| Description | From: Robert Hathbrande, prior of Canterbury Cathedral Priory; the chapter of Canterbury Cathedral Priory
He has inspected the grant of Archbishop Simon Islip, dated 6 Feb 1356 at Otford (recited). 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. Whenever 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 spent most of the £140 in obtaining payment of it. Mgr Thomas de Vstele, last rector of Reculver, also troubled the hospitals because of this payment.
To give the hospitals greater security, Archbishop Stratford obtained permission to appropriate the rectory to the archbishop's table, but died before he could carry this out. Archbishop Simon Islip decrees that in future the whole £160 shall be paid as specified from the fruits of the church of Reculver and the chapels annexed to it, 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 be charged with the payments of £140 and £20. To avoid problems with the payment following the death of an archbishop, Archbishop Islip charges each archbishop or his executors to make the payment between 29 Sep and the following Easter after they receive the fruits of the benefice. 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. If the archbishop dies between Easter and the following 29 Sep, according to the custom of the church of Canterbury, the greater fruits and the autumn fruits ('fructus maiores et autumpnales') for that year belong to him and his executors shall receive them. The executors are empowered to make the payment for 4 terms after they receive the fruits but no more. If they do not make the payment, the prior can take the necessary portion of the fruits, but nothing else of the deceased archbishop's goods. The grant is made with the consent of the chapter of Canterbury.
The priory confirms the archbishop's grant. [Document damaged. Thomas de Vstele's name and other details taken from the copy cited below.]
Dated in the chapter house of Canterbury Cathedral Priory.
Endorsed 'Copia carte ecclesie xpi' Cant'' in 14th cent hand. |