COLLEGIATE HOUSE
19. COLLEGE OF THELE OR STANSTEAD ST. MARGARET'S
The rectory of St. Margaret's, Thele, is said
to have grown so poor that at the beginning of
the 14th century it was becoming almost
impossible to find a priest to accept the living. (fn. 1)
It was in these circumstances that Sir William
Goldington, the patron, the better to provide
for divine worship, established in the church at
the altar of St. Mary a chantry of five chaplains (fn. 2) which he endowed in May 1316 (fn. 3) with a
messuage, a carucate of land, 8 acres of meadow,
15 acres of wood and £10 rent in Thele, Amwell
and Bowers Gifford, pasturage for six cows and
100 sheep in his demesne lands in Thele, and
the advowsons of the churches of Thele and
Aldham (fn. 4) (Essex), with leave to appropriate
them to their own uses.
The rectors of Thele and Aldham having
resigned, Gilbert Bishop of London agreed to
appropriate the churches to the college on condition that a vicarage should be ordained at
Aldham and that the Bishop of London should
present the vicar of Aldham and the warden
of the college, who was to have cure of souls at
Thele; his choice, however, was to be restricted
to members of the college, vacancies in whose
ranks were to be filled up by Goldington and his
heirs. (fn. 5) The bishop died before he could carry
out his intentions, but his successor, Richard, in
August 1317 (fn. 6) completed the appropriation and
laid down certain rules for the chaplains: they
were to say all the hours and were to celebrate
five masses daily, one of St. Mary, another of
the day which was to be sung, and three others
for the dead in a low voice; they were to live
together in obedience to the warden and at
service were to wear black. (fn. 7)
In 1348 Philip de Aungre and his wife Alice
gave the college three messuages and some
land in Chelmsford and Broomfield, co. Essex,
towards the maintenance of a chaplain to celebrate for them daily, (fn. 8) and Alice the next year
bequeathed to them a place in the parish of
St. Bartholomew the Less, London. (fn. 9) The chaplains also obtained in 1353 land in Amwell,
Stanstead and Hoddesdon (fn. 10) in part satisfaction
of land and rent to the value of 100s., which in
1346 they had received the king's permission
to acquire. (fn. 11)
The college came to an end in 1431, after an
existence of a little over a century. (fn. 12) It was
alleged by the Bishop of London, in his request
for the royal consent to its dissolution and the
transfer of its property to Elsingspital, London,
that much of its property had been alienated
through the carelessness, neglect, and illgovernance of the wardens, and for want of the
defence of pleas often brought against them, (fn. 13)
and the rest would probably soon be lost, unless
a remedy were provided. Yet, on comparing
what they then possessed with the grants made
to them, the difference is not striking. Probably the condition of the college was unsatisfactory and a fresh arrangement needed to
secure the due performance of the religious
services. It was ordained that henceforth
three regular canons should celebrate in Elsingspital for the souls of the founders, and two at
Thele.
Masters or Wardens of Thele College
Richard, occurs Michaelmas 1326 and Easter
1327 (fn. 14)
Hugh, occurs 1349 (fn. 15)
Ralph at Hall, resigned 1384 (fn. 16)
John Buk, appointed 6 August 1384, (fn. 17)
resigned in 1385 (fn. 18)
John Brunne, appointed 5 May 1385, (fn. 19) resigned
1386 (fn. 20)
John Aston, appointed 4 November 1386,
resigned in 1395 (fn. 21)
Richard Shellee, appointed 21 October
1395 (fn. 22)
John Howeden, occurs at the dissolution of
the college, March 1431 (fn. 23)