Although there had been loud discontent at the threatened dissolutions of the friaries at Stafford, the townspeople did not hesitate to profit by the sales any more than the country people did in the case of the monasteries. They knew that the end of the alms and easy rents had come, and it was only human nature to make the best of the sorry business. The town bought the stone wall of the Grey Friars and a pair of candlesticks at Stafford; and the churchwardens a Corporas.[171] The “warden of the sayd [Grey] Fryers” bought two brass pots for eight shillings and six plates for 2s.; the under-bailiff and the late warden of the friars bought “iii leads, one to brue in, and ii to kele in, fates, iiii tubbes, a bulting hutche, and a knedyng troughe” for 14s. 7d. Friar Wood bought a vestment of blue fustian and one of white diaper for 6d., and the Prior of the Austin Friars bought a vestment of white bustion for 8d. The friars were determined to make the best of things. Robert Whytgreve bought books. The great purchaser was James Luson or Leveson, from Wolverhampton, who followed the sales. At the sale of the Grey Friars in Stafford he purchased “a table of alabaster standyng in the church” for 2s. 8d., and “all the churche and quyer, with all edyfyengs and buyldynges within the precinct of the Fryers Minours surrendryd, with all the stone, tymber, tyle, glasse, and iron in the same, ledd and belles only exceptyd, and also exceptyd and reservyd the stone wall next unto the towne of Stafford,” for £29 1s. 8d. At the Austin Friars he bought a vestment and two tunacles “of bawdekyn with images of our lady” for 18d., two copes, “greene and yelowe partye colouryd and rewyd,” for 22d., and, with Thomas Picto and Richard Warde, “all the tyle, shyngle, tymber, stone, glass, and iron, one marble gravestone, the pavementes of the church, quyer, and chapelles, with rode lofte, the pyctures of Cryst, Mary, and Johan, beyng in the church and chauncell of the Austen Fryers, besydes the towne of Stafford, surrendryd with all other superfluos edyfyes and buyldynges within the precynct of the seyd Fryers, to be takyn down, defaycd, and caryed away by the seyd Loveson, Picto, and Ward, at there owne proper costes and charges,” for £28 8s. 4d. The two bells at the former house, one a Sanctus bell and one “by estimation Xcth,” were also placed in his custody. Sir Richard Riche wrote to Scudamore “to assingne and apoynct unto my ffrende James Lewson the five bellis remaynyng at the late monasterie of Wenlocke.”[172] Robert Dorynton was another dealer. At the Austin Friars at Stafford he purchased “a table in the inner hall with ii trestylles and iii formes,” and at the Grey Friars, Stafford, he bought a “gret basen” from the buttery, 3 altar cloths, the seats in St. Francis Chapel, books in library and vestry, a coffer in the former, four pennyworth of “old wexe,” and a lamp. Robert Wetwode, the Master of the Guild, bought “the table at the hyeghe deske” in the hall for 8d. The whole contents of the kitchen sold for 22s. 2d., of the church, 55s. 8d., of the brewhouse, 15s., and of the hall, 3s. 4d. The total sales of goods and buildings at the Grey Friars fetched £34 3s. 10d. The lead upon choir and chapel, 45 feet broad “of bothe sydes” by 43 feet long, was left in the custody of the town bailiffs. The contents of the Austin Friars fetched 79s., and Robert Burgoyne, the auditor, kept “one playne crosse of copper with a lytle image of Cryst sylver apon hyt,” estimated to be worth 3s. 4d., John Scudamore kept “one lytle woodden crosse,” which is noted as being “platyd over verry thyn with sylver,” and as being worth only 12d. “Ther remaynyth in the steple one belle, by estimation Xcth in the custody of Thomas Picto, worth by estimation viiili., and a lytle bell worth 8s. The total sales of goods and buildings at the Austin Friars produced £32 6s. 4d.

The Grey Friars’ house at Lichfield was sold on October 4th. The “prisors jurati,” or sworn valuers, were Robert Ryve, William Colman, Marke Wyrley, and Thomas Fanne. Mr. Strete made a great purchase of “all the copes, vestments, and tynakles in gros for xls.,” also two candlesticks of latten, for 8d., the paving tiles in the cloisters for 40s., and of the choir for 13s. 4d. Thomas Fanne, above-mentioned, bought “the bryck wall at the churche ende” for 2s.; Marke Wyrley, “a fryer’s masse boke” for 4d., and William Colman “the glasse that ys lewse in the newe loggyng” for 3s. The Warden of the Guild bought a vestry press, “the cundyt of ledd in the cloyster,” “all the kechyn stuff,” and “ii. standert candelstyckes.” Mr. Lytleton bought “the cesterne of ledd standyng in the porche at the Tenys Court ende,” and “a lytle porche standyng by the dwellyng house.” The whole of the buildings were sold to a “ring” of eight purchasers for £42 13s. 4d., “except and reserved ledd, belles, pavement, and gravestones within all the seyd buyldynges, save only the pavement of the seyd churche, whyche ys parcell of the seyd bargayne ... and hath day to deface the steple, cloyster, and quyer forth [with], wyth the churche, onles they obteyne lycens otherwyse of the kyng, and hys councell, athyssyde the feast of the Purification of our Lady next commyng, and for all the residewe of the buyldynges iii. yeres day to pull downe and carye awey, and to have egresse and regresse for the same.” These careful stipulations that the buildings should be defaced and destroyed show that the ruin of the monastic buildings is not to be attributed to the ravages of time alone, but also to wilful and deliberate vandalism.

Meanwhile Legh and Cavendish began to go on their circuit. They were at Tutbury in the middle of September. No record exists of the procedure or of the means Legh used; but his progress was an unqualified triumph and the surrenders of the monasteries one after another were formally received. The Deed of Surrender was signed at Tutbury on September 14th.[173] It bears the following signatures:[174]

p me Arthurum priorem de Tuttbury p me Thomam Norton p me Thomam Smith p me Thomam Shele p me Rob’tum Stafford p me Nycholas Broly p me Rogerum Hylton p me Thomam Renez p Richardum Arnold

From Tutbury they proceeded, along the road by the banks of the swift and winsome Dove, to Rocester. There the canons, who seem to have been living simple, harmless lives among neighbours who respected them, were speedily forced to sign the Deed of Surrender. It is dated September 16th, and the seal, except for a fracture at the base, is still in good condition. The signatures are as follows:[175]

The following witnesses signed:

Hurrying away up the secluded valley to the west, Legh came in an hour to the Abbey of Croxden. Its surrender was signed next day, and the seal is in good condition:[176]