inquisition takenin the Reign of Ed. 3. to havealiened the chiefest part of theRevenues of his House to hisConcubines and Bastards, whichlast were found to have exceed=ed in number the Monks and Vo=taries that were in that Cloyster:But to the Record it self, whichsaith, Alienavit præd’ Abbas di=versis hominibus particulariter,prout patet inferius, viz. Isabellæde Beneshale Concubinæ dicti Ab=batis & Johanni filio eorundem

Cook 2.Inst. 458.

Abbatis & Isabellæ primogenitounum Messuagium & unam Caru=catam terræ et decem mercat red=ditus cum pertinentiis in Fynham,Habend’ & tenend’ ad terminumvitæ eorundem Isabellæ et Johan=nis absq; aliquo inde reddendo an=nuatim — And then again bythe same inquisition it was foundthat diverse other Leases forlives were made to diverse per=sons to and for the benefit of thesaid Abbot and his Concubines,

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and his and her Bastards. But itis best to use the words of theRecord it self — Absque aliquoinde reddendo vel præ manibusinde de eisdem perepto: Sed tan=tummodo ad opus & proficuumipsius Abbatis & maxime prosustentatione et inventione præd’Isabellæ & puerorum eorundemAbbatis & Isabellæ qui exceduntnumerum Monachorum suorummissas celebrantium si forte depo=neretur de statu suo, &c.

Our Abbot (I say) was nottainted with any of these viciousexcesses: But however innocent,being caught amongst the guilty,like the unhappy Stork in theFable who (though innocenthimself yet) being found in theHusbandmans corn in companyof the more injurious Geese andCranes, was condemned to ac=company them in their sufferingslikewise.

The Revenues of this Abby(according to the antient Rentsand favourable Rates of such en=

145 <sig K>

dowments in those dayes) were

valued, at the suppression there=of, to be well worth 286/l 12/s 6/dby the year: which since theyare come into the possession ofLaymen are improved to at least2000/l per Annum.

FINIS.

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Having now representedunto you the estate andcondition of the Abby, itremaines, that, accordingto my promise, I say somewhatof the Priory of Davington.

It was founded, saith Mr. Lam=bert by Henry the second aboutthe second year of his Reign, forblack Nuns, in emulation, as itshould seem, of that which hisimmediate predecessour KingStephen had erected at Faver=sham.

But others would have Fulkede Newnham to be founder there=of: but I am apt to incline thatFulke de Newnham was rather aBenefactor than Founder there=of.

The Church and Parsonage ofNewnham being appropriated tothis House by the said Fulke, ashath been said before.

The Church of Davington, andso was the Priory whilst in being,commended unto the patronage

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of St. Mary Magdalen, serving theNuns for their private, as nowthe whole parish for their pub=lick devotion.

These Nuns were supposed byHarpsfield to have been FrenchWomen, for that Walter Rei=nolds sometime Archbishop ofCanterbury prescribed them rulesor ordinances in the FrenchTongue for their more easie in=tellect.

This Priory sunk into decaylong before the general dissolu=tion, for that their poverty wassuch, that they were unable tosupport their due number of Vo=taries according to the prescri=ption of their Founder.

The Leiger-Book of this Housebeing either lost or got into pri=vate hands, and the Augmenta=tion Office being silent of its Re=venues, I have nothing more to

say concerning it. —But that they were alwayes cal=led the Poor Nuns of Davington.

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Ospringe.

Leave we now Davington andstep unto Ospringe-streets,where the maimed skeleton ofthe Major Dieu presents it selfunto the travellers eye, implo=ring both his pitty and stay.

It was Founded, as Mr. Philpotwould have it, by Lucas de Vi=enna, but a Manuscript in thehands of that Pious and Ortho=dox Divine Mr. Thomas Caterpreacher of Gods word in thisParish, my very good Friend, (towhom I owe the chiefest of myknowledge in the concerns ofthis place) informs me that Henrythe third erected it.

It consisted of a Master andthree Regular Fryars or Brethrenwhose profession was of the Or=der of the Holy Cross, and of twoSecular Clarks whose office wasto pray for the souls of H. 3. hisPredecessors and Successors.And also to be hospitable, andgive entertainment to the poorand needy passengers and pil=grims.

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It was one of those Mansionswhere the Knights Templers,and after them the Hospitallersreposed themselves in their Pro=gress toward their other De=means in this County.

The Revenue which support=ed this House lay at Lurenden inChallock and at Hokeling, Ryde-marsh, Ryde, and other places inthe Isle of Sheppey.

The Parsonage of Ospringe,together with the Vicarage wasappropriated unto this House.

Here was sometime past aChamber in this House calledCamæra Regis, as I find by an an=tient Perambulation of the townof Faversham, which leads us adparietem Camæræ Regis in eademdomo Dei versus North. which Iconceive was a chamber whereinthe King in his Progress this waywas wont to repose himself.

The Governour or Chief ofthis House was called Magister

Hospitalis beatæ Mariæ Virginisde Ospringe (the house it seems

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being dedicated unto the blessedVirgin Mary.

Pryns Hist.H. 3. & Ed.1. &c.

One Peter sometime Master ofthis house in the 22 year of Ed. 1.paid a Subsidy to that King, andhad a special protection grantedunto him.

Upon a little window of stoneto the street-wards, yet remain=ing, which supplies the dwellinghouse with light, I find twoCrosses, the one plain, thus,

<woodcut>

The other double-crossed thus.

<woodcut>

Which denotes unto us, that ithad relation unto the aforesaidReligious Order of Knights.

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This House is none of themthat can lay his death to thecharge of Henry the Eighth, butrather to its own folly, it beinglittle better than a felo de se.

The story thereof is thusrelated.

The Master or Governour dy=ing first, soon after one of theBrethren chanc’d to dye, whichwas surmised by the rest of thecowardly Brethren to be occa=sion’d by the Plague amongstthem, whereupon, in or uponthe sixth day of June in the twoand twentieth year of the Reignof Edward the fourth, the o=ther basely forsook the House,and took no order to chooseany other in their room, where=upon that King was intituledthereunto by Escheat. Andpresently this House with itsRevenues were folded up a=mongst the Demeans of the

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Crown, untill the tenth year ofHenry the Eighth, who devestedthe Crown thereof, bestowingthe Revenues and Scite of thisHouse upon St. John’s Colledgein Cambridge, to whose Pro=priety it still continues fixed andconstant.

FINIS.

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The Descent of KingStephen as exstractedfrom that Eminentfamily of the Earls ofBlois and Cham=paigne, being An Ap=pendix to the formerDiscourse.

By Thomas Philipot Esquire.

King Steven, that was in=vested with the EnglishDiadem, and foundedthe Abby of Faversham, was

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branch’d out, from the Earls ofBlois, Brie, Touraine and of Cham=paigne also, the last of whichwas the Seat and habitation ofthe Catalauni, Tricassi, Lingones,Rhemi, and Senones; they wereCounts Palatine, and had thepower of creating publick No=taries, and exercising Haut andBase Justice, and were likwisein the Register of the 12 Peersof France, and were sometimesMajors of the palace to the Mo=narchs of that Kingdome.But before I wade farther inthis discourse, I shall take aSummarie prospect of the Histo=ry of these Earls, and then un=ravel their Descent and extra=ction, and the eminent Intertex=ture of those Collateral Alli=ances that have so much enobledthis House and Family.

Hugh Capet gave Champaigneto Odo or Eudes with all theFranchises and Priviledges of a

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County Palatine annexed to it,which Odo had married hisDaughter, whilest he was un=der the Umbrage of a privateFortune: This Odo was Son ofTheobald Earl of Blois, and Ne=phew of Gerson a noble Dane, towhom Charles the Simple gavethe City and County of Blois, An.920. to appease that Fury whichhad ingag’d him before to makesuch miserable havock and ra=vage on the Maritime Regionof France.

A Series of the Earls ofBlois and Champaigne.

999. Odo Son of TheobaldEarle of Blois, Brie, Tou=raine and Champaigne.

1032. Steven Earle of Blois andChampaigne, Father to Ste=ven King of England.

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1101. Theobald eldest Son ofSteven Earl of Blois andChampaigne.

1151. Henry Son of Theobald.1181. Henry the second Son of

Henry, eminent for his ser=vice perform’d in the holywarre, but more conspicu=ous by being King of Jeru=salem, in Right of Izabellhis wife Daughter of Alme=ricus.

1196. Theobald the second Son ofHenry the second match’dwith Blanch Sister and Heirof Sancho the eighth Kingof Navarre.

1201. Theobald the third Son ofTheobald the second, Earlof Blois and Champaigne,succeeded in the Realm ofNavarre.

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1269. Theobald the fourth Sonof Theobald the third, Earlof Blois and Champaigne,and King of Navarre.

1271. Henry the third Son ofTheobald the fourth, Earlof Blois and Champaigne,and King of Navarre.

1284. Philip the fourth stil’dthe Fair King of France andKing of Navarre, and Earlof Blois and Champaigne al=so, in Right of Joan hiswife Heir of Henry thethird.

1313. Lewis Hutin King ofFrance and Navarre, andEarl of Blois and Cham=paigne.

1315. Philip the Long, King ofFrance and Navarre.

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1320. Charles the Fair Brotherof Lewis and Philip theLong, King of France & Na=varre, after whose deceasethe Earldoms of Blois and

Champaigne were with theirconcatenated Demeasne u=nited to the Crown byPhilip de Valois King ofFrance, He giving in Ex=change for so Important aRevenue to Joan Queen ofNavarre, only the Earldomof March neer Angolesme,and some other pettyTowns; which Joan wasDaughter to Lewis Hutin,and matched to Philip Earlof Eureux, from which Alli=ance Lewis the fourteenth,the present Monarch of

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France, and the princes ofthe House of Bourbon areoriginally descended.

These Earls of Champaignewere likewise enrolled in thenumber of the twelve Peersof France whose original Insti=tution some entitle to Charle=main, others ascribe to Hugh Ca=pet.

The Original of the nameand Function of the Peers ofFrance cannot be better de=duced (as Mr. Pithou ob=serves) than from the commonusage of their Fiefs, which is,when the Vassals holding inFief or Fee of the same Lordfully and directly, are stil’dPares Curiæ, and are oblig’dto be assistant when the Lordtakes possession of his Lands,to be present at the Judgmentof Fiefs, and other Rights whichthey enjoy in proportion with

160

the Peers of France; who inlike manner are assistant at theCoronation of the King and hisCouncellours in his Court ofParlament, which for that rea=son hath obtained the Denomi=nation of The Court of Peers, sothat, in a word, the Peers ofFrance are only Tenants in Fee,holding their Lands immedi=ately of the Crown, such as wereantiently the Seven Peers in thetime of Lewis le June, Anno1179. Originally there werebut six Peers, the Dukes ofBurgundy, Normandy, and Aqui=tain, the Counts of Champaigne,

Tholouse, and Flanders, to whichhave been since added the sixEcclesiasticks, the Archbishopand Duke of Rhemes, the Bishopsand Dukes of Laon and Langres,& the three Ecclesiastical Countsthe Bishops of Beauvais, Chalonsin Champaigne and Noyon, tothe first of which the Arch=bishop of Rhemes Lewis le June

161 <sig L>

granted the Primacie, makinghim first Peere of France withthe Prerogative of Crowning theKings. The Functions at theCoronations are these; the Arch-Bishop of Rhemes hath the privi=lege of Anointing the King withthe oyl of the Holy Ampulla, theBishop of Laon carries the SaintAmpoulle or holy Vial, the Bi=shop of Langres the Scepter, andin the absence of the Arch-Bi=shop of Rhemes, anoints the King,the Bishop of Beauvais carries theRoyal Mantle, the Bishop of Cha=lons the Ring, and the Bishop ofNoyon the Belt, or Baudrick,the Duke of Burgundy carries theCrown, and puts on the KingsSword, the Duke of Aquitainethe first Banner, the Duke ofNormandy the second, the Countof Champaigne the Banner-Royalor Standard de Guerr, the Count ofTholouse, and the Count ofFlanders support the Sword onthe day of the Coronation:

162

These Peers do wear a circle ofGold on their heads (during thewhole Ceremony) in fashion andfigure of a Crown.

The Earles of Champaignewere likewise sometimes Majorsof the Palace, and Vicars of theRealm of France, stil’d in oldFrench Records, Vicarii Regni, &were in their power proporti=onate to the Præfecti Prætorio, inthe declining condition of the Ro=man Empire, or else did resem=ble the Sultans under the Sara=cenical Caliphs, or the Vice-Roysunder the Pharaohs; The Of=fice Entitles its Institution toClotaire the second, who beinga Prince of much softness and Ef=feminacie, appear’d only in pub=lick on May day, in a Chariotdrawn with four Oxen, and gar=

nish’d and embellish’d with flow=ers, but transmitted all affairs ofImportance, to the managerieand Conduct of this Great Of=ficer, for he open’d Pacquets,gave Audience to Embassadors,

163

heard Complaints and redressedthem, enacted Lawes, and re=peal’d them. A late Author thathath represented to us the pre=sent state of France, thus pour=trays this Eminent Officer; TheMajors of the Palace (sayes he)under the first Race of the FrenchKings, were in the nature ofLieutenant Generals of the wholeKingdome, and as according tothe antient establishments, therewas one Duke over every twelveCounties, and some Dukes whichhad the Government of Pro=vinces entire, so the Majors duPalais, had as it were, superin=tendencie over the Dukes them=selves, and stiled themselvesDukes or Princes so the French.His Authority in those dayeswas not confin’d to the Vergeand circumference of the KingsHousehold (in which he dis=posed of all places) but he hada Power and Prerogative over allOfficers of War, Justice, Trea=

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surie, and what ever else hada reflection upon the Affairs ofState.

The first Major of the Palaceobvious in the French Recordswas one Arnulphus, descendedlineally from Utilo the second,Son of Theodon the first Duke,and Nephew of Aldegarius thelast King of the Baiarians orBavarians; which Utilo beinga Martial and MagnanimousPrince, and having by the in=vitation and influence of Theo=dorick the first King of Austra=sia or Metz repell’d the Danes,then miserably infesting thecoasts of Lower Germany, wasby Him made Warden of thoseMarches, honour’d with themarriage of his Daughter Clo=tilda, and liberally endowedwith fair Possessions in thatTract. To Arnulphus (who hadabandon’d the world and died

Bishop of Metz, Anno 641) suc=

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ceeded his Eldest Son Ansegisuswho drew unto himself the ma=nagerie of the whole estate,and he deceasing in the year 679transmitted his Authority andOffice to his Nephew MartinSon to Pardulphus his youngerBrother, but he being destroy=ed by Ebronius a bloody Com=petitor, Pepin stil’d the Fat,Son of Ansegisus, to expiate hisCousins murder, crush’d all theopposite Factions, and upontheir Ruines, rose and reach’dthe Honour to himself: Andhaving much improv’d the Af=fairs of France by his conquestof the Sueves, and Frisons, de=ceased in the year 704, and be=queath’d this Office to his Na=tural Son (for Grimold his onlylawfull Son, and Theobald theSon of Grimold expired not longbefore him) Charles begottenon his Concubine Alheida fromhis martial prowesse so signallyexemplified at the battel of

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Tours (where he not only rout=ed a prodigious Army of Moorsand Saracens, but likewise afterwrung Languedoc from the Gothsand Moors, and annex’d it tothe Gallique Diadem) surnamedMartell, and could have easilyascended the Throne, and grasp=ed the French Scepter, but thathis Maxime was, He had ratherrule a King than be One. Tohim succeeded his Eldest SonCarolomain An. 741 who sway’dthis Office but a year, and thenconvey’d it to his Brother Pe=pin, who being not ballast withthat moderation as was his Fa=ther, upon a pretence of anElection of Pope Zacharie as=sumed the Scepter by deposing,shaving and confining that in=fortunate Prince Chilperick to aMonastry; but he dreading thatthe power of this Officer whichhad given him opportunity ofUsurping the Regal Diadem,would again supplant and dis=

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lodge him, retrench’d its Juris=diction, and contracted it into

a narrower channel, by consti=tuting a Seneschal, whose Do=minion was to reach no fartherthan his Family. And thoughthis Office began to re-flourishunder Hugh Capet who plantedit in Odo Earle of Champaigne,and after invested it in the Dukesof Anjou, yet it could neverspread it self into that extent ofAuthority, as into that it didoriginally diffuse it self, but re=mains at this instant only a ske=leton of its former Grandeur,being fallen under the Denomi=nation of Grand Master of theKings Household, and is lodg’din the present Prince of Conde.

FINIS.

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<This transcript is based on EEBO’s copy of the book,which lacks the frontispiece (‘The Habbit of a monck ofthe Order of St. Benedict’) but is otherwise complete. It isnot, I think, generally known that the Faversham Societyis in possession of a bibliographical oddity – an advancecopy of this book, made up before the preliminaries andthe appendix had been printed, with a different title page(see below). Except that it was acquired by the Societyin 1967, it has no recorded history, no inscription or anno-tation of any kind. For my knowledge of it I am indebtedto the late Arthur Percival. – C.F. March 2016.>

<The first four pages of the Faversham Society’s copy>

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MonasticonFAVERSHAMIENSEINAgro Cantiano:

OR

A SURVEIGHOF THEMonastry of FavershamIN THECounty of KENT.

Wherein its Barony and Right to sit inParlament is discovered.

Together with its antient and modernEstate described.

As also its Founder and Bene=factors remembered.

By Tho. Southouse of Faversham Esq;

—— Olim meminisse juvabit.

London, Printed for T. Passenger living at thesign of the three Bibles upon London bridge, 1671.

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