WICCAMICAL PREBENDARIES

The four Wiccamical prebends were founded and endowed by bp. Sherborne c. 1520- 23, with the chapter confirming the foundation instruments of the Bursal prebend, Exceit and Windham 27 Jan. 1524, and that of Bargham 31 Jan. (Cap. 1/13/1, 1/13/2, 1/14/1 ff. 25-49; WAB. p. 17). These prebends were to be held by men from bp. Sherborne's college of Winchester or New College, Oxford, and the Bursal prebendary was to be a theologian. The prebend of Bargham was in the gift of the dean and chapter, and the others in that of the bp. (Statutes of Chichester pp. 54-81). At first, the Wiccamical prebendaries were not full members of the general chapter, but in 1609 the Bursal prebendary was summoned to the election of a bishop, and probably from 1618 all four were summoned (AC. pp. 179, 223, 261 n.).