“ tibus, amotis; alios priores in quorum circumfpedtione et
“ diligentia confidebat, prefecit: quos tarnen male fe habuifTe ac?
“ inutiliter adminiftrare, et adminiftrafie, ufque ad prefentia tem.
“ pora poft debitam inveftigationem, &c. invenit.” So that he
defpaired with all his care^“ ftatum ejufdem reparare vel reftau-
“ rare : et confiderata temporis malicia, et pTeteritis timendo et
“ conjedturando futura, de aliqua bona et fandta religione ejufdem
“ ordinis, &c. juxta piam intentionem primevi fundatoris ibidem
“ habend, defperatur.”
William Wainfieet, bifhop of Winchefier, founded his college o f
Saint Mary Magdalene, in the univerfity of Oxford, in or about the'
year 1459 ; but the revenues'proving infufhcient for fo large and
möble an eftablifhment, the college fupplicated the founder to
augment it’s income by putting it in pofleffion of the eftates belonging
to the Priory of Selborne, now become a deferted convent,
without canons or prior. The prefident and fellows ftate the cir-
cumftances of their numerous inftitution and fcanty provifion, and
the ruinous and perverted condition of the Priory. The bifhop
appoints commiflaries to inquire into* the ftate of the faid monaf-
tery ; and, if found expedient, to confirm the appropriation of
it to the college, which foon after appoints attornies to take pof-
feflion, September 24, 1484. But the way to give the reader a
thorough infight refpedting this trarifaftion, will be to tranfcribe
a farther proportion of the procefs of the impropriation from the
beginning, which- will lay open the manner of proceeding, and
fhew the confent of the parties.
I m p r o p r i a t i o S e l b o r n e , 1 4 8 ^ .
“ Univerfis fan&e matris ecclefie filiis, &c. Ricardus Dei
“ gratia prior ecclefie conventualis de Novo Loco, & c z. ad uni-
“ verfitatem veflre notitie deducimus, &c. quod coram nobis
ce commiffario predidto in ecclefia parochiali S1'. Georgii de Fsjher,,
“ didt. Winton. dioc. 3°. die Augujli, A. D. 1485. Indidione tertia
cc pontificat. Irinocentii 8V‘. ann. imo. judicialiter comparuit venerate
bills vir Jacobus Prefeon, S. T . P. infrafcriptus, et exhibuit
“ literas commiflionis— quas quidem per magiftrum Lhomam.
“ Somercotes notarium publicum, &c. legi fecimus, tenorem fete
quentem in fe continentes.” The fame as N°. 103, but dated,
— “ In manerio noftro de F.sjher, Aiigujli, imo. A. D. 1485, et
“ noftre confec. anno 39.” [N°. 103 is repeated in a book
containing the like procefs in the preceding year by the fame
commifiary, in the parifh church of St. Andrew the apoftle, at:
Farnham, Sept. 6th, anno 1484.] “ Poft quarum literarum leftu-
“ ram— didtus magifter Jacobus Prejlon, quafdam procuratorias
<c literas mag. Richardi Mayewe prefidentis, ut afleruit, collegii beate'
Marie Magdalene, &c. figillo rotundo communi, &c. in cera-
“ rubea impreffo figillatas realiter exhibuit, &c. et pro eifdem
“ dnis fuis, &c. fecit fe partem, ac nobis fupplicavit ut juxta.
Z Ecclefia Conventualis de Novo Loco was the monaitery afterwards called the New
Minfer, or Abbey o f Hyde, in the city o f Wmcbejter. Should any intelligent reader wonder
to fee that the prior o f Hyde Abbey was commiffary to the bilhop o f Winton, and lhould'
conclude that there was a miftake in titles, and that the abbot mult have been here,
meant • he will be pleafed to recollect that this perfon was the fecond in rank ; for,
“ next under tire abbot, in every abbey, was the prior.” Pref. to Notit. Monad:.,
p. x x ix . Befides, abbots were great perfonages, and too high in ltation to fubmit to
any office .under the bilhop. L
formam