THE OLD CHANTRY HOUSE, BREDGAR
By E. W. P.ARKIN
Tim foundation and endowment of chantries in this country flourished
from the thirteenth century for almost three hundred years, until
finally suppressed by Henry VIII. They reached a peak in the second
haJf of the fourteenth century after the terrible visitation of the Black
Death in 1349, and, although declining somewhat in numbers during
the following century, more than two thousand still remained at the
time of the Dissolution.1
The chantry college at Bredgar was a small one, founded in 1392
by Robert de Bradegare and others with ample endowments. It was
at the same time more than a chantry, as its object was clearly the
education and preparation of certain clerk-scholars for the priesthood,
and was unlike any other establishment of its kind in Kent. Wye
College certainly had some provision for education, as had the chantry
founded in St. Peter's church, Sandwich, in 1392 by a wealthy merchant,
Thomas Elys, and so was contemporary with Bredgar. Here, according
to Boys,2 one of the three chantry priests was required to instruct the
youth of the town.
The Chantry House at Bredgar still stands on the west side of the
village street, almost opposite the church; it is a long flint building
,vith very thick walls and ashlar dressings, the main east front having
a door and windo,vs inserted in the late eighteenth century (Plate IA).
HISTORY
The history of the house begins on 19th July, 1392, when upon
payment of £40, a licence was granted by Richard II to Robert de
Bradegare and others8 to found a college at Bredgar dedicated to the
Holy Trinity, to house one chaplain and two clerk-scholars. Hussey4
describes Robert de Bradegare as a clerk of the Diocese of Canterbury,
and in a footnote adds that he was one of the canons of Wingham
College from 1376 until his death in 1409.
The building itseJf was probably finished in the early months of
1393, as the founder issued an ordinance for the management of the
1 G. H. Cook, Medieval Chantries and 0hantry Ohapela, London, 1947, 22.
11 William Boys, Oollections for an History of Sandwich in Kent, 186.
s John Burba.ohe, Thos. J akyn, John West, John Trowbregge, John atte Vyse,
John Lambe and Roger West. Cal. Pat. Rolls, vol. 1391-6, p. 122.
'Arthur Hussey, K,mt Ohantriea, K.A.S. Records Branch, xii, 21.
87
(
E.W.PARKIN
college, dated the 3rd April of that yea.r.5 The chaplain was to be
allowed twelve marks yearly, and each of the scholars forty shillings
for his maintenance. The residue of the endowment income was to be
applied to the repair of the Chantry House, or otherwise to its use. A
list of offices to be performed, and prayers to be said daily for the
benefactors and their successors is elaborately delineated; the scholars
were to ' . .. pray daily for ever for the good estate of Archbishop
Courtenay and his successors, Thomas Chillenden, Prior of Christ
Church and his successors, for the monks of the sam.e place ... and the
founder and all the benefactors of the College whilst they live, and
after their dea.th . . . the scholars to wear surplices in the church of
Bredgar, or if this is not allowed, in the chapel of the College . . . for
the souls of the aforesaid daily, according to the use of Sarum, Placebo
and Direge, with the seven Penitential Psaml s and the Litany ... '.6
It would appear that the use of the church was allowed, for the
scholars performed these divine offices in the chapel on the north side
of the choir for many years, while in the Chantry House there is no
discernible evidence of there ever having been a chapel.
The endowments of the chantry were considerable, and included
3 messua,ges, 250 acres of land, 100 of pasture and 60 of woodland,
situated ' ... in the parishes of Holyngbourne, Houkyngge, Bradegare,
Wo rnsell, Bordenne, Tunstall and Bikenor . . .' as well as a rent of
13s. 4d., eight hens, and half a pound of pepper.7
The founder made fresh ordinances dated 12th of August, 1398, 8
revising and adding to the earlier ones. The chaplain might absent
himself for one month of thirty-two days from the college in each year,
and might have an assistant to help him at mass, and otherwise serve
him. Two extra poor scholars were to be admitted; the chaplain and his
assistant ' . . . to have the northern chambers of the college, and the
scholars a southern chamber'. As at this time the hall and the kitchen
were both open to the roof, and there were only two first-floor rooms
(Fig. 1), their use is not in doubt. Architectural evidence shows that at
about this time the chaplain's room on the first floor at the northern
end was enlarged, and extended out into the hall, doubtless to accommodate
the assistant priest, leaving less than half of the open hall as a
smoke bay. This section is still open up to tie-beam level.
All dhaplains and scholars were required upon admission to ta.ke an
oath, swearing that each would be faithful to the chantry, college, its
rights, etc., and would not alienate or destroy any of its goods or
properties.
6 Lu. Oant. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 15-21.
• Hussey, op. cit., 21.
1 Ibid.
• V.O.H., vol. ii, 1926 (Fowler), 230.
88
PLATE I
A. The east Front of the House.
B. Jnsido Vault under Chaplain's Room.
lfau p. 8
PLATE II
A. The Crown-post Roof.
ll. Original \\·indo"· and sevento<>nth-contury Firepluce iu Chitplain·s Hoom.
Dl
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
F
G
"H
N
10m
FIG, I. Plan of the origino.l Rouse.
KEY TO DRAWINGS
Front Door, replaced by eight- RL Pa.rt of Old Ra.ll still open.
eenth-century door and doorwo.y. K Original Kitchen.
Rear Door of old Ha.11, now open Kn Modern Kitchen.
doorway. MC Moulded Oak Cornice.
Original Doorway into Chaplain's OS Outshot.
Quo.rters. P Ori?ine.l Passage to Kitchen.
Chaplain's Private Door. St I Statrs to Chaplain's Room.
Moulded Doorway at N. end of St 2 Stairs to Students' Room.
Passage, now blocked. St 3 Central Oak Staircase.
Moulded Doorway at S. end of SW Original Stone Window.
Pe.ssa,ge, now blocked. Vl Vault.
Added Fireplaces. V2 Vault.
Garden Store. W Site of old Hall Windows.
Site of Open Hearth. WS Wedge Sprockets.
E. W. P.ARKIN
Holy vessels and other valuables belonging to the chantry were to
be kept in a chest, or other safe place having three different locks and
keys for greater security.9 This chest or cupboard must have been
located in the chaplain's room, or in one of the storage vaults beneath it
(Fig. 4). The chaplain's quarters were sealed off from the rest of the
building by a heavy Gothic door (D3 on plans) of which the moulded
stone doorway and the heavy pin hinges still remain. According to
Igglesden, 10 the actual oak door had at some time been removed to a
house on the west side of the village, known as Mann's Place, where it
could still be seen. The vaults, apparently, were referred to locally as
'the dungeons'.
The scholars were required to take the order of sub-deacon in their
twentieth year, and not remain in the college after their twenty-fifth
birthday. During the first week in October of each year of the anniversary
of the founders was to be kept by the chaplain and scholars, and at this
time an account was to be made up of the goods of the college. The
chaplain was to retain a lawyer of the Council of the Archbishop of
Canterbury at a fee of 6s. Sd. yearly. The books of the college were not
to be lent out.
In 1403 and later, further endowments were added to the charity.
The V alor of 153511 throws further light upon the condition and the
possessions of ' ... the primary chantry of Bredgar, given in the
certificate of Walter Dowle,12 chantry priest there'. The stated value
was then £32 14s. 8d. yearly, which after deductions of £4 18s. 5fd.,
left a net value of £27 16s. 2fd.
In 15461 3 the gross value of' ... the late chauntery house of Bredgar'
was given as £39 15s. 4d., with a net value of £36 128. 7d. The return
also mentions a chalice of silver valued at 26s. 8d., a bell at 10s., and
'. . . two old vestments and albs price 10 shillings, all which stuff came
into the hands of Walter Dow le, late master there'.
Graylingl4 refers to a bronze mortar formerly belonging to the
College which was then (in 1913) in his possession at Brighton, but
the present whereabouts of which is unknown.
The first chaplain to be appointed to the chantry is not named, but
is believed to have been John Foiset who resigned in 1397. Known wardens
then may be listed as follows:
1393 (1) John Foiset, resigned 1397.
1397 Dom. John Bromhull.
• Reg. S., fol. 11, also Reg. Morton, ii, f. 123 et eeqq.
10 Igglesden, Sauntere thr
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