Battlefield Church, Salop: an historical and descriptive sketch / Together with some account of the battle of Shrewsbury, and foundation of the college or chantry

by W. G. D. Fletcher

Foundation of the Church and Chantry.

The battle of Shrewsbury was fought on the vigil or eve of St. Mary Magdalene, Saturday, 21st July, 1403; and the place where it was fought has ever since been called Battlefield. In gratitude for, and in commemoration of this victory, the present church of Battlefield was erected, and dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, and a college of secular canons was formed to serve it. Its erection has often been ascribed to Henry IV., but the real founder of the church was Roger Ive, priest, of Leaton, rector of Fitz in 1399, and of Albright Hussey from 1398 to 1447, and a staunch Lancastrian.

The site on which the church was built was given by Richard Hussey, Esq., of Albrighton Hussey, who on the 28th October, 1406, obtained license from King Henry to assign to Roger Yve and John Gilberd, chaplains, in frankalmoign, two acres of land in Albrighton Hussey, lying in a certain field called Hayteleyfeld, in which a battle was fought between the king and Henry Percy, lately his adversary deceased, to celebrate divine service daily in a certain chapel there, to be by them newly built, for the king’s salvation during his life, and after his death for his soul, and for the souls of his progenitors and of those who were slain in the battle and were there buried, and for the souls of all the faithful departed.

The church was accordingly at once begun, and it seems to have been completed, at least sufficiently for divine service to be performed, in March, 1408–9, when the king, by letters patent, founded and established the church into a perpetual chantry of eight chaplains, one of whom was to be master; the said master and chaplains to be capable of acquiring lands; and he further endowed the Chantry with the advowson of the church of Michaellskirke, in Lancashire. In August, 1409, the receiver of Tutbury was commanded to deliver a quantity of lead to cover the new chapel. Before February, 1409–10, Roger Ive surrendered the land and chapel into the hands of the king; from whom in March or May, 1410, he received a new and fuller grant of the same, in which the said piece of land is described as being enclosed by a ditch, and containing in length and breadth two acres, together with two inlets and outlets, one extending in length from Hadenallestone directly upon land of Richard Hussey and the said piece of land, and containing in breadth 20 feet, and the other in length from Harlascotelone directly upon land of the said Richard, and containing in breadth 20 feet. The king established the chapel of St. Mary Magdalene into a perpetual Chantry of six chaplains, of which Roger Ive and his successors, rectors of the chapel of St. John Baptist at Albright Hussey, were to be masters, and Richard Hussey and his heirs patrons. He endowed it with the advowsons of Michaellskirke in Lancashire, St. Andrew of Iddesale (or Shiffnall), and the free royal chapel of St. Michael within the Castle Salop, to which the chapel of St. Juliana of Salop was appurtenant or appendent. And he granted to Ive freedom from tenths, fifteenths, subsidies, &c.; and that he and his successors should have a fair at the Chantry each year on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. John Repynton had been warden of St. Michael’s with St. Julian’s, but resigned these into the hands of King Henry V., in May 1417.

The above Charter of 27th March (or May) 1410, was practically the Foundation Charter of the Chantry, and it was confirmed by Henry V. on the 17th June, 1414, by Henry VI. on the 17th November, 1425, and by Henry VII. on the 29th June, 1485. Ive himself received a general pardon from Henry VI. in October 1424; and in December 1445 had license for himself and his co-chaplains quietly to celebrate divine service without fear of arrests, fines, amerciaments, &c.

Roger Ive’s will, which is dated 13th October, 1444, contains the regulations and ordinances for the chantry or college. By it, he directs his body to be buried in a stone tomb near the high altar. He bequeaths to the five chaplains three chalices, a paxbrede, two cruets, three brass bells hanging in the belfry, three crosses, and a number of books and vestments. The chaplains were to dwell in the mansion already built there, and were to dine and sup together, and not in their own rooms. They were not to leave the college by night or by day without the master’s leave, under a penalty of 3s. 4d. They were each to swear and perform obedience to their master, and were to receive a stipend of eight marcs a year apiece, and two more for praying at every mass for the testator, and keeping his obit annually. They were to pray for the souls of Henry IV. and V., founders of the college, of Richard Hussey, senior, the first patron, and Isolda, his wife, of John Hussey, Richard Hussey the father of Richard Hussey then living, and Thomas Hussey, of Roger Ive, the first master and his parents, of William Howyke of Pountfret and Sir Thomas Kyrkeby, chaplains, and for the souls of all the faithful departed slain in the field of Battlefield, and there buried. Minute directions are given as to the services to be performed. The alms from indulgences granted to the college were to be expended about the building and work of the belfry, and when this was finished, then for the sustentation of the poor in the college, and repair of their alms house. Besides the advowsons before mentioned, he leaves them the profits of the Chapel of Dadele (Dawley), the town and grange of Aston, and the Chapel of Forde.

We have not much information extant about the college during the 150 years of its existence.

In 1445, Roger Ive seems to have prosecuted before the barons of the exchequer a claim to exemption from taxation in respect of all the benefices belonging to the college. The Bishop of Hereford certified that Ford was an appurtenance of St. Juliana, Salop. The parishioners of Ford seem to have complained that the college neglected to provide for divine service there; and the Lord Chancellor wrote a letter between 1440 and 1443 to the Bishop of Lichfield about this neglect, and desiring him to remedy it, which is preserved in the Bishop’s Registers at Lichfield.

A few years later the college claimed all the tithes of Derfald, which they alleged belonged to them as possessors of St. Michael’s. Long before, however, in Henry II.’s reign, Haghmond Abbey had purchased a portion of Derfald. Accordingly an agreement was come to in 1462 between Haghmond Abbey and the college, by which the Abbey was to receive the tithes of the grange and of all lands etc. of Derfald, between the great close of Cowlande, and the great slade jointly to the wood of Pimbeley, called Darrerisden.