The Steward and Treasurer are annually chosen on the Morrow after Michaelmas-day from out of the Canons Resident. To the Steward’s Office appertains the Government of all the Revenues of the College, the Rents and Profits whereof he is to pay the Treasurer. In his Custody are repos’d all the Ornaments, Jewels, and other Treasure of the Chapel, not committed to the Chantor, under the Obligation of rendring an Account; and his yearly Pension is 5 l.
The Treasurer is to distribute to the Custos, Canons, Vicars, &c. their Pensions and Allowances, which if he fail Eight Days after their prefix’d Times of Payment, he is debar’d of his own quotidians, as Canon Resident, until such Arrears be discharg’d; as likewise the Steward, if he be found delinquent. His Pension is also 5 l. per Annum. There is one Treasurer to receive the Rents of the old Lands, and another chosen from the Canons to receive the new, who have been allow’d the like annual Pensions. The former is term’d Seneschallus veteris, the latter Seneschallus novæ Dotationis.
Moreover, there is a Steward of the Courts, and Clerk of the Lands, which is an Officer under both the before-mention’d Stewards. He keeps the Courts by himself or Deputy, and is a Barrester at Law, and the standing Council for the College. His yearly Pension is 20 Nobles. But the Council in Spiritualibus is usually a Graduate in the Law.
The Chapter-Clerk enters and registers all Acts of the Chapter-House; he draws and engrosses all Indentures, Patents, Grants, Leases, &c. which pass the common Seal of the Dean and Canons. His Pension is 3 l. 6 s. 8 d. per Annum. The Under Stewardship and Chapter Clerkship heretofore were enjoy’d by one Person, but of late they are divided, and now he must be a Barrester at Law.
Of the Virgers Institution the Statutes of the College make mention, that in Procession and other Solemnities, they were to go before the Dean and Canons, bearing their Rods, for which Service they were to have annually a Robe, and 6 d. per Diem. And besides these, there are Two Sextons, Two Bell-ringers, a Clock-keeper, and a Porter who attends the shutting and opening of the Gates.
§ 7. For the Endowment of the College we shall only treat upon those Lands given to the Maintenance of this Foundation by the Founder himself, or by his Successors, or by Sovereigns of The Order of the Garter, such as have been Knights-Companions.
King Edw. III. by his Letters Patent of the Foundation [22 Edw. III.] aforesaid, gave them [the Custos, Canons, Alms-Knights and Ministers] the Advowsons of the Churches of Wyardesbury [Rasbury] in Lincoln, South-Tanton in Exeter, and Uttoxater in Coventry and Litchfield Diocess, in Frank Almoigne, free from all Secular Exactions; which License, to appropriate the same to the College, notwithstanding the Statute of Mortmain, he appointed as much out of his Treasure for their Support, as amounted to an immoveable Estate of 1000 l. per Annum; and lest there might be any Defect in the Knights Title to Uttoxater and South-Tanton, Henry Earl of Lancaster, 23 Edw. III. and Thomas Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, that Year had special Licenses granted them in Right of Patronage to the said Two Advowsons, and they to receive the same. Another such License, 28th of January, 24 Edw. III. was given to William de Bohun Earl of Northampton, for assigning to the Custos and Chaplains the Advowson of Dodyngton in Com. Oxon, which he held of the King in Capite. The 28th of January following, this Royal Founder conferr’d on them (by the Name of Custos and Chaplains of his free Chapel at Windsor) one Messuage, Seventeen Acres of Land, one of Pasture, and 3 s. Rent, in Wyrardesbury in Com. Bucks, which had been convey’d to him by Richard de Gloucester, Heir to Isabel de Ditton; and the 22d of May ensuing granted unto them the Advowson of Dachet near Windsor.
Anno 25 Edw. III. the King gave them the Advowsons of the Churches of Eure in Com. Bucks, of Riston in Com. Norfolk, and of Whaddon and Caxton in Com. Cantab., and in May that Year the Advowson of Simondesbourne (surrender’d temp. Edw. IV. to Richard Duke of Gloucester) and of St. Stephens of Saltash. The first of these Queen Philippa purchas’d of Sir John Darcy, and the other of Edward the Black Prince; and gave them both, first to the King, that by his Grant afterwards to the College its Title might be more corroborated. The same Year, October 26. the King bestow’d on them 100 Marks per Annum, out of the Farm of the Town of Northampton, to be paid by the Bailiff of the Town at Easter and Michaelmas by equal Allotments: And it was at the Founder’s Instance (therefore worthy to be inserted) that the Town of Yarmouth, 26 Edw. III. under their Common Seal, granted them a Last of Red Herrings yearly, well dry’d and cleans’d, to take the Corporation into their Prayers; tho’ some say it was a Penance enjoyn’d them for murdering a Magistrate.
In the 26 Edw. III. the Founder granted them and their Successors the Mannor of Eure near Weybrigg, in Com. Bucks, the Mannor of Craswell in Bray in Com. Berks, and a Wear call’d Braybrook, situated in the Thames, with all the Lands in that Parish convey’d unto him by Sir John Philibert, together with the Knights Fees, Advowsons, &c. belonging to those Mannors. He gave to the Custos and College soon after the Seisin thereof, as also of a Wood call’d Temple-Wood in Stoke-Pogeys, convey’d to the King by John de Molyns: But deeming all the Lands too small for the End he intended, 28 Edw. III. the King granted the Custos and College, by Letters Patent, a Pension of 100 l. per Annum out of the Exchequer; and upon the vacating the same, 34 Edw. III. he gave them yearly Lands of 101 l. 11 s. 11 d. out of the Possessions of religious Aliens, which fell into his Hands by Occasion of the French Wars: But lest these Possessions should be again restor’d upon a Treaty of Peace, they were to receive the annual Sum of 101 l. 11 s. 11 d. out of the Exchequer, till they were provided of Lands of the like Value. Upon several Restrictions, he granted them 51 l. 9 s. 9 d. yearly to be receiv’d out of 126 l. which the Prior of Takkele paid him for the Farm of that Priory, it being then in the King’s Hand by reason of the War with France. And by reason the Revenues did not amount to 1000 l. per Annum, as he design’d at the Foundation, in the 35th Year of his Reign, he granted them so much Money yearly out of the Exchequer, as would make up the Deficiency, till Lands or Rents of that Value should be settled on them. Lastly, 39 Edw. III. the Founder bestow’d on them a Piece of Ground in New Windsor, (whereon had stood an House of John of London) in lieu of the great Garden South of the Castle, formerly given them by him; and also a Garden opposite thereunto on the other side of the Way. Besides these Largesses of the Founders, there were others made by pious and devout Persons, said to be incorporated into the first Foundation, and made up that Revenue which William Bishop of Winchester adjudg’d sufficient for the Support of the College, which we shall silently pass over with the bare mention only.
The Mannor of Dodyngton-Castle; two Pastures call’d Frith and Ashcroft; the Chapel of Langeley; the Parsonages of Estriton, Langeley-Maries, Wantynge, Shaldeborne, Wedonbeek, Glynde and Ryslepe; the Pensions of the Vicarages of Wantynge, Clyffe, Tylthey and Gottesford; and the Portions of Bassyngborne and Prestwyke, in Haseley magna, Chalgrave, Adewelle, Aston, Rowhand, Sevyndon, Kyngeston and Henton, in Stoke-Basset, and Clopecote in Gatehampton; Whytechyrche, Maplederham, Retherfeld, Esthenreth Stretham; of Thornecroft in Letherhed; of Totynbeek in Wodesdon; Evington, Woodmershthorne; of Fordham, Ethrope, Newenham, and in Tollesworth.