and yet the greatest nomber of theym hath no lernynge. Inded they gave counsel to thabbott to gyve theym a covent seale to robe the kinge of part of his revenues. Wherfore me thinke they might lawfully at this parliament be called in agane, and the kinges highnes shuld resayve therbye within his realme iij. or four thowsand markes by the least yerly. And further as consarnynge the kinges leade within his realme, yf it wold ples his grace to make sales therof it shuld turne hym to a great proffite. Their be merchantes within his realme, I thinke a great sorte, wold gyve him iiij. for a foder, and fynd his grace suerties sufficient to be pad yerly one porcion therof, whiche I thinke wold be no less than xx.м"., a yere for the space of foure yeres, whiche war a goodlye payment; and yet or the foure yeres war expired their wold every foder be worthe to the kinge xx. nobles, considering the costome in and owte. And further I thinke that c.M'. of his pore sugetes shuld be benefite takers of their retorns, whither it war in money or in ware. And also the yeres beynge expired, it wold qwyken well agane one of the commodities of his realme that nowe is ded, whiche is the myndes of his leade. Yt may ples yow to consider that, and yf other owtward prynces wold take apon theym to redres their idell fayned religiouse howses, as the kinges highnes hath done, as I mystrust not but and their powers war accordinge as the kinges was and is they wolde so do, and than shall they have suche abundance of lead of suche like howses that they woll than sett litell by ours. Besechinge your lordship for my follyshe oppynyon so boldlye to you to write of, that ye wold take with me no displeasure. And thus I remayn your pore man. From Lowthe, the xth day of May.

To the right honorable and his singuler

good lord my lord prevy seale be this yeven.

Yours,

JOHN FREMAN.

It appears that many of the accounts of the sales, &c. of the religious houses remained long unsettled. The following letter was written in the reign of Philip and Mary.

Several of the places enumerated in the following letter have been previously mentioned. At Ludlow in Shropshire there were houses of Austin and White friars, and a hospital of St. John the Baptist, of the history of which very little is known. The abbey of Dieulacres in Staffordshire was founded by Randulph earl of Chester in 1214; its last abbot was Thomas Whitney. The Benedictine priory of Tutbury in Staffordshire was founded by Henry de Ferrers, about the year 1080; the last prior was Arthur Meverell alias Throwley. The præmonstratensian abbey of Halesowen, of which the ruins are still interesting, was founded by king John; the last abbot was William Taylor. Dudley priory, in Worcestershire, was founded about the middle of the twelfth century by Gervase Paganell or Painel, who placed in it a party of Cluniac monks from Wenlock, of which house it was considered as a cell; the last prior was John Webley. At Westwood, in Worcestershire, there was an alien nunnery, dependent on the abbey of Fontevrault, but its history is obscure.

CXLII.

LETTER TO JOHN SCUDAMORE.

[From MS. Addit. No. 11,041, fol. 78.]

After our harty comendacyons, theise maye be to advertyse you that we have perused the indentures made bytwyxte Mr. Sheldon and you, and accordynge to the tenure of the same have charged the sayed master Sheldon with all the leade, bell metalle, and redy money mencyoned and conteigned in the sayed indenture, which beynge deducted oute of youer charge, yett there dothe remayne to be aunsweryd by you bothe leade and bell metalle as ffollowythe, that ys to saye, for leade att Bristoll, iij. ff. iiijc. quarter, x.lb.; Wygmore, liij. ff. j. quarter ff. de. cxxij. lb.; Ludlowe, v. ff. iij. quarter, ff. ccciij. quarter cne.; at Severne, in the custodye of Thomas Irelonde, j. ff.; Rocestre, vj. ff.; Croxden, xiiij. ff. de. ; Delacres, iiij. ff.; Tuttberye, vj. ff. j. quarter; nuper prioratus canonicorum de Stafford, xliiij. ff.; Lylleshull, v. ff.; Halesowen, x. ff.; the late monestarye of Shrewsborye, lxvij. ff. de. ccc. lb. ; the celle of Dudley, iiij. ff.; and ffor belle metalle att Westwoode

292 LETTERS RELATING TO SUPPRESSION OF MONASTERIES.

in the county of Worcestre, cccc. lb.; ffor the answere whereof we requyer you, by the vertue of the kynge and quenes majesties comyssyon to us dyrected, that withe as convenyente spede as you may after the receyte hereof you sende unto us youre suffycyente deputie to accoumpte byfore us for the same, so as hereuppon their majesties may be satisfyed by you of the dett that shall faul out uppon the same. And bycause we be moche callyd uppon to reporte youer estate and dett herein, we therefore are constrayned the more ernestly to calle uppon you, whome we dought not wylle have suche regarde hereunto as bothe their majesties expectacyon herein may be served (as ys mete), as also for the full ende of this charge towardes youer selfe, with which as before the ende ys troblesome and comberous unto you, so will the ende thereof be to youer quyetnes and comforte. Whereof, for that you are ouer oulde ffrende and of oulde acquayntaunce, we thought to advyse you the rather, for that commyssyon ys nowe oute for the ende of those causys, of which you nowe may be dyscharged yf the faulte be not in youer selfe. We also advertysse you that Mr. Sheldone wylbe no further charged concernynge the leade and belles within youer late circuyte there thenne ys conteyned in the indentures bytwyxte you and hym; and therefore you muste aunswere the reste youer selfe, whereunto we dought not but you wyll have suche respecte as we may receyve youer aunswere withe expedycyon. And so we bydde you hartely ffare well. From Westminster, laste of February, 1555.

Youer very lovynge ffrendes,

WILLIAM BERNERS.
THO. MILDMAY.
JOHAN WYSEMAN.

To the worshippfull Johan
Skudemore, esquyer, in haste.

INDEX.