The Will of a Mediaeval Kentish Parson

( 123 ) THE WILL OE A MEDIAEVAL KENTISH PARSON. BY A. H. TAYLOR. WILLIAM MARSHALL, Clerk, an abstract of whose will proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury is here offered to the readers of Archceologia Cantiana, was instituted by Archbishop Morton at Lambeth on the 6th November, 1487, to the perpetual vicarage of the Church of Appledore with the chapel of Ebony annexed, vacant by the death of Richard Multon, the last incumbent, and on the presentation of the Prior and Convent of St. Mary and St. Martin New Work at Dover.1 Some ten years later he was presented by James Peckham, Esq., Patron of the Church of Warehome, to that benefice to which he was also instituted by the same Archbishop at Lambeth2 on the 9th June, 1498, holding both livings until his decease in 1523. He was a man of considerable wealth and appears to have been frequently in London where he had chambers at the Priory of the Holy Trinity, and at Christ Church; besides residences at Canterbury, Warehome (where he did not spend so much time as the parishioners wished him to) and Appledore. His wiU also discloses the names of other wellknown persons with whom he was acquainted. Beyond this I have not been able to learn much about him, the items which follow being taken principahy from the visitation of Archbishop Warham held in 1511. At the visitation of monasteries held in the chapter house of the cathedral on September 18th in that year, under that of the Convent of St. Martin Novi Operis at Dover, it is recorded : 1 Reg. Archbp. Morton, fol. 132. 2 Ibid., fol. 165. 124 THE WILL OE A MEDLEVAL KENTISH PARSON. Itm. qd ultimus prior obUgant dcm mon in decem libris dns Willmo Marchall pro quadam anna pensioe durante vita ejusdem Marschall.1 [That the last Prior bound the monastery to the amount of ten pounds to William Marshall for an annual pension during the life of the said Marshall.]2 Itm. q. dns Wilhhus Marchall Vicarius de Appuldor cogat ad exhibend assignatione pensios sue apud Aldington.1 [That Sir William Marchall Vicar of Appledore should be compelled to exhibit the assignment of his pension at Aldington.]2 Aldington being named as the forthcoming visitation of the Deanery of Lymne was to be held there. This pension of £10 was granted by Robert Norbonne who, according to Dr. Haines,3 was head of the Priory at Dover from c. 1498-1508, and of whom he states " there is httle to record of this Prior.'' Only two items are mentioned, the second of which is that he bestowed this pension on WiUiam Marshall, but for what reason does not appear, neither is it recorded if he produced his authority to receive the pension, or whether it was discontinued or not. It may be further noted that at the institution of Marshall to Appledore there is a reference to a pension being paid to Robert Overton, a former Vicar of Appledore who was also Prior of Dover, but the exact nature of these cross-pensions might weU form the subject of further research. The Visitation was continued and for the Deanery of Lymmene, otherwise Lymne, was held in the parish church of Aldington on the 24th September, when the sermon was preached by Master Rowland Phelipp, S.T.B., Vicar of Croydon. The first entry which concerns WUliam Marshall reads : 1 Reg. Archbp. Warham, fol. 38b. 2 British Magazine, vol. XXIX, pp. 145-146; also English Historical Beview, vol. VI, p. 24. 8 History of the Priory of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Martin of the New Work, Dover, by C. R. Haines, D.D., p. 297. THE WILL OE A MEDIEVAL KENTISH PARSON. 125 ECOLIA DE EBNBY. Compertu' est. That the chauncell is not sufficiently repayrd nother above nor byneth nor in the glasse wyndowes.1 [On the 23rd March, 1512, the Vicar of Apledor appeared and the Commissary enjoined him to sufficiently repair the chancel and its windows before the feast of the Assumption under pain of sequestration.]2 Ebony is a small parish lying midway between Appledore and Tenterden, the living of which, from mediseval times, was attached to the Vicarage of Appledore, but recently (1928) under an Order in Council, has been annexed to the Vicarage of Stone in the Isle of Oxney. Coming to his benefice of Warehome we have two unusual but interesting items :— ECCLIA DE WAREHORNE. Compertu' est. That the pson is not Resident but ys alway at Apuldore and maynteigneth a chanon in aU his lewdnes.8 [Sir William MarshaU, the rector, appeared and the Commissary enjoined him to reside personally on that benefice under pain of sequestration. The said Sir WiUiam also stated that he did not maintain a canon who performed the service at Appledore in misconduct, and would not do so.]4 Itm. All the svice tyme he walkith at the chauncell dore5 hatted and capped and will not goo into the choer(sic) .3 [The said Sir WiUiam denied the charge. The Commissary enjoined him to be in the choir singing or saying on Sundays and Festivals at the time of divine service and not to be walking outside the choir under pain of excommunication.] 4 1 B.eg. Archbp. Warham, fol. 51. 2 British Magazine, vol. XXX, p. 261. 3 Reg. Archbp. Warham, fol. 52. 4 British Magazine, vol. XXX, p 421. 6 i.e., he remained in the nave and would not go through the screen door into the choir. 126 THE WILL OE A MEDL2EVAL KENTISH PARSON. The first complaint was perhaps natural from the parishioners of Warehome, but it shows that Marshall preferred hving at Appledore, and yet he is charged with maintaining a canon there in a state contrary to ecclesiastical disciphne. Was it a case of a priest having an unofficial wife ? FoUowing the presentments from Warehome is one relating to his church at Appledore, but in this case the churchwardens appeared and explained matters. ECCLIA DE APTTLDORE. Compertu' est. That the chaunceU is not repared.1 [On the 23rd March foUowing the churchwardens appeared and stated that the chancel of the church of Apuldore was undergoing repairs which were nearly completed.] 2 These conclude the articles of enquiry at this visitation, so far as they relate to WiUiam MarshaU, and it is perhaps noteworthy that he was concerned in presentments made from four different places. The oldest parish register of Appledore now existing commences in the year 1700, and contains some notes concerning his predecessors made by the Rev. John Johnson, who was Vicar of Appledore from 1697 to 1725, and of Cranbrook from 1707 to 1725, in which he has written : " The first and only ancient Vicar whose name I can recover is WiUiam Marchall whose name stiU remains in several panes of glass in the windows of the vicarage house bearing date 1503. 'Tis said that he lived at Tenterden and was a Benefactor to the Schole there." He certainly was a benefactor to the School at Tenterden, but whether he ever lived there may be an open question. Perhaps Johnson was confusing him with Peter Marshall, the Vicar of Tenterden, who was his brother. Dr. F. WiUiam Cook, F.S.A., of Appledore, who kindly sends the extract from the register, informs me that he knew 1 Reg. Arohbp. Warham, fol. 52. 2 British Magazine, vol. XXX., p. 421. THE WILL OE A MEDLEVAL KENTISH PARSON. 127 the last man who hved in the old Vicarage which he did as a boy, and who told him that it was a " terrible tumbledown old place," a description which may be very true of a timber building after nearly 330 years had passed over it. This old house was latterly divided into three tenements, there being no resident vicar, and became very dilapidated and ruinous and unfit to hve in, so that about a hundred years ago, c. 1830, it was puUed down. The registers mention several people as hving and dying there. There is no evidence of any of the dated glass quarries having survived the stress of centuries, and the house of the old time Vicars of Appledore, which in these days might have been restored and preserved by a lover of our ancient buildings, was destroyed. The will of this hberal-minded parson will be found to be fuU of interesting details and he certainly attempted to do some good with his wealth. THE WILL OP WILLIAM MARSHALL, CLERK, 1523, The xxith day of January in the yere after the computacon of the Church of Inglond, mV° and xxiii*0 I, WiUiam MarshaU, Clerk, parson of the Parish churche of Werehorn in the Countie of Kent . . . ffirst, I corhende my soule to Almighty God . . . and my body to be buried in the conventuaU church of the Holy Trinitie in the Citie of London before the awter of Saint Gregory in the same church. And where the Priour and Convent of the same church of the Holy Trinitie ben indetted unto me in one hundred pounds & for sure payment thereof ben bounde unto me by their writing obhgatory, I wih & bequeth thereof unto the necessary bildings, repacons & uses of the same, fyfty pounds. And I will & bequeth that one Regular Chanon of the said conventual church at the assignement of the Prior for the tyme being, shal say masse & pray for the soules of me & of my brother Maister Peter Marshall and of our frends benefactours & of aU faithfuU people, ev'y day in the weke by aU the terme of xii yeres next after my decesse, the first day of the first weke thereof to begynne on the 128 THE WILL OE A MEDIAEVAL KENTISH PARSON. Sonday next after my decesse & so to contynue daily in the weke except only the thursday, fryday, & saterday in every yere next after the Palme Sonday by all the said terme. To the which chanon soe saying the vii masses at the said awter having in Remembrance the said soules at every such masse, I bequeth for every weke xiiijd to be paide by the priour or his successours as parcell of the residue of the said 10011. And I will that the said Priour & his successours shaU yerely from the day of my decesse during the terme of the said xii yeres & nere unto the same day that it shall happen me to decesse, to kepe & cause to be observed in the conventuall church, one obite w* dirige and one masse of Requiem solempnely by note at every of which xii obits I will to be distributed by the priour for the tyme being or his deputie in this fourme, that is to say, To the Priour yf he shalbe present & say masse, To every chanon of the same church being prest & saying masse viijd, To every other chanon being present albeit he be noe prest, iiijd, And to pour people iijs iiijd. Residue of the said 100" to be distributed for lights etc. necessary to the obits and in works of charity at discretion of the Prior for the time being. Also I will that two substanciaU chalyses shalbe made of aU my silver plate, as well gilt or parcell gilt as not gilt, being in my Chamb'r at Crist's Church in London except ij silver candelsticks. And the one of the said chahses so to be made I bequeth to the use of the said parishe church of Werehorn. And the other chaleys to the use of the chauntry lately founded in the parishe church of Tenterden, there to deserve for the masses to be saide by the chauntrye prest as long as it shaU endure. And I will that these chahses shalbe dehvered by one of my executours as sone after my decesse as it may conveniently be doon to that uses to the custody of the churchwardeyns of either of the said churches of Tenterden & Werehorn there to Remayne to the said uses. Also I bequeth & wiUe xx11 to a vestment & TunykUl wfc th'appurtences of one sute correspondent to a cope at Werehorn & hanging of an awter above and beneath of THE WILL OE A MEDLEVAL KENTISH PARSON. 129 Saten to be bought by my executours & to be deliv'ed to the churchwardeyns of Werehorn to th'use of the same church as longe as it shall endure. And I bequeth & wiUe that iiij1' in hke maner to bye a vestment w* th'apparell to be delivered to the churchwardeyns of the church of Tenterden to th'use of the said chauntry prest to say his masse therein on the principall & festyvall daies as longe as it shall endure ; also I wiU that ij silver candelsticks which I have in my custody shall by my executours be delivered to the said churchwardeyns of Tenterden there to remayn, and every principaU & festyvaU day to be sett at the aulter where the chauntry prest useth & shall say his masse, and so to deserve in that maner as longe as they shall endure. Item. I bequeth to the payment of fees of prisoners lying in prison only for non-payment of their fees in Kent, Caunterbury, London & Suthwerk, x". Item. I bequeth to mariages of pour maidens by discrecion of exor's, x11. Item. I will to be distributed amonge pour housholders & dwellers in the said parishes of Apuldre and Warehorn, xx11. Also I bequeth to Henry Berugh my nevewe to be kept by the discrecion of my executours xxu. To my cosyn Glyn, iiiu vjs viijd . Also I wiU that yf the inhabitaunts or other honest men of Apuldore wih cause a conduit of water sufficiently & surely to be erected and conveyed into the Towne nere unto the market place at Apuldore, nere to the place where the maypole hath of late ben sett & to be fuUy fynyshed w*in one yere & half yere next after my decesse, Then my executors to paye towards the making & charges of the said conduit of water, XL11, and yf the same conduit shaU not be fynisshed w*in one yere & half yere next after my decesse, then I wiU that the said fourty pounds shalbe distributed for the making of the high way bitwen Apuldore and ffordmyU to Ryde and goe, And the same to be made by the inhabitaunts of that countre within thre yere next 13 130 THE WILL OE A MEDLEVAL KENTISH PARSON. after my decesse and eUs to be distributed for the helthe of my soule. Item. I bequeth to pour people in the parishe of Tenterden, iij11 vjs viijd . Item. I bequeth to every godsonne of my said brother, ij8- Item. I bequeth to the mariages of every of the foure eldest doughters of Sir John Scott, Knyght, as yet not maried, xx11, And yf any of them happen to dye not maried, the said sumes of hir & them so decessing not maried, to be paid to the mariages of the overlyvers of them, of the which sumes so bequested I will that xxiij11 vjs viid which the lady Dame SybiU Scott, mother of the said Sir John Scotte owes me, and iij11 vjs viijd which the said Sir John Scott owes to me shaU be parcell. And of that xl fflrcs I wiU v ffircs to every mariage of the said doughters to be parceU of the said xxu to every of them bequethed. And eUs the twenty mres residue not to be paid unto the mariage neither any of them. Item. I will myn executours shaU aske Recover & receyve of George Guldeford, esquier, tenne pounds which he owes me, And then I wiU that the same tenne pounds be distributed & bestowed toward the purchasing, bilding, or making of a convenient house for the said chauntry prest for the tyme being at Tenterden to loige & to teche his scolers accordingly. Item. I wiU that the Priour of the said conventuaU churoh shalhave aU the beding & hanging of my chamb'r that I occupied within the said church to this entent & upon this condicon that he & his successours shaU suffre the same to abide in the said chambers, and also to suffre the ffreres mynors of the house of Grenewich at their comyng to London at their wiU to have resort & logging in the chambers as long as they shaU endure. And I wiU that John Wyke my serv'nt shalhave my mesuage in Apuldre which James Pycard now occupieth & hath to ferme, so that he bestowe yerely by the space of x yeres next after my decesse in one obite to be kept in suche THE WILL OE A MEDIAEVAL KENTISH PARSON. 131 fourme as my exor's shaU seme convenient x8, the same obite to be kept the first yere, thirde, Vth, vijth and ixth yeres in the church of Werehorn. And the seconde, iiijth, vj*h, viijth and xth yeres in the church of Apuldore. Exors to receive rents & profits of lands in Appledore (not specified) until other lands &c are sold in order to fulfil his bequests. Also I bequeth to John Sely late my serv'nt suche my housholde stuffe as I have at Werehorn. To Roger, late my serv'nt, my houshold stuffe being in my house of the blak ffreres at Caunterbury. My bedding & other houshold stuffe in my chamb'r at Hall shaU abide & remayn in the said chamb'r. Item. I wiU that my boks being in my chamb'r at Christchurch in London shalbe distributed to the coUeges in the Universitie of Oxford, and to th'use of the ffreres mynors of Grenewiche by the discretions of the Priour & of Maister Rowland Phihppes, Parson of Saint Mighell in CorneU, that is to say, Som' of the said boks to th'use of the said Universitie and the residue of the same boks to abide in the said chamb'r to th'use of the ffreres mynors at such tyme as they shalhave their resorte thereto. Item. I bequeth to the ffreres mynor s of Caunterbury, iiju vjs viijd . Item. I bequeth to the ffreres prechours of Caunterbury, Iiii8 viijd . Item. I bequeth to Cristofer Hales to th'entent he shaU be helping ayding & counceiUing my executours, my furre of ffoynes or eUs at his election my silver pott, and yf he chose the sUver pott, it shalbe deducted out of my bequest made for the chahces. Also to the said Cristofer my horse being in the custody of Thomas Harlakynden. Item. At my buriall to the Prio1 of the conventuaU church for his labour and observ'nce there, vj8 viijd. To every chanon of the said church at that tyme except Sir George, xld. And to every other chanon of that church being noo prest, xxd. And to Sir George, chanon of the said house, for that day & other his busynes for me heretofore, iiju. The cubbord, tabiU, & stolys nowe being in my 132 THE WILL OE A MEDL2EVAL KENTISH PARSON. chamb'r at Crist's church shaU abide & remayn in the same in like maner as the hangings & bedding of the same. All my other clothes & apparell of my body above not bequested to Sir John Archer, prest. Item. I bequeth to suche pour scolers as shall determyn this next lent in Oxford to be devided amongs them by the discrecion of the said Maister Rowland, xl8 . To James Butler, serv'nt of the said Priour, vj8 viijd. To the wydowe of John fforde of Apuldore, xl8. To the sonne of James Stephen of Apuldore, xx8. To the sonne of Wilham Bruer of Apuldore, xx8. Residue of aU my goodes to John Hales, one of the Barons of the Kyngs Exchequer; Edward Boughton, esq ; and Sir John Archer, prest; whom I make & ordeyn exors ; & Maister Rowland Philippes, overseer of this my testament whom I beseche to take the payn thereof . . . to the which Maister Rowland & to every of myn exors for the labour & payn of every of them, tenne pounds. Witnesses:—John, Prior of the said ConventuaU church, Maister Rowland PhUippys, Mathewe Smyth, principaU of the college of Brasenose in Oxford, Xpofer Hales, Henry Lumpneye, Petir Heyman and others. Probatum . . . in eccha cath. dni Pauli London, xii0 die mensis ffebruary Anno dni MiUmo quingentesimo xxiij0 jurament executorum . . . etc. P.C.C. 18 Bodfelde.