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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 January 2012
The Deed exhibited this evening by Mr. Joseph Jackson Howard has appeared to me sufficiently interesting to justify a few remarks on its contents. It bears date the 7th of August 1456 (34 Hen. VI.). By it Richard Acreman granted to John Oudene, master of the fraternity or guild of St. George of the Men of the Mystery of Armourers of the city of London, to John Ruttour and William Terry, the wardens, and to the brothers and sisters of the same guild the advowson of or right of presenting a chaplain to the chantry which Joan, formerly the wife of Nicholas de Wokyndon, Knight, founded at the altar of St. Thomas the Martyr in the new work of the cathedral church of St. Paul, London, viz. on the north side of the same church; which altar was, at the time of this grant, placed in the chapel then commonly called the chapel of St. George within the said church, in which chapel the said guild was then lately founded and established by King Henry VI.: this advowson the said Richard Acreman had of the grant of Thomas Coburley and Thomas Burghille, who had it (inter alia) of the gift of Richard Bastard of Bedford and Isabella his wife, who was kinswoman and heiress of the said Nicholas de Wokyndon. The deed was witnessed by William Marwe, the Mayor of the city of London, and John Yonge and Thomas Ouldegreve, the Sheriffs.
page 135 note a The original deed, with the contractions extended, except a few that may be doubted, is as follows: “Sciant presentes et futuri, quod ego Ricardus Acreman tradidi, dimisi, et hac presenti carta mea confirmavi Johanni Oudene, Magistro Fraternitatis sive Gilde Sancti Georgii de hominibus Mistere Armurariorum Civitatis London’, Johanni Kuttour et Willelmo Terry, Gardianis Fraternitatis sive Gilde predicte, ac Fratribus et Sororibus ejusdem Fraternitatis sire Gilde totam illam Advocacionem ac presentacionem Capellan' illius Cantarie quam Johanna, quondam uxor Nicholai de Wokyndone, Militis, fundavit ad altare Sancti Thome Martiris in novo opere ecclesie cathedralis Sancti Pauli London‘, scilicet, ex parte boriali ejusdem ecclesie; et quod quidem altare modo situr (sic) in Capella nunc vulgariter nuncupata Capella Sancti Georgii infra (sic) ecclesiam predictam; in qua Capella dicta Fraternitas sive Gilda per Dominum Henricum Regem Anglie Sextum modo fundata, formata, erecta, et stabilita est; quam quidem Advocacionem ac presentacionem ego predictus Ricardus nuper habui ex tradicione, dimissione, et confirmacione Thome Coburley et Thome Burghille; et qui quidem Thomas et Thomas eandem Advocacionem ac presentacionem preantea habuerunt, inter alia, ex dono et feoffamento Ricardi Bastardi de Bedford’ et Isabelle uxoris sue, consanguinee et heredis predicti Mcholai de Wokyndone; Habendam et tenendam predictam Advocacionem ac presentacionem Capellan’ Cantarie predicte prefatis Johanni Oudene, Magistro, Johanni Euttour et Willelmo Terry, Gardianis, ac Fratribus et Sororibus predicte Fraternitatis sive Gilde, et successoribus suis imperpetuum. In cujus rei tjestimonium huic presenti carte mee sigillum meiun apposui. [Hiis testibus,] Willelmo Marwe tune Maiore Civitatis London’, Johanne Yonge et Thoma Ouldegreve tune Vicecomitibus ejusdem. Datum London’ septimo die mensis Augusti anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo quinquagesimo sexto, et anno regni Eegis Henrici Sexti post conquestum Anglie tricesimo quarto.” Under the fold is “Ecton,” and also “r’ coram M’ et Abraham viijo die Augusti Anno xxxiiijt0 Henrici vjt1. “Indorsed is” Ista carta lecta fait et irrotulata in hustengo London' de communibus placitis tent' die lune proximo ante festum Sancti Kalixti Pape anno regni Eegis Henrici Sexti post conquestum tricesimo quinto. Spycer.” And a little lower down is “Ista carta fuit lecta, sigillata, et registrata in registro Eeverendorum dominorum Decani et Capituli ecclesie Cathedralis Sancti Pauli London' primo die mensis Aprilis anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo sexagesimo nono, tempore magistri Eogeri Radclyffe Decani. Percy.”
page 137 note a Similar fraternities are still common in Eoman Catholic countries.
page 139 note a Her will is given in Dugd. Baronage, i. p. 240, and Testamenta Vetusta, p. 224. She was a daughter of Eichard and one of the sisters and co-heirs of Thomas Earl of Arundel; her husband was William Beauchamp, Lord Abergavenny. She died in 1434. The writer of the letter, Henry Fylungley, was one of her legatees. The mode here mentioned of providing masses for her soul was not specially directed by the will.
page 139 note b Vol. I. Letters XLI. XLII.
page 139 note c See Nos. DXCVII. DXCIX.
page 140 note a Many of the piscinas found in the naves and aisles of churches once belonged to guild-altars.
page 140 note b Two wealthy guilds at Cambridge, of which several distinguished persons were members, founded Corpus Christi College in that University. Some interesting particulars of those guilds are given in Masters's History of that college. See also on the subject of guilds of the religious kind Dr. Rock's Church of our Fathers, vol. ii. p. 395, and the works referred to by him, and Mr. Burtt's account of certain guilds at “Walsingham, in the volume containing the Proceedings of the Archseological Institute at Norwich, in 1847.
page 140 note c It is inrolled 31 Hen. VI. secunda pat. m. 12. An old translation into English is in the possession of the Armourers' Company.
page 142 note a Page 24.
page 142 note b Vol. ii. p. 536.
page 143 note a See Herbert, vol. i. p. 482, ii. p. 649.
page 143 note b Herbert, ii. p. 116.
page 144 note a Second edit. p. 32.
page 145 note a Morant's Essex, i. pp. 102, 230.
page 145 note b Dugdale's History of St. Paul's, p. 17. Stow's London.
page 145 note c Camden's Britannia, edit. 1590, p. 330. Stow's London.
page 145 note d Dugdale and Stow, ubi supra.
page 145 note e Parl. “Writs, i. pp. 273-4, 352.
page 145 note f Rymer, ii. p. 31.
page 145 note g Parl. Writs, ii. p. 161; App. p. 103.
page 145 note h Deeds in the possession of the Armourers' Company.
page 146 note a Writ and Inq. p. m. 13 Edw. III.
page 146 note b Morant's Essex, i. 230.
page 146 note c See a copy of that deed in a subsequent note.
page 147 note a The original deed, with the contracted words extended, except a few that are doubtful, is as follows: “Sciant presentes et futuri, quod nos Eicardus Bastardus de Bedford' Armiger et Isabella uxor mea dedimus, concéssimus, et hac presenti carta nostra confirmavimus Thome Coburley et Thome Burghille omnia terras et tenementa nostra cum homagiis, feodis militum, maritagiis, releviis, scaetis, heriettis, redditibus, et serviciis omnium tenentium, tarn liberorum quam nativorum, de feodo nostro vocato Wokendone Fee in villa de Terlyng Crikkeshithe, in comitatu Essex, una cum Advocacione Cantarie Sancti Thome in ecclesia cathedrali Sancti Pauli, London', ex parte boriali, cum omnibus suis pertinenciis; Habenda et tenenda omnia predicta terras et tenementa cum homagiis, feodis militum, maritagiis, releviis, escaetis, heriettis, redditibus, et serviciis omnium tenentium, tam liberorum quam nativorum, de feodo nostro predicto, una cum Advocacione Cantarie predicte, ut supradictum est, cum omnibus suis pertinenciis, prefatis Thome Coburley et Thome Burghille, heredibus et assignatis suis, de capitalibus dominis feodorum illorum per servicia inde debita et de jure consueta, imperpetuutn. In cujus rei testimonium huic presenti carte nostre sigilla nostra apposuimus. Hiis testibus, Thoma Basset gentilman, Roberto Buri, Johanne Rouchestre seniore, Johanne Rouchestre juniore, Johanne Spurne, et aliis. Datum apud Terlyng predict' vicesimo die Junii anno regni Regis Henrici Sexti post conquestum Anglie vicesimo.” Two small seals on labels are appended; of the first a woodcut is given in the text; the device on the second appears to be a wolfs head erased, without any legend. The former from the legend, fcebines, should seem to have been intended as an enigma, and from the singularity of the object represented I apprehend it is likely to remain unsolved.
The conveyance to Acreman is also in the possession of the Armourers' Company. It is dated the 12th of March, 24 Henry VI. (1446), and by it Coburley and Burghille granted to Acreman, his heirs and assigns, the advowson only. There are no witnesses. Two small seals are appended; one has on it a bird with the legend, 
; the other a hedge-hog with a legend obscure. The parties to the deed are the only persons mentioned in it, and no place of residence is subjoined to any of the names.
In addition to what has been said of the seal of Acreman appended to the deed exhibited, I may here mention, that the words of the legend are separated by sprigs of oak, as if he supposed the first syllable of the name to have been derived from Ac or Ake (oak) instead of Acre; and that round the impression are the marks of a plaited rush by which it was formerly protected from injury; a practice occasionally found exemplified in seals of that period.