Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535Power, Eileen
History
Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535
Power, Eileen
Convents -- England; Monastic and religious life of women -- History
It was also a common practice for the Visitor to demand that the current
balance sheet and inventory (the _status domus_) of a monastic house
should be produced, together with its foundation charter and various other
documents, before he took the evidence of the inmates at a visitation. The
register of Bishop Alnwick's visitations shows the procedure very clearly;
usually there is simply a note to the effect that the Prioress handed in
the _status domus_, but at some houses the Bishop encountered
difficulties. At St Michael's Stamford, in 1440, the old Prioress (who, it
will be remembered, had rendered no account at all during her twelve years
of office) was unable to produce a balance sheet, or one of the required
certificates, and Alnwick was obliged to proceed with her examination
"hiis exhibendis non exhibitis." He made shift however to extract some
verbal information from her; she said that the house was in debt L20 at
her installation and now only 20 marks, that it could expend L40, besides
10 marks appropriated to the office of pittancer and besides "the
perquisites of the stewardship"; she said also "that they plough with two
teams and they have eight oxen, seven horses, a bailiff, four
serving-folk, a carter for the teams, and a man who is their baker and
brewer, whose wife makes the malt"[732]. At Legbourne also the Prioress
showed the state of the house, as it now stands, as they say, but not
annual charges, etc.... She says that the house owed L43 at the time
of her confirmation and installation and now only L14; nevertheless
because the state of the house is not fully shown, she has the next
day at Louth to show it more fully[733].
At Ankerwyke also Clemence Medforde gave in an incomplete balance sheet:
she shewed a roll containing the rents of the house, which, after
deducting rent-charges, reach the total of L22. 6. 7. Touching the
stewardship of the temporalities and touching the other receipts, as
from alms and other like sources, she shews nothing, and says that at
the time of her preferment the house was 300 marks in debt, and now is
in debt only L40, and she declares some of the names of the creditors
of this sum[734].
A special demand for a complete statement of accounts was sometimes made
in cases where gross maladministration was charged against a prioress.
Thus in 1310 Archbishop Greenfield ordered an investigation of certain
charges (unspecified, but clearly of this nature) made against the
Prioress of Rosedale; her accounts,
as well as those of all bailiffs and other officials and servants who
were bound to render accounts, were to be examined and the prioress
was ordered to render to the commissioners full and complete accounts
from the time of her promotion, as well as a statement of the then
position of the house,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account