The picture of the Grace Dieu nuns afforded by these accounts is that of
charming, peace-loving ladies; good practical Christian women, as all nuns
should be; taking a personal interest in the welfare of their tenants and
dependants; occupied, over and besides their conventual and religious
duties, in works of genuine charity. They taught the daughters of the
neighbouring gentry, and were not too exacting in requiring even what had
been promised as the annual pension. They encouraged ladies to come and
join them in celebrating the festivals of the church, and out of their
small means they set aside a not insignificant portion for the care and
clothing of sick in their infirmary; whilst out of their income they found
not less than eight corrodies--or pensions--which cost them £7 7_s._
4_d._, or more than five per cent. of their annual revenue. Of their work
mention has already been made. They grew the wool and spun it and wove it
into cloth, not only for their own garments, but also for those of their
retainers; whilst a chance entry of receipt reveals that they were indeed
skilled in a high degree in ecclesiastical embroidery. That they were not
guilty of “dilapidation” of their house their extensive repairs prove; and
that they cared for their lands and farm buildings must be obvious from
the purchases made, and the items of expense in connection with every kind
of agricultural implement. They took their burden in common ecclesiastical
expenses, even contributing their quota of 3_d._ towards the expenses of
the _Procurator cleri_ of the district to Convocation. They were
peace-loving, if we may judge from the absence of all law expenses, save
and except one small item for an appearance at the local marshal’s court,
and whether even this was for themselves or for one of their tenants, and
what it was about, does not appear. As it was only 2_d._, it could not
have been much to interfere with the general harmony which apparently
existed in the neighbourhood. They lived, too, within their income, which
was, more or less, £103 13_s._ 6_d._ a year. It is true that in the first
year, owing probably to the exceptional repairs which the nuns undertook,
they went somewhat beyond their means. The sum was only slight, being but
£7 11_s._ 10½_d._, and it is pleasant to observe that “out of love of the
nuns,” and “to relieve the house of anxiety,” a lady paid the deficit,
making her gift £7 12_s._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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