CHURCH GOODS 1552

(Courtesy Mr Keith Mansey)

In 1552 England was ruled nominally by Edward VI, son of Henry VIII. Edward was a very pious lad; he died aged 16 at a time when the Church of England was being formed. Cranmer's beautiful first and second books of Common Prayer had been introduced in 1549 and 1552. The real ruler was John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, a very corrupt and scheming man. Yet he was an able soldier, responsible for the defeat of Robert Kett, who led a rebellion in Norfolk and who was defeated at Norwich. Although religion meant little to him, he pushed forward the development of the Reformation for political and financial reasons.

 The Act of Uniformity 1549 had introduced a much more simple form of service and liturgy. It was decided that a survey of church plate and goods should be undertaken in 1552 in order to see what could be confiscated. The list below shows what there was in the church at Hockwold. It probably refers to St. Peter's, and it is possible that an entry for St. James is yet to be found. One interesting thing is the number and quality of the vestments, the chief item being a crimson velvet cope valued at 40 shillings, a very valuable piece of cloth. All the velvet, silk and damask vestments were taken away, only the linen was left. The chalice and paten, and the larger bell were also left. Presumably, the rest was confiscated.

 Notes:

 Numbers are given in their Latin form i.e. i  = 1, v = 5 etc. To avoid fraud, the last i was written as j, so iij = 3.

 Sums of money are in pounds (li for libra) shillings (s for solidi) and pence (d for denarii), so that iijs iiijd = 3s 4d  and iiij^li  ixs = £4 9s 0d.

 Gregory Bishop is described as a 'curate', that is, he carried out the duties of a priest, but was not the actual rector.

 'In primis' is Latin for 'First', It'm is short for Item meaning 'Also'.

 The 'Challyce' and 'patyne' are the cup (chalice) and plate (paten) used for the bread and wine at Mass or Communion. 'Sylver parcel gylte' is gilded silver. The chalice weighed 15 ounces, and was valued at 3 shillings and 8 pence the ounce. This ought to give a total value of 55 shillings, but has been entered as 56 shillings and 10 pence. Obviously, multiplying xv by iijs viijd was as confusing then as it is now.

 A cope is a cloak worn by a priest during a ceremony; an alb is a long white gown.

 The weight of the bells is given in hundredweights (C, as C=100, we used to write hundredweight as cwt), but the arithmetic here is also a little odd. The bells are said to weigh xxij C (22 hundredweight) and are valued at xvs the hundreth (15s per hundredwight) which ought to come to  £16 10s 0d but is entered as xij^li xs which is £12 10s 0d.

 'Ye' is pronounced 'the' unless it is the plural of 'you'.

  Hockwold St. Peter

 6 Sept Edward Fratt, Richard Harrison, church wardens, Gregory Bishop, curate.

 In primis, one Challyce with a patyne of Sylver parcel gylte waying xv

ounces the ounce at iijs viijd                                                              lvjs viijd

It'm vj copes wherof one is of crymsyn vellett xls  iij of grene sylke xvs

ij of crane color Sylke viijd valued at                                                            lxis viijd

It'm viij vestimentes whereof one is of tawnye purple vellet xs one of

blue vellett xxs one whight sylke xs one of redde Satten vs one of cran'

color sylkee with ij tunycles xxvjs one of grene sylke iiijs one of black

damaske vjs viijd one of tawnye damaske vjs viijd valued at                     iiij^liixs

It'm x Albes xxs ij towelles iiijs iij gnysshes of sylke viijd ij crosse clothes vjd

whereof j of sylke & ye other steyned aubes vjd of banner clothes

ij corporas cases viijd & one pyxe clothe of vellett xvjd valued at          xxvijs viijd

It'm ij steple belles waynge xxij C wherof the greate belle xij C &

the next xC the hundreth at xvs                                                                    xij^li xs

It'm ij clappers with other yron waynge iiij^xx iiij pounde valewed at           xijs

It'm one Sancs belle one Sacrye belle ij hand belles waying xvj^li

valewed at jd ye pounde                                                                                iijs iiijd

It'm ij candlestykes and one holye water stoppe of Latten valewed

at xv pounde at ijd ye pound                                                                          ijs vjd

It'm ij crosses one paxe of copper parcel gylte waynge x pounds at

Iiijd ye pounde                                                                                               iijs iiijd

It'm of old yron C valewed                                                                            xs viijd

It'm xvj lb. Of brasse valewed at                                                                  lj  viijd

 

Reserved: Chalice and paten, greatest bell and all linen. Signed by

Gregory Bishop, Edward Pratt and Richard Hastey.  

 

Wilton St. James

 

The Vicar is called here Robert Love, but it is probable that his name was Robert Long who was vicar 1547 - 1557. He was also vicar of Clenchwarten. I do not know why Robert Cookow ended up as Robert Cuckoo. The 'Cobborne' is an andiron. The arithmetic for this entry is superior to that of Hockwold i.e. it seems correct. John Drynkmilke and Hugh Hoke both seem somehow to have acquired church goods to the value of 13/4d. There was an old unit of accounting called the mark valued at 6/8d, so these sums are both equal to 2 marks.

 6 Sept. Robert Love, vicar of Wilton, Robert Cookow, Simon Buttor, Thomas Chesson and Walter Gay, parishioners.

  In primis one chaleys with ye patent of Sylver parcell

gylt wayeng xiiij ounces & every ounce valued

at iijs viijd                                                                                           ljs jjjjd

It'm iiijor vestimentes wherof too of velvet ye other

too of Damaske valued at                                                                 xxxiijs iiijd

It'm on' vestiment of grene saten of brydges

valued at                                                                                             xs

It'm one Cope of velvet valued at                                                     xxs

It'm one Cope of Damaske valued at                                               xs

It'm too old copes of paynted lynnyng cloth

valued at                                                                                             iijs iiijd

It'm one Cope of red velvet with deacon and sub-

deacon valued at                                                                                xjjjs iiijd

It'm one vestiment of whyte sylk wyth ye awbe

valued at                                                                                             iiijs

It'm three old vestimentes on' old cope one pyx

clothe thre paynted clothes on' Corporas clothe

with ye casse valued at                                                                      iijs iiijd

It'm thre steple belles wayeng by estimacion xlij C wherof

the fyrst bell wayeth xij C ye second xiiij C ye thrid xvj C

& every hundred valued at xvs Summa                                            xxxjli xs

It'm thre bell clappers wayeng by estimacion on'

C li. valued at                                                                                     (wanting)

gyld goodes

It'm one spete & one Cobborne of Iron wayeng by

estimacion lx li. valued at                                                      vs

It'm remayning in ye handes of John Drynkmylke

 of holy gost gylt stok                                                            xiiijs iiijd

It'm in the handes of Hughe Hoke for things sold               xiijs iiijd

 

Reserved: Chalice and least bell.

Signed by Robert Love, vicar, and Robert Cuckoo.