England, He does not, however, give any authority for this statement, which seems inconsistent with Queen Elizabeth's grant to the Leicester Burgesses. Among the particulars for grants of the reign of Edward VI, filed at the Augmentation Office, there is, however, a request dated 8 July, 3 Ed. VI, by Robert Catlyn of London and William Thomas, to purchase the farm of parcel of the possessions of the late guild or chantry of Corpus Christi in the town of Leicester. It would seem therefore that, if this grant were carried out, Catlyn and Thomas, or their nominee, took a lease for years only of part of the Guild's possessions, leaving the freehold in the Crown.
The buildings seem to have occupied the four sides of a square, with an open court in the centre. On the North, fronting the street, stood the Hall of Corpus Christi, 62 feet long by 19 broad: on the West lay the Parlour, with rooms over: on the South were the Kitchens, and on the East, facing St. Martin's church, were the residences of the four chantry priests. These four houses are alluded to incidentally in the Guild's rental for the year 1525-6, where the following entry occurs: "Mending of the Chantry wickett and iiij keys, vjd": from which it appears that each of the four chantry priests occupying the four houses had a separate key to the "wykkett." In the Chantry Certificate of the Chantry of Corpus Christi Leicester returned under the Act of 37 Henry VIII c. iv, the house and garden of the chantry priests are said to be situated at the west end of the church,[1] and to be of the annual value of 10s.
For some years after the purchase of the new Guild Hall, the accounts of the Town Chamberlains refer to various repairs that were carried out there, especially in connection with the benching, and mending the hangings of the parlour, and the stairs going up into the high chamber.
The Hall and Parlour were used not only for civic business and for the Assizes, but also for social gatherings and for theatrical entertainments. Other rooms were adapted to various purposes. One of them seems to have been given up to the use of the schoolmaster. Another was used as an armoury, and another as a
- ↑ In the original "St. Mary's," but obviously St.Martin's is intended.
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