Page:VCH London 1.djvu/510

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A HISTORY OF LONDON regulation enjoins the dean or his deputy to assign to him a stall when he lacked such pro- vision. In the further rule that such canon has no part in the secret business of the chapter or in elections,-*' the ancient connexion between land ownership and political rights may probably be traced. The other orders of clergy in St. Paul's were those of the minor canons, the vicars, and the chantry priests. The traditionary origin of the minor canons is prior to the Conquest."** They must be the subject of a reference, in 1162, to the ' prebendary clerks of the choir,' as distinct from the major canons.^*' In the time of Ralph de Diceto they were evidently an established institution.^^" The prebends of each consisted in a weekly allowance of 5(/. from the chamber- lain, with an additional id. on feast days, and certain other payments, notably from the manor of Sunbury ; and in portions of bread and ale, called ' trencherbread ' and ' welkyn."'^ No record shows that the minor canons ever lived otherwise than in the separate lodgings near the cathedral, assigned to them by the dean and chapter. They were compelled to be in the church at canonical hours, by day and by night.^'^ Every week two of them were deputed to help the ebdomarius.*'^ They only could fill the offices of the cardinals."'* Chantries, and such lesser dignities as those of the keeper of the Old or New Work, were frequently in their tenure.^ In the most ancient portion of the cathedral archives there is evidence of the existence of vicars. Each of them was appointed by the canon, who was his lord and to whose jurisdic- tion he was subject.^^^ Yet they had some in- dependence of status : they swore an oath of obedience and fealty to the dean and chapter ; '^' in 1260 it was ruled that a vicar might not be removed from his place without cause, even at the death of his lord.^^' The first chantry of St. Paul's was established by Dean Alard in the reign of Henry II ; ^ the la;t by Robert Brokett in 1532.^"*' In the intervening years constant foundations by gifts and bequests created a large body of clergy who "' Rfg. S. Pauli (ed. W. S. Simpson), 27. "« MSS. of D. & C. of St. Paul's, A. Box 73, 1908 ; Harl. MS. 980, fol. 179a. "' Hist. MSS. Com. Rip. ix, App. i, 12. "^Reg.S. Pauli (ed. W. S. Simpson), 127, 131, 133- »• Wilkins, Concilia, iii, 134 ; MSS. of D. & C. of St. Paul's, W. D. 2, fol. 91. "' Reg. S. Pauli (ed. W. S. Simpson), 102. »' Ibid. II. "' Harl. MSS. gSo.fol. 179J. "* Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. ix, App. i, 26 ; ^rci. xliii, 199 ; MSS. of D. & C. of St. Paul's, A. Box 74, 1952; Box 75, 1959. "" Reg. S. Pauli (ed. W. S. Simpson), 18, 108. '" Ibid. 19. "' Ibid. 67. "' Dugdale, Hist, of St. PauPs, 24. •^ Sharpe, Cal. of Wills, ii, 637. formed an important class of the ministers of the cathedral. In a document among the cathedral archives it is stated that the rank of the chantry priests is more honourable than that of the vicars, and that, while they were not of the number which must chiefly be supported from the patrimony of St. Paul's, yet the church had in part taken them into her care, and therefore they must render help to her higher ministers.^* Their duties, as determined by the terms on which their respective chantries had been founded^ often included attendance at some rites of the cathedral ; suit of the choir, or presence at certain hours.^"^ They were in many cases explicitly subjected to the jurisdiction of the dean and chapter."" The property and advowsons of chantries were variously bestowed by the founders, frequently on the dean and chapter, and con- ditionally, in all cases, on the payment of chap- lains or a chaplain,'"* who might have the custody of the endowment.'"^ From one to four priests were as a rule assigned to a chantry.'"' The chapter tended to be an exclusive body. The constitutions of Ralph de Diceto enact that a new resident may take no part in its business without a special summons from the dean ; '"^ both he and Henry de Cornhill state that the non-residents intervene only in arduous business.'"* Besides its functions of electing the bishop and the dean, the chapter represented the cathedral in all its external relations, and therefore held and administered property.^"' By approved custom and prerogative the dean and canons could not meet before the bishop except as the chapter, unless they had been summoned with such an intention.'^" Ordinances and declarations of prac- tice were issued by the dean and chapter. They had the general supervision of the finance of the cathedral ; and they examined and judged major canons before the dean could punish them. All the ministers of the church attended the chapter held every '^^ Saturday for the correction of offenders. »•' MSS. of D. & C. of St. Paul's, W. D. v, fol. 66.

  • " Ibid. A. Box 49 (209), Box 74 (1940), Box 75

(1969). ^ Ibid. A. Box 74 (1941, 1920, 1952), Box 75 (1959, 1957) ; Lond. Epis. Reg. Stolcesley, fol. 95 or 124. ™ MSS. of D. & C. of St. Paul's, A. Box 74 (1920, 1952, 1917, 1928, 1933), Box 34 (169) (49). '" Ibid. A. Box 74 (192S), &c. ^'^ Arch. Iii, 148. There were seven priests ii> Holmes College (v. infra'). ^" Reg. S. Pauli (ed. W. S. Simpson), 129. »"' Ibid. 130, 132. =»' Ibid. 17, 18, 30. "° Ibid. 18. »" Ibid. 9, 65, 134, &c. ; v. 19. '" The Saturday chapter was apparently still acknowledged as statutory in 1724, but may have been held irregularly, for at this date there was a proposition to discontinue it. In 1869 it w.is revived. Reg. S. Pauli (ed. W. S. Simpson), 206 ; Add. MS. 34263, fol. 31, Suppl. to Reg. S. Pauli, 14. 422