COLLEGES
35. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF ASTLEY
Sir Thomas de Astley obtained leave of both
king and bishop to found, in 1338, in the Lady
chapel of the parish church of Astley, a chantry
consisting of four secular priests, one of whom
was termed the warden. The advowson and
rectory of the church were bestowed upon the
chantry. (fn. 1) Two years later he augmented the
number of chaplains to seven and provided them
with a clerk, alienating for this purpose lands and
rents in Withybrook, Hopsford, and Bedworth. (fn. 2)
Not satisfied with this arrangement, Sir Thomas
in 1343 obtained the sanction of both king and
bishop to change this chantry into a collegiate
church, which he built anew, and dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin. It consisted of a dean, two
canons or prebendaries, styled respectively after
their prebends of Milverton and Wolvey, and
three vicars, besides clerks and servants. (fn. 3)
Dugdale printed the ordination of this college
and its statutes in extenso from a copy that was
at that time in the keeping of the dean and
chapter of Lichfield, but is no longer among their
muniments. (fn. 4) The sealed ordinance of Bishop
Roger Northburgh establishing the college is dated
15 September, 1343, and was countersealed by
the founder at Astley on 22 September.
The ordination of the college recites that a
chantry had been founded in the Lady chapel of
the church of Astley, by Sir Thomas Astley, son
of Sir Giles Astley, and that it was established
for the glory of God and in honour of the
Blessed Virgin, for his own weal and that of the
ladies Elizabeth his wife and Alice his mother,
and their heirs and successors. After their
death, the priests were to pray for their souls
and also for the souls of Walter Astley and
Isabel his wife. Thomas Astley and Joan
his wife, Andrew Astley and Sybil his wife,
Nicholas Astley and Alice his wife, as well as
the aforesaid Giles Astley, Thomas de Wolvey
and Alice his wife, Thomas de Clinton, and
other relatives and benefactors were also to be
included in their intercessions, together with all
the faithful departed. This chantry was originally
ordained for one priest who was to be called the
warden, with three assistants; but in 1343, after
the appropriation to it of the church of Hillmorton, their dignity was raised, the church was
turned into a college, the warden became dean,
two other priests associated with him were termed
canons, and an elaborate foundation was established
like that of a cathedral church in petto. For the
sustenance of the dean, and for the burdens
assigned to him, he was to have the rectory
house of Astley, with all the glebe and tithes
that pertained to it, together with the reversion
of lands and tenements which William Franceys
held in Withybrook and Hopsford. There were
also assigned to the dean two messuages and a
virgate of land in Wolvey. From his income,
he was bound to distribute to the poor 37s. at
certain festivals.
One of the two canons had assigned to him as
his prebend a messuage in Astley, a messuage
and a carucate of land in Wilby-by-Dunchurch,
together with sixty marks of annual rents in
Milverton; he was to be termed the prebendary
of Milverton. The other canon was to have
33½ acres of land and 33s. 11d. of annual rents
in Astley together with nine messuages, four virgates, and six acres of land in Wolvey; he was
to be termed the prebendary of Wolvey.
The canons were to find from their income
a stipend of 5 marks of silver for the vicar of
the church of Hillmorton, who was to be presented by the dean and chapter. They were
also to find a chaplain and a suitable clerk to
serve that church and parish. The provision
they were to make for lights is elaborate and
interesting; they were to provide daily at high
mass two great wax tapers called torches (dictos
torches) to be lighted at the elevation of the
Host; also two wax candles to burn whilst high
mass was being celebrated; one wax candle,
together with a lamp, at mattins and evensong;
on Sundays and festivals two wax candles at
mattins and evensong; at compline one wax
candle with lamp; and sufficient lights for all
other masses celebrated in the church. Moreover, every Monday one candle and one lamp
were to burn whilst placebo and dirige were sung.
The dean was responsible for finding two
wax candles to burn in the church of Astley at
the anniversaries of the founder, his wife, and
mother. He had also to provide a candle to
burn daily at compline whilst one antiphon of
the Blessed Virgin was sung; and also to find
the wax candle (paschal) to burn from Maundy
Thursday to Easter Day. A further charge on
the dean was the payment of procurations,
synodals, and all other church obligations, except the books and vestments, which were to be
found and kept in repair at the common charge
of the dean and canons. If, however, any of
the books or vestments were lost or destroyed
they were to be made good at the sole charge of
the dean.
The dean and each of the two canons had to
find a priest-vicar and another priest, who were
to be presented by the canon and instituted by
the diocesan; the dean and canons were to pay
each of them a stipend of 5 marks. In the
event of either of the canons being non-resident,
or legitimately impeded from celebrating in person, he was to provide another priest (in addition
to the two already mentioned) to say daily mass
in the collegiate church. Both the canons had
to pay a mark to the dean annually towards
finding the stipend for a clerk.
The priest-vicars and perpetual chaplains had
at their institution to take an oath to observe
the statutes and ordinances of the college, and
to abstain from revealing in the least degree
the secrets of the chapter. The vicars, in the
absence of the canons, were to take part in
chapter with the dean, forming with him the
chapter. The priest-vicars and perpetual chaplains had a messuage in Astley, adjoining the
churchyard, assigned to them, with a common
house for their occupation. If they did not
enter into residence within two months of their
presentation their benefice was voided.
The dean, canons, vicars, and other priests
were enjoined to live a good and honest life and
to dress suitably. The vicars were to celebrate
daily. At each mass they were specially to
pray for the founder, his wife and mother, for
John de Stratford, archbishop of Canterbury, for
Thomas Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, William
de Clinton, earl of Huntingdon, and others; and
after death for their souls, and for the souls of
Guy earl of Warwick and Alice his wife, and
the various members of the Astley family already
enumerated. Their names were to be clearly
written on a tablet. They were every day to
attend mattins, evensong, and compline, which
were to be sung in the quire of the church.
After mattins there was to be the Lady mass,
followed by prime; terce and sext were to be
said at proper hours after high mass, and afterwards nones. There were also special arrangements for various masses on different days of the
week; and every day one of the priests was to
say, when celebrating mass, a collect for the
good estate of William Franceys, whilst living,
and after death, for his soul. Placebo and dirige
were to be said daily before evensong, save on
Mondays when they were to be sung in quire.
On every solemn day and festival there were to
be deacon and sub-deacon properly vested, as
well as priest at the chief mass. At the greater
doubles there were to be two cantors in quire
copes throughout, and every day at high mass.
Every Monday at mass for the dead the priests.
and deacons celebrating were to be suitably
vested.
The dean and canons were to wear in quire
surplices and grey amices: and from Michaelmas to Easter black copes with hoods lined with
silk or taffeta. The deans and perpetual chaplains were to use surplices and amices of black
cloth edged with fur; from Michaelmas to
Easter black copes with hoods lined with silk or
taffeta. Other priests were to wear like habits
to the vicars and chaplains, save that their amices
or hoods were to be unlined. These surplices,
&c., were to be found at the charge of the
wearers.
The dean's vicar, unless the dean himself
acted, was to rule and regulate the quire.
The common seal was to be kept in a coffer
with four keys in the respective charge of the
dean and the three vicars; but the seal was not
to be used without the consent of the canons or
their proctors.
The ringing of the bell at the hour of mattins
and curfew (ignitegii) and at the other hours was
never to be omitted. Any vicar or chaplain
absent from a mass or an hour was to be fined
a halfpenny for each offence, to be deducted
from his stipend.
If any vicar or perpetual priest was absent
from mass or hours he was to forfeit a halfpenny
for a single offence and a penny for the second.
If absent for a whole day to be punished by the
dean. If a whole quarter's salary was lost in
such fines, then the offender was to be excommunicated by the diocesan.
In 1346 Thomas Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, granted to the college the advowson of the
church of Long Stanton, Cambridgeshire; (fn. 5) the
rectory was appropriated to them in 1390. (fn. 6)
The founder increased the endowments in
1362 by £9 15s. 5¾d. of rents out of lands in
Lilbourne and Crick, Northamptonshire; and
Shustoke, Fillongley, and Nuneaton, Warwickwickshire. (fn. 7) Sir William de Astley, the son
of the founder, granted in 1389 to John de
Plumpton, vicar and sacrist of the college, and
his successors, a rent-charge of 40s. on the
manor of Bentley. (fn. 8)
Joan, the daughter and heir of Sir William,
was first married to Thomas Raleigh, who by
his will of 1405 left his body to be buried in the
quire of the collegiate church, with £10 for his
obit, and 20 marks for a priest to sing mass for
his soul for three years. (fn. 9)
Sir Edmond Grey, who died in 1492, left his
body to be buried in the new Lady chapel of
the College, where his first wife Elizabeth
(Ferrers) was buried, and lands to support a
perpetual chantry for his soul and those of his
two wives. (fn. 10)
Sir Thomas Grey, marquis of Dorset, who
died in 1501, desired that his body might be
buried in the collegiate church of Astley in the
midst of his closet on the south side before the
image of the Blessed Trinity. He left 100 marks
to be distributed to the poor at the time of his
burial. He further provided that the hospital
of Lutterworth, Leicestershire, in his patronage,
should be appropriated to the college, if the dean
and canons could procure such lawful appropriation within three years of his decease, to the
intent they should specially pray for the souls of
King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth his consort, who was mother of the marquis. (fn. 11) Lady
Cicely his wife was also by bequest buried here,
as well as their son Thomas, second marquis of
Dorset. His will, of 1530, desired that his
body should be buried near that of his father,
and provided for the maintenance of two chantry
priests. His executors were directed, with all
speed and diligence, to build a chapel within
the church, with a goodly tomb for his father
and mother, with another tomb for himself in
the midst of the chancel. When that was
accomplished an almshouse was to be built for
thirteen poor men at Astley; but this does not
seem to have been accomplished. (fn. 12) His son
Henry, marquis of Dorset, had all the college
property granted him in 1545.
The Valor of 1535, when John Brereton,
LL.D. was dean, returned the clear annual value
at only £39 16s., the stipend of the dean in
money was £4; of William Baker, one of the
prebendaries, 53s. 4d.; of four chaplains collectively, £21 6s. 8d.; and of two other chaplains,
£9. Roger Plumpton, the bailiff, received 26s. 8d.
for collecting the college rents. (fn. 13)
The college was surrendered at the close of
Henry VIII's reign, namely on 20 November,
1545. The surrender is signed by Robert Brocke,
dean, William Baker, prebendary of Milverton,
and Robert Wheteley, who appears to have been
one of the vicars.
Deans of Astley (fn. 14)
William Ernald, 1343
Godfrey de Sutton, 1347
John Ives, 1348
John de Gouteby, 1349
John de Burg, 1353
William Gerbet, 1358
Robert Page, 1383
Robert Gaynsburg, 1387
Edmund Wolf, 1396
John Hick, 1401
John White, 1410
Edmund Wolfe, 1412
John Maryot, 1414
Nicholas Wildbore, 1420
William Hull, 1428
Richard Couch
William Grepenhale, 1432
Robert Webster, 1433
Roger Creek, 1445
Thomas Persebrigge, 1454
Richard Bate, 1461
Hugh Chesenall, 1474
Richard Harrys, 1476
Richard White, 1477
Richard Cokks, 1483
Hugh Lewis, 1488
Richard Norton, 1507
John Brereton, 1509
Robert Brocke, 1538