The following signed as witnesses:

Archbishop Cranmer’s desire was thus accomplished, and the three Staffordshire houses of Tutbury, Rocester, and Croxden, owe their destruction directly to him.

Scudamore followed and held his public auctions. The sale at Croxden took place on October 15th. Mr. Bassett, who looked to have the place by Cranmer’s good offices, purchased the “lytle gatehouse on the north syde of the comyn wey,” the loft under the organ, “the lytle smythes forge,” and the roof of the dormitory. He paid for the latter only. The whole sale only produced £9 9s. 8d. The sale at Rocester next day was short and speedy, as nothing was sold save St. Michael’s Chapel. John Forman bought “the glasse and iron in the wyndowes” for 3s. 4d.; William Loghtonhouse the timber of the same chapel for 7s. 6d.; and William Bagnall “the shyngle” for 8d., the total proceeds being 11s. 6d. The parishioners obtained the three bells because they had been rung for their services as well as for those of the canons.[177] At Hulton, on October 21st, the only item was the unusual one of the bells. With the lead they were generally sent to London, but here the three were sold to Stephen Bagott, gentleman, for £19 16s., “after the rate of xviiis. the hundredd.”

By this time the fate of St. Thomas’s Priory and of Dieulacres Abbey had been settled. Bishop Roland Lee’s desires were to be gratified, and the Earl of Derby was to have Dieulacres. Legh and Cavendish accordingly proceeded towards these houses. Their first business when they arrived at such houses as were to be disposed of according to arrangements already made, was to empanel the jury for the valuation. This is explained in the Account Book of Dr. Legh,[178] which gives exceedingly full details of everything such houses possessed at the time of their final suppression. Vestments and church furniture, domestic utensils, farm implements, animals and stores, all were made over alike to the purchasers, only such things as the more valuable church plate, lead, and bells, being usually held back. In spite of efforts at prevention it is obvious from the inventories that a good deal had disappeared recently. No doubt the religious themselves had made away with something, though this was a dangerous thing to attempt; and probably there had been a good deal of “picking and stealing,” regular and irregular, during recent months.

It is somewhat surprising to find that so many of the monks and nuns had remained after knowing that their fate was sealed. Some, of course, had nowhere else to go: some stayed doubtless through indifference: some waited for the promised pensions. All who remained were “rewarded” and most were given pensions.

The final arrangement at St. Thomas’s, Stafford, was made on October 18th, and at Dieulacres on October 21st, at the same time as Scudamore was holding his auctions at Rocester and Hulton. Legh’s inventories are given in full in the Appendix.[179]

On October 11th Dr. Legh received a letter from Sir Thomas Hennege[180] informing him that the house of Benedictine Nuns at Brewood was to be given by the King’s orders to Sir Thos. Gifford, a Gentleman Usher of the Chamber, who had been begging for it for over a year, and continuing, “At your now being there you shall put him in possession, and he may at leisure apply to the Chancellor of Augmentations for the lease.” Legh was on his way to Brewood at the time. When he arrived at the house he found himself in a difficulty. There was a rival claimant. He wisely referred the matter to Cromwell, enclosing Hennege’s letter and saying, “There was Mr. Littleton also who said the King was pleased he should have it, as he perceived by your lordship when he was last in London.” The cautious Legh did not care to run the risk of offending anyone, so he solved the difficulty in a characteristic way, as he explains: “Wherfore I and Mr. Candisshe have put them both in possession, and sold the stuff to them both till they may know the King’s pleasure.”[181] Legh’s inventory describes the sale as having been made to Sir Thomas Gifford. Gifford certainly obtained the place in the end.

The Black Nuns of Brewood surrendered on October 16th.[182] None of them signed the document. The house was too poor to afford accommodation suitable for Dr. Legh, and he went on the same day to Lilleshall Abbey, which he gave to Cavendish, who had accompanied him as auditor, as he explains to Cromwell: “Now being at Lilleshall, I intend to put Mr. Candisshe in possession of the farm of the house who prays you that in his absence he be not in this behalf supplanted.”

Legh himself went on to Stafford next day. Bishop Roland Lee’s solicitations at last had their desired effect, and on October 17th the Priory of St. Thomas surrendered. The Deed bore the following signatures:[183]