21. THE COLLEGE OF SIBTHORPE
In November 1324 Thomas de Sibthorpe
obtained licence to alienate in mortmain a messuage, a toft, 50 acres of land and 5 acres of
meadow, in Hawksworth and Aslockton, to a
chaplain to celebrate daily in a chapel to be built
on the north side of the church of St. Peter of
Sibthorpe, to be dedicated in honour of the
Blessed Virgin, St. John Baptist, and St. Thomas
the Martyr, for the souls of himself, his father,
mother, brothers, sisters and ancestors, and others. (fn. 20)
In October of the following year the just cited
licence was surrendered and vacated. The
chapel was then built, and a somewhat extended
alienation was sought and obtained by Thomas
de Sibthorpe. At the same time Thomas and
William le Mareschal of Sibthorpe obtained
licence to alienate 3 messuages, 3 oxgangs, 50
acres of land, 20 acres of meadow, and 10s. rent
in Sibthorpe, Syerston, Elston, Aslockton, and
Thrumpton, to John Notebroun, chaplain of the
chantry, just ordained by the said Thomas in this
new chapel, to celebrate daily for their good estate
and for their souls after death and also for the
souls of Maud mother of the said Thomas, and
for the brothers and sisters and ancestors of
Thomas and of Simon de Sibthorpe, &c. (fn. 21)
By the time that the beginning of the reign of
Edward III was reached, this chantry began to
assume collegiate proportions. In April 1327
Thomas de Newmarket, kt., confirmed the grant
by Thomas de Sibthorpe, presumably a native of
Sibthorpe, who was then rector of the church of
Beckingham, Lincolnshire, founder of the chapel
and chantry, to John Notebroun, described as
chaplain and keeper of the altar of St. Mary in
the chapel, of certain lands in Hawksworth, held
of the said Sir Thomas as chief lord of the fee. (fn. 22)
In July of the same year Geoffrey le Scrop, kt.,
licensed Thomas de Sibthorpe to assign all the
lands that he held of Sir Geoffrey, either in
demesne or in service, in Sibthorpe, Elston, and
Syerston to certain chaplains or other men of
religion, to celebrate divine service daily in the
newly constructed chapel. (fn. 23)
In February 1328 the deed was enrolled of
Sir Geoffrey le Scrop, whereby he licensed John
Notebroun, now called warden of the chantry in
St. Mary's Chapel, and John Edwalton, chaplain
of the said chantry, to acquire three messuages,
40 acres of land, and 10 acres of meadow in the
three parishes mentioned above, to be held by
them and their successors as wardens and chaplains
of the chapel, without making any rent or service or custom to Geoffrey and his heirs. (fn. 24) In
November of the same year William son of
Geoffrey le Clerk of Sibthorpe had licence to
alienate a messuage in Sibthorpe and Syerston,
of the yearly value of 11s. 7d., to John de Edwalton, chaplain and warden of the chapel of
St. Mary, Sibthorpe, in succession to John Notebroun, the late warden. (fn. 25)
There was a further advance in 1335, for in
that year Thomas Sibthorpe, rector of Beckingham, who is then styled king's clerk, bestowed
further lands in Sibthorpe and Syerston on John
Cosyn, chaplain and warden of the chapel,
towards the sustentation of the warden, two
chaplains, and a clerk as their server, who
were to celebrate daily in the said chapel of
St. Mary and in the chapel of St. Anne, in
the church of St. Peter, Sibthorpe, on behalf
of the Sibthorpe family. (fn. 26)
In November 1336 certain small parcels of
land were exchanged in Sibthorpe, to permit of
the enlargement of the dwelling-house of John
Cosyn, the warden. (fn. 27) The endowment of this
collegiate chantry rapidly increased, for in December of the same year the founder gave fifteen
messuages, a toft, 3 oxgangs, and 170 acres
of land, 50 acres of meadow, and 30s. of rent in
Sibthorpe and five adjoining parishes, together
with the reversion of another parcel, for the
sustenance of the warden and two other chaplains
celebrating divine service daily in the chapel of
St. Mary in the church of St. Peter, Sibthorpe,
and in the chapel of St. Anne, St. Katherine,
St. Margaret, and St. Mary Magdalene, of two
clerks to serve them in the celebration and at
other times, as well as for the finding thirty wax
lights in the church and chapels and a lamp
before the Rood there at certain times. (fn. 28)
In 1339 John son of Reginald de Aslacton
and Joan his wife assigned certain rents to the
value of 20s. a year towards the provision of the
thirty wax lights in this chapel and church. (fn. 29)
In the same year Thomas de Sibthorpe the
founder, who was then rector of Kingham, Oxon,
transferred certain lands and rents in Beckingham
and other Lincolnshire parishes to John Cosyn as
warden of the chapel at Sibthorpe. (fn. 30)
A yet further extension of this collegiate
chantry occurred in 1340, when Thomas the
founder obtained licence to alienate 6s. 7d. of
rents in Sibthorpe and Sutton, together with the
advowson and appropriation of the church of
Sibthorpe, to maintain a warden and four chaplains in that church to say daily mass for the soul
of Edward II, for the good estate of the present
king, for his soul after death, for the souls of the
heirs of Edward III, for the said Thomas the
founder and certain others, and also for the distribution of weekly alms. (fn. 31) The advowson of
Sibthorpe had belonged to the Knights Templars, and was transferred on their suppression to
the Knights Hospitallers. In order to secure the
advowson and rectory and certain other appurtenances, Thomas de Sibthorpe transferred to the
Hospitallers valuable lands at Woolhampton and
Midgham, Berkshire. From the entry of January 1341 recording this exchange on the Patent
Rolls, we find it clearly stated that this appropriation was carried out in order to sustain a warden
and four chaplains in the church, in addition to
the three chaplains and two clerks already appointed; so that the college then consisted of
eight priests and two clerks. It was further
provided that seven wheaten loaves, each of the
weight of 50s., were to be distributed every
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to the poor of
the parish. (fn. 32)
In this same year, before the justices of the
bench at the pleas at Westminster, judgement
was given in a variety of actions brought against
Warden John Cosyn to recover certain of the
lands wherewith the college had been endowed;
but in every case the decision was in favour of the
college. (fn. 33) Again in 1342 legal attempts were
made to deprive John Cosyn, the warden, of the
advowson and appropriation of the church of
Sibthorpe, but they all failed. In the course of
these pleas John the warden, in his evidence,
mentioned that all the chaplains and clerks assembled in the chapel of St. Anne yearly on the
vigil of the Annunciation, celebrating an anniversary for the souls of Simon de Sibthorpe and
others and their heirs, ancestors, and relations, as
for a corpse present, with bell tolling; and also
in the chapel of St. Mary a like anniversary for
the souls of Thomas de Sibthorpe the founder,
William and Maud his parents, &c., and for all
benefactors, and for the parishioners of the
church; and that on the Annunciation, directly
after mass, the warden distributed in the churchyard, among the poorer parishioners who had
attended the mass, 60 farthings or the equivalent in bread, and gave yearly on the same
day to each of the chaplains 2d., and to each
clerk 1d. (fn. 34)
Another advance was made in 1343, when
the reversion of the manor of Sibthorpe, valued
at £6 5s. a year, was given to the college, and
two other chaplains were added to the seven
then existing, to pray daily for the souls of the
king's father and the king and his heir, and for
William and Isabel Durent, and for John son of
Reginald de Aslacton, kt., and Joan his wife. (fn. 35)
In 1345 the endowments were increased by
the gift of parcels of land by Reginald son of
Simon de Sibthorpe, which permitted of the
enlargement of the rectory manse, where the
warden and chaplains lived, and also of the enlargement of the cemetery. (fn. 36) A reiteration of a
previous licence to the founder on the Patent
Rolls, inasmuch as it had originally only been
sealed by the privy seal, brings out the fact that
the endowments were also used for the support
of a poor man who kept the gates of the chaplain's dwelling, and for the finding of a poor
woman of the parish in food and clothing, who
probably served as charwoman. (fn. 37)
Edward III, when staying at his favourite
Nottinghamshire residence of Clipston, in December 1345, informed the sheriffs, bailiffs,
ministers, and all purveyors and takers of victuals
and other things for the king's household, that
the king had taken under his special protection
the chapel of St. Mary, Sibthorpe, with the warden and chaplains thereof and their lands and
possessions, and that nothing was to be taken of
their crops, hay, horses, carts, carriages, victuals,
or other goods against their will. (fn. 38)
A licence for a further assignment of lands
and rents to the college by the founder in 1399
shows that at that time there were eight chaplains and three clerks, in addition to John Cosyn
the warden. (fn. 39)
John Cosyn the warden died, in all probability
of the plague, in 1349, and was succeeded by
Robert de Kniveton, one of the chaplains. (fn. 40)
When the Valor Ecclesiasticus was drawn up
in 1534, Thomas Magnus was warden of Sibthorpe. The clear value of the college or chantry
was declared at £25 18s. 8d. The gross value
was £31 1s. 2d., of which sum £13 6s. 8d.
came from the rectory of Sibthorpe. (fn. 41) There is
no record of the number of chaplains at that
date.
The surrender of the property that this college
held in Sibthorpe, Hawksworth, Flintham,
Beckingham, Kneeton, Syerston, Elston, Staunton, and Shelton, was signed by Thomas Magnus
on 17 April 1545. The warden is described as
Custos sive Gardianus Gardianati Collegii sive
Cantariae Beatae Mariae de Sybthrope. (fn. 42)
In July of the same year, however, Thomas
Magnus, described as clerk and king's councillor,
obtained a grant for life, for £197 6s. 7½d., of
all that had pertained to the college wardenry
or chantry of Sibthorpe, both in Nottinghamshire
and Lincolnshire, as he held them when warden
of the college. On his death remainder was
granted to Richard Whalley and his heirs. (fn. 43)
Wardens of Sibthorpe
John Notebroun, 1324 (fn. 44)
John Cosyn, 1335 (fn. 45)
Robert de Kniveton, 1349 (fn. 46)
Thomas Magnus, occurs 1534 (fn. 47)