Communar's Accounts: 1407-9

Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Dean and Chapter of Wells: Volume 2. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1914.

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Historical Manuscripts Commission, 'Communar's Accounts: 1407-9', in Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Dean and Chapter of Wells: Volume 2(London, 1914), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/wells-mss/vol2/pp40-47 [accessed 2 April 2025].

Historical Manuscripts Commission, 'Communar's Accounts: 1407-9', in Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Dean and Chapter of Wells: Volume 2(London, 1914), British History Online, accessed April 2, 2025, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/wells-mss/vol2/pp40-47.

Historical Manuscripts Commission. "Communar's Accounts: 1407-9". Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Dean and Chapter of Wells: Volume 2. (London, 1914), British History Online. Web. 2 April 2025. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/wells-mss/vol2/pp40-47.

In this section

1407–1408.: Accounts of Robert Burgh, the Communar, from Michaelmas, 1407, to Michaelmas, 1408.

Arrears paid to 17 canons of preceding year 351l. 13s. 3d.

Receipts.

From farmers and from pensions, as in 1394–5 Pension of Lyllington church 6s. 8d.
Sir Gilbert Denys, farmer of the church at Pucklechurch 40l. 0s. 0d.
John Hull, burgess of Wells, rent of Mogg's houses, magnum hospitium, and 4 shops 3l. 12s. 0d.
William Loue, reeve of North Cory 116l. 0s. 0d.
Sir John Lorty. bailiff of the hundred of North Cory 9l. 10s. 0d.
Henry Vox, reeve of Est Cory 84l. 10s. 0d.
Walter Dodde, reeve of Westhacch 22l. 0s. 0d.
Walter atte Yerd, reeve of Bykenalre 10l. 4s. 0d.
William Grygge, reeve of Winscombe 71l. 0s. 0d.
Walter Frankleyn, reeve of Knapp 18l. 0s. 0d.
John Quyk, reeve of Burnham 33l. 13s. 9d.
Sir John Lorty, bailiff of the hundred of North Cory 4l. 0s. 0d.
Pro arbor' nucior' (Spanish chestnut), sold at Pucklechurch 2l. 6s. 8d.
From the church at Pucklechurch 8l. 6s. 8d.
Total 714l. 4s. 9d.

Expenses.

For sealing letters 3l. 0s. 0d.
Journey of Thomas Terry to the abbat of Muchelney 1s. 8d.
For vacancy of churches 2l. 19s. 3½d.
Perquisites of chapter of Winssham and Combe 4s. 0d.
Commons of the bishop, dean and canons 221l. 19s. 4d.
Procession of canons 5l. 11s. 8d.
Commons of the vicars, for 53 weeks 54l. 2s. 7d.
The master of the schools 1l. 10s. 4d.
Commons of the chaplains of Blessed Mary 2l. 6s. 4½d.
Commons of the keepers of church 2l. 13s. 0d.
Commons of the breviators 1s. 4d.
Wine for altars, at 10d., 8d. or 6d. a gallon 2l. 19s. 4d.
Chantries and obits, as usual Fetching oil for chrism from Exeter 2s. 8d.
Total 357l. 6s. 4½d.

Foreign expenses.

To the Papal nuncio, his 18th year 7s. 0d.
Annual fees to J. Bewyn, W. and J. Stocton, Powlet, Russel, Barton 6l. 0s. 0d.
To Nicholas Barwe, clerk of Cory 2l. 0s. 0d.
To Nicholas Muttelbury, fee and procuring writs in Hilary and Easter terms 19s. 1d.
Mr. Ralph Canon, expenses at Taunton before the justices of the forest 7s. 0d.
Paid 2 tenants of Westhach, for over-payment of one-fifteenth to the King 15s. 7d.
The escheator for exequies of Bishop Ergum 1l. 4s. 2d.
The annuellar &c. for the chantry of Bishop Ergum 4l. 10s. 0d.
For the visitation of Modeford by the archdeacon of Wells 7s. 7½d.
Marginal note. Henceforth procurations not to be paid unless the archdeacon come in propria persona vel sufficienter per bullam.
Half-tenth paid to abbat of Glaston 17l. 19s. 3½d.
The like to Mr. Robert Rygg, for Whitchurch 14s. 8d.
The like to the prior of Dunster, for Karampton church 5s. 0d.
Expenses of the steward about the agreement with Sir Gilbert Denys and on other occasions 1l. 3s. 2d.
Replevin against Humfrey Stafford, lawyer's fees and horse hire 2l. 0s. 1d.
Expenses against Hugh Cortenay at Bampton and the assizes at Sherborne and Taunton 3l. 17s. 11d.
Repairing the barn of South Barrow 1l. 0s. 0d.
Paid the abbat of Clive, collector of the subsidy of 1½d. de libris Ambociatoribus to Rome, granted by Convocation 2l. 4s. 11d.
Mr. Robert Rugg for 3 years' rent of his farm, and for ash trees 2l. 6s. 0d.
Installing of J. Stortwaite, J. Hody, J. Halewell, H. Gardiner, J. Frank and Roger Wodehale 4s. 0d.
Expenses of Geoffrey the cursor to Cory, Chewton, Shaftesbury, Wilton, Wedmor, Wardour, Bristol &c. 9s. 3d.
Repairs of shop at Jacobswell, new gable, two chimnies 13s. 5d.
For half-fifteenth to the King for Westhache 15s. 9d.
Total expenses 416l. 12s. 9d.
Expenses of audit and rewards 5l. 5s. 4d.
Owing by the communar 298l. 11s. 7½d.
by the reeve of Cory 51l. 0s. 3½d.
by the reeve of Est Cory 7l. 5s. 11d.
by the reeve of Knapp 3l. 11s. 9d.
by the reeve of Westhacche 3l. 17s. 1d.
by the reeve of Burnham 1l. 8s. 10¼d.
by the reeve of Wynscomb 4l. 13s. 8½d.
by the bailiff of the hundred of Cory 1l. 6s. 0d.
by Gilbert Denys, for wood at Crotesmor 5l. 13s. 4d.
by Richard Louker of Carent and Laurence Elleworth of Whitchurch 2l. 10s. 0d.
Vacancy of Minehead church 11s. 6d.
Debts, 81l. 18s. 5¼d. Grand total. 380l. 10s. 0¾d.
19 canons residing receive each (plus in toto 6½d.) 20l. 0s. 6½d.
Names of the canons: Richard Bruton, chancellor, Thomas Madynglegh, Thomas Terry, John Orum, John Hody, Richard Drayton, Robert Rygge, Ralph Ergoum, precentor, Roger Harewell, William Calf, Walter Wyncalton, Thomas Frome, John Grene, Richard Penyfader, Richard Harewell, Ralph Canon, William Exceter, John Bonyngdon, Thomas Cosyn.
Bydesham. Receipts 12l. 12s. 8½d.

Expenses.

Usual payments to the master of the schools, clock-keeper, &c.
John Mastery, for 6 girdles for vestments 3d.
The escheator, for the exequies of Mr. Thomas Byngham, 3rd year 1l. 0s. 0d.
Key for the door of the great organ 3d.
Wax and mending of bells 3s. 7½d.
For thread and rings, and making the veil before high altar 9d.
Making tunic for St. Saviour for the Easter play, and for dyeing 1s. 8d.
Mending a missal for the high altar 7d.
Binding and mending an ordinal hanging in library 1s. 0d.
The like for an antiphonar, hanging on the south side of the choir 5s. 8d.
Mending a gradual and an antiphonar on the second bench on the dean's side 1s. 4d.
Binding and mending 2 psalters for the altar of St. John and St. Stephen 1s. 3d.
7 ells of Flemish cloth and for making 2 albs and amices for the tabellar and mending 3 others for choristers 6s. 3d.
1lb. and half-quarter of green and red thread, 5 yds. buckram and 2 pieces of silk of 14 yds., for copes in the treasury 8s. 6d.
One piece de card' [? carda] of 15 yards, for copes and other vestments 5s. 4d.
3 yards of red buckram and 3 yards of green taffeta 5s. 2d.
Making and mending of said vestments and making 4 tunics for the tabellar and choristers 5s. 5d.
David the goldsmith, for mending the great thurible 3s. 4d.
The messenger who brought precious vestments given for the souls of the Lords of Lovel and Holond 1l. 6s. 8d.
Two pieces of red silk ribbon, 13 yards 2s. 4d.
3 yards of green taffeta 2s. 0d.
5 yards of green "card" for a cope and tunicle for the tabellar and choristers 1s. 7d.
The chapter proctor 3s. 4d.
Expenses of auditors in collecting moneys and arranging with tenants 1l. 0s. 4d.
Owing by the communar 12l. 12s. 8½d.
Berlich. Usual receipts with arrears 36l. 4s. 9d.

Expenses.

Chantries &c. as usual, but 8 chaplains at St. Nicholas' altar 35l. 3s. 2d.
Owing by the communar 1l. 1s. 7d.

1408–1409.: Accounts of Robert Burgh, the Communar, from Michaelmas, 1408, to Michaelmas, 1409.

Arrears, paid to 19 canons resident 380l. 10s. 0¾d.

Receipts.

Sir Gilbert Denys, for the farm of Pucklechurch, 5l. being remitted for the first term 35l. 0s. 0d.
Perquisites of court at Pucklechurch 8s. 9d.
John Vox, reeve of North Cory 126l. 0s. 0d.
Walter Gandyr, reeve of Est Cory 82l. 0s. 0d.
Walter Dodde, reeve of West Hatch 24l. 13s. 4d.
Walter Atte Yerde, reeve of Bykenalre 51l. 0s. 0d.
William Grygge, reeve of Wynscomb 78l. 0s. 0d.
Henry Forest, reeve of Knapp 21l. 0s. 0d.
John Quyke, reeve of Burnham 34l. 13s. 4d.
Sir John Lorty, bailiff of the hundred of North Cory 2l. 0s. 0d.
For trespass against the Wells cause 4s. 3d.
Mr. John Hody, for the vacancy of Sokke church 2l. 13s. 4d.
Perquisites of the chapter of Wynesham and Combe 8s. 6d.
For a road near the hospitium of the abbat of Muchelney 1s. 8d.
Total receipts 714l. 10s. 10½d.

Expenses.

Defaults of rent: W. Compton's houses 2l. 0s. 0d.
for a lane between the hospitia of the abbat of Muchelney and Ralph Canon 1s. 8d.
Commons of the bishop, dean and canons 194l. 6s. 2d.
Procession of canons 5l. 2s. 0d.
Commons of the vicars 56l. 2s. 4d.
Commons of the master of the schools, because he did not wear his habit in the choir nil.
Commons of the chaplains of B.M., 45s. 6d.; of the keepers of the church, 52s.; of the breviators, 23d. 4l. 19s. 5d.
Wine, some at 8d., some at 6d. a gallon 2l. 12s. 11d.
Wine for cena domini and pasche, at 8d. a gallon 13s. 11d.
Total 329l. 0s. 1d.

Foreign Expenses.

The chapter attorney, for getting letters against certain persons 1l. 4s. 7d.
The abbat of Glaston, for two half-tenths 35l. 18s. 7d.
Mr. R. Rygg, for two half-tenths for Whitchurch 29l. 0s. 8d.
The prior of Dunster, for two half-tenths for Karampton church 10s. 0d.
The prior of Worcester, for indemnity and vacancy of Pucklechurch church 6s. 8d.
The prior of Taunton, collector of 2½d. in the £, Ambaciasoribus pro Unione Ecclesie transeuntibus 3l. 13s. 10¼d.
The escheator, for exequies of Bishop Ergum 1l. 4s. 4d.
No visitation of the archdeaconry of Wells, in the farm of Modeford nil.
Gift to Richard Otery, the King's escheator 13s. 4d.
Expenses of the visitation of the farms of the church 2l. 14s. 6d.
Making a wall between the hospitia of R. Canon and J. Hody, and 53 cartloads of stone 2s. 4d.
Holding a court at Pucklechurch 17s. 0d.
Installing Masters J. Rowlond, J. Knight and Thomas Schalford 2s. 0d.
The commonalty of Wells, arrears of rent for a shop at Jacobswell 6s. 0d.
Selling tithes at Sook 1s. 6d.
Lead for a shop roof and plumber, and sawn planks for door 8s. 11d.
Expenses to arrange with Humfrey Stafford about the pension from Knapp 1l. 0s. 5d.
Expenses to treat with the lord of Bath 1l. 0s. 11d.
To cooks and bakers of the lord of Bath on Easter day 1l. 13s. 4d.
To Mr. Robert Rygg, for 2 subsidies of the 1l. 13s. 4d.
clergy of the province of Canterbury to Rome about union, for archdeaconry of Dorset 4s. 10d.
Visitation of Stokegommer, Congaresbury and Modeford by Bishop Bubwith 1l. 0s. 9d.
Total expenses 408l. 5s. 11¼d.

Receipts.

The reeve of Burnham 2l. 0s. 0d.
Maurice Gregory, from Pucklechurch 8s. 0d.
Expenses of audit and fees 6l. 6s. 0d.
To the prior of St. John of Wells, subconservator of privileges of chapter 6s. 8d.
Owing by the communar 302l. 0s. 3¼d.
by the reeve of Cory 23l. 5s. 8d.
by the reeve of Est Cory 25l. 7s. 9½d.
by the reeve of Knapp 15l. 0s. 5½d.
by the reeve of West Hatch 8s. 11d.
by the reeve of Bykenalre 8s. 0d.
by the reeve of Burnham 6l. 13s. 0d.
by the reeve of Winscomb 7l. 16s. 9d.
by the bailiff of the hundred of Cory 3l. 6s. 9d.
Grand total 384l. 7s. 7¼d.
16 canons resident receive each, leaving¾d. over 24l. 0s. 6d.
Canons: Richard Bruton, Thomas Maddynglegh, John Hody, Walter Wincelton, Richard Drayton, Ralph Ergom, precentor, Roger Harewell, William Calfe, John Bonyngdon, Thomas Cosyn, John Grene, Richard Harewell, Ralph Canon, William Excestre, Thomas Frome, Richard Penyfader.
Bydesham. Receipts and arrears 24l. 4s. 4½d.

Expenses.

To the master of the schools, because he did not wear habit in the choir, nor did anything therein, only 13s. 4d.
To the sacrist, the keepers of the church and the clock, oil &c. 1l. 16s. 9d.
2 cords for the picture [pro tabula] behind the high altar and 2 bawdricks 1s. 1d.
Mending a staff given by Dean Stanleigh 4d.
2 torches for the high altar, weighing 69lbs., and for making 1l. 11s. 8d.
To the escheator for the obit of Sub-dean Bingham 1l. 0s. 0d.
Mending and binding a gradual on the dean's side, and a collectarium and antiphonar 1s. 8d.
Mending a silver candelabrum and thurible 2s. 5d.
Mending and making carpets about the high altar and binding 4 pencoll' [? pencells] for the sepulchre of the Lord 8d.
A chain for an antiphonar on the dean's side 7d.
Key and staple for the door of St. Mary's clerk 4d.
Rachokes and nails for the bishop's pulpit and the dean's stall 3d.
Mending 3 albs and amices and for thread for treasury 8d.
Mending the gown of the Holy Saviour for the Easter play 7d.
24 yards of "card" to mend the cloth before the images of the high altar 7½d.
10 yards of Irish linen cloth for the same 2s. 6d.
3½lbs. of linen twist, for a cord to draw the said cloth to and fro 3s. 3d.
Rulenlyr [?] and sewing the cloth, and making the cord 6s. 4d.
2 "chafers" to warm the celebrant's hands at high mass 1s. 9d.
To double the triangle in the treasury with linen cloth 6d.
3 yards of broad cloth to cover the exchequer 4s. 4d.
Spent in the treasury for keeping relics, books, vestments &c. 7l. 16s. 5d.
Commons of chaplain of the chapter mass, from St. Dunstan to Michaelmas 3s. 1d.
To John Helcombe, master of the choristers, for training boys in grammar 6s. 8d.
Indentures between the dean and chapter and the tenants of Bydesham 3s. 4d.
Total expenses 16l. 10s. 7½d.
Berlich. Receipts and arrears 36l. 14s. 11d.

Expenses.

Usual payments to chaplains &c.
For 1 long cord for the light hanging in the nave 4d.
To Nicholas Belle, for exchanging a chalice for St. Nicholas' altar 13s. 4d.
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