CONDITION OF RELIGIOUS HOUSES
VISITATION OF BARDNEY
(Alnwick’s Visitations of Religious Houses, Vol. II, 1436-1449. Ed., A. Hamilton Thompson. Lincoln Record Society)
In the year A.D. 1437 in the chapter house of the monastery of Bardney, of the Order of St. Benet, of the diocese of Lincoln, these appeared before ... William ... bishop of Lincoln ... brother John Waynflete, abbot of the same monastery and the monks of the same place ... to undergo with lowliness the visitation of the said reverend father....
Brother John Waynflete, the abbot, being examined says that they are sixteen in number ... also he says that there are three establishments in the monastery, to wit the abbot’s hall, the infirmary and the frater; and sometimes the monks that do stay in the infirmary take their meals not together but separately, to wit, one by himself, and another by himself and a third by himself, and send their broken meat into the town whither they will, and so the alms are wholly wasted.
Also he says that whatsoever guests come down to the monastery are entertained in the guestmaster’s quarters, and not, as is the usual custom, in the abbot’s hall.
Also he says that long and many watchings are kept at night in the guest-house in the infirmary, at which beer from the frater is consumed, and this by monks who spend their time in such offences against discipline and will not give them up.
Also he says that all day long they sit in the frater drinking and spending their time in messes and drinkings as though it were a public tavern, and to these they bring in secular folk.
Also he says that the monks too often make expeditions into the town of Bardney, where for their ease they haunt the taverns to the great scandal of the monastery....
Also he says that the church, manors, granges and tenements belonging to the monastery are much dilapidated and stand in need of large repairs. Also he says that the monastery is many ways in debt, as is apparent in the roll delivered to my lord.
Also he says that there is a sore division and discord among almost all of the convent who are confederate together and in conspiracy one with another against Thomas Bartone....
Also he says that the baker, the brewer, the porter, the smith and the lime-burner receive corrodies severally of a large amount [and] do eat almost daily of the abbot’s victuals.
Also he says that they who abide in the frater have each his separate dish and they in the infirmary do eat by two and two, and every day in the frater they will have at least three sorts of fish.
Also he says that women have too free and often access to the cloister precincts and most especially to the infirmary [where there is] eating, drinking and chattering between the monks and the same women to the great expense and scandal [of the monastery].
Also he says that in the conventual church the monks almost of custom do chatter with women during divine service [in a very ...] manner, by reason whereof the monastery is very evil spoken of.
Also he says that each monk receives for his clothing year by year forty shillings in divers parcels.
Brother John Rose, deacon, says that a young layman who dwells with the abbot did most foully browbeat and scold this deponent, and it is notorious [that] this youth, by name Taylboys, is upheld by the abbot against the young monks.
Also he says ... that the chantries of Partney and Skandleley and the others are not served.
Also he says as above concerning the scanty supply of victuals for the monks in the frater and infirmary, insomuch that after their meals nothing is left for the sustenance of their serving men or for the alms and this is Bartone’s default.
Also he says that Bartone is every night in the infirmary without lawful cause.
Also he says that the injunctions made by the last my lord of Lincoln in his visitation are not observed in aught, nor are they shown publicly in the Chapterhouse.
Brother Richard Anderby says that Bartone makes too much haste in singing the psalms and in other [parts of the service], causing discord among them when they chant.
Also the same Bartone is past bearing among the brethren, and all that he has he wastes in meat and drink and presents, that he may win to himself for his support the influence of layfolk.
Also he speaks of the unwary and improvident sale of manors.
CATESBY PRIORY
Sister Juliane Wolfe says that there should be two lights burning in the upper church and quire in time of divine service (p. 47).
Also she says that the prioress does not shew the account of her administrations to the Sisters.
Also she says that the prioress has pawned the jewels of the house....
Also she says that the prioress did threaten that, if the nuns disclosed aught in the visitation, they should pay for it in prison.
Also Isabel Wavere, the prioress’ mother, rules almost the whole house together with Joan Colworthe, the kinswoman of a certain priest, and these two do carry all the keys of the offices.
Also when guests come to the house, the prioress sends out the young nuns to make their beds, the which is a scandal to the house and a perilous thing.
Also the prioress does not give the nuns satisfaction in the matter of raiment and money for victuals: and she says that touching the premises the prioress is in the nuns’ debt for three-quarters of a year.
Also the buildings and tenements both within and without the priory are dilapidated, and many have fallen to the ground because of default in repairs.
Dame Isabel Benet says that when the prioress is enraged against any of the nuns, she calls them whores and pulls them by the hair, even in quire....
The prioress denies the article of cruelty as regards calling them whores and beggars; she denies also the violent laying of hands upon the nuns.
As to not having rendered an account, she confesses it, and for the reason that she has not a clerk who can write.
As to the burden of debt she refers herself to the account now to be rendered.
As to the neglection in repairing the sheep-folds, she refers herself to the visible evidence.
As to pawning the cup, she says that the same was done with the consent of the convent for the payment of tithes....
As to the disclosures on the last visitation and the reproaching of them that made them and the whipping, she denies the article....
As to her mother and Joan Coleworthe, she denies the article.
As to the bedmaking and the other tasks she denies the article.
As to withholding victuals and raiment from the nuns, she confesses it in part.
As to the dilapidation of the outer tenements, she says that they are partly in repair and partly not.
As to the sowing of discord, she says that she might have done this, she is not certain....
She has the morrow for clearing herself, of [the articles] she has denied, with four of her sisters, and to receive penance for those she has confessed. At the which term she brought forward no compurgators; ... she was pronounced to be convicted....
My lord ordained that there be two [nuns] receivers, to receive and to pay out [the money to be kept in a chest] under three locks, and that all live in common, leaving off their separate households, and that these things do begin at Michaelmas next. And all were warned to remove all secular folk from the dorter on this side the morrow of the Assumption. And all were warned under pain of excommunication that none do reproach another by reason of her disclosures. And the prioress was warned to [shut] and open the doors of the church and cloister at the due times, and to keep the keys with her by night in the dorter.
Dames Isabel Benet and Agnes Halesley, nuns of Catesby, will not obey or hearken to the injunctions of the lord bishop, and especially that concerning giving up their [private] chambers, asserting that they are not subject to the same.
Also the said dame Isabel on Monday last past did pass the night with the Austin friars at Northampton, and did dance and play the lute with them on the same place until midnight, and on the night following she passed the night with the friars preachers at Northampton, luting and dancing in like manner.