| Description | From: Simon Islip, archbishop of Canterbury
The poor of the hospitals of [St Nicholas] Harbledown and [St John] Northgate have received £140 in alms from the archbishops of Canterbury and £20 from the church of Reculver, which is appropriated to the archbishop's table. When the archbishopric is vacant, the king has paid the £140 from the temporalities of the see.
Archbishop John Stratford saw that the hospitals had no proof of their their entitlement to this payment and during vacancies they often had to spend most of the money to obtain payment of it. Mgr Thomas de Vstele, the last rector of Reculver, also troubled the hospitals because of this payment. To give the hospitals greater security, Archbishop Stratford obtained authority to appropriate the rectory to the archbishop's table, but died before he could carry this out. Archbishop Islip decrees that in future the whole £160 shall be paid as specified from the fruits of the church of Reculver and its annexed chapels, as long as they are appropriated to the archbishop's table. If the appropriation is revoked, the temporalities of the archbishopric and the church of Reculver shall remain charged with the payments of £140 and £20. To avoid difficulties after the death of an archbishop, Archbishop Islip charges each archbishop or his executors to make the payment as specified. During vacancies, the prior of the chapter of Canterbury, as guardian of spiritualities, can make the payment from the fruits remaining in the church and its annexed chapels at the time of the archbishop's death and from the archbishop's goods by means of sequestration. Further provision about making the payment during vacancies. The grant is made with the consent of the chapter of Canterbury. No date. [Date: handwriting.] Original dated 6 Feb 1356 at Otford.
Endorsed with description in late16th or early 17th cent hand. |