[1032] See above, p. [328]. For other bequests of rings, see the wills of Sir Guy de Beauchamp, 1359 (his fourth best gold ring to his daughter Katherine at Shouldham), Robert de Ufford, Earl of Suffolk, 1368 (“to the Lady of Ulster, a Minoress ... a ring of gold, which was the duke’s, her brother’s”), Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, 1369 (rings to his daughter and granddaughter at Shouldham). Nicolas, Test. Vetusta, I, pp. 63, 74, 79. But rings might be put to pious uses. The inventory of jocalia in the custody of the sacrist of Wherwell (c. 1333-40) contains the item, “a small silver croun, with eleven gold rings fixed in it, for the high altar; another better croun of silver, with nineteen gold rings.” V.C.H. Hants. II, p. 135.
[1033] Linc. Dioc. Doc. ed. A. Clark (E.E.T.S.), p. 50.
[1034] Reg. Stafford of Exeter, p. 415.
[1035] Gibbons, Early Linc. Wills, p. 5. In the Prioress’ room at Sheppey at the Dissolution were found “iiij payre of corall beds, contaynyng in all lviij past gawdy (ed.).” Walcott, Invent. of ... Shepey, p. 29.
[1036] Sussex Arch. Coll. IX, p. 8.
[1038] Another nun says that she has nothing at all for raiment and another deposes, “seeing that the revenues of the house are not above forty pounds and the nuns are thirteen in number with one novice, so many out of rents so slender cannot have sufficient food and clothing, unless some help be given them from other sources by their secular friends.” Linc. Visit. II, pp. 184, 186.
[1039] For these references, see Linc. Visit. II, pp. 7, 47, 92, 117, 184, 186; Alnwick’s Visit. MS. ff. 6, 71d, 76, 83. Also injunctions as to food at Elstow ib. II, p. 39 (and note).
[1040] Baker, Hist. and Antiq. of Northants. I, pp. 280, 282-3.