LIST OF PRE-REFORMATION BEQUESTS
FOR BLISWORTH CHURCH

 Extract from: THE PARISH CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS HOUSES OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE  

Archaeological Journal 1913

The following is a list of bequests to Blisworth Church from the 16^th century. It gives an indication of the many images that used to adorn the interior as well as some insight into the names and professions of some of the inhabitants.  There is some discussion in Barnwell's excellent paper regarding these images and on the use of the church in pre- reformation times.

Our Lady: Land in Crowley and Chycheley, co. Bucks to be sold to find “a prest in perpetuyte to sing for me my wife and my auncestrie in our lady chapell in Blysworth”: Roger Wake esq 1503 (PCC to Holgrave).

“To ye lyght before our lady a sheepe”: Rich. Denton 1528

“To our lady lyght a stryke of barle”: Elizabeth Tymys, 1528.

Our lady on the pillar on North side of the church: “I wyll that after the day of my burial the said iij tapers shall be given to be sett before iiij ymags in the said churche. Item: I will one taper to be before the holie trinite, the second before our lady in the chapell, the thred before Sent Margarett and the iiij paper before the ymage of owr lady that standethe on a pillar off the north side of the said churche. Item: I will that my wiffe shall fynde a lighte burning all service tyme on Sundales and holideis before the said ymage of owr blissed lady whilest she livethe”: William Water 1526.

Trinity: “To the Trinyte j strike of barle”: John Woodell 1514. H. Daulton 1528. Thos Allye 1528

Father of Heaven: “To ye father of hevyn a pownde of wax” (sic) Richard Denton 1528

St Catherine “To Saynt Katryne light a strike of barley”: Thos Allye 1528. John Gayton 1531

St Christopher: “To Seynt Chrtsopher light ijd: Alice Hutte c1528

St Francis: “To Saynt Fracyns” [Francys]: Wm Heyward 1528

St John Baptist: “To Saynt John Baptiste to make a tabernacle iijs iijd; to Saynt Johnys lightt a strike of barley”: Thomas Allye 1528

“To Saynct John Baptist a shepe”; Elizabeth Tymeys, 1528.

“To Saynct John for parte of a tabernakyll iijs iijd: Rich. Denton 1528.

“To Sent John to the mayntenance of his light a strike of barley”: John Gayton, 1531

St Margaret: William Water, 1526

St Michael: “To Sayncte Mychelle iijd”: Rich Denton 1528

St Roch: “To Seyncte Rooke a sheepe”; John Woodell 1514

St Sonday: “To Seynt Sonday ij stryke of barle”: John Woodell, 1514. “To the torches xijd: H Burley, c1527

St Sythe: “To Daynte sythe jd”: Wm. Hewyward, 1528

Rood: “To the rode ij strike of barle” John Wodell, 1514: “To the torches xijd”: H Burley, c 1527: “To ye roode light xcjd”: John Curtis of Blisworth, pedagogue, 1557.

Sepulchre: “To the torchys j styke of barle”: John Wodell, 1514: “To the torches xiijd”; H Burley, c1527

Sacrament: “To the hie aulter in the honor of the sacrament a strike of barley”: James Grace, 1539.

Vestments and Plate: “To the hygh allter a curcho for a corporas”: Emma Wake, 1528.

“I give to the towne of Blysworth to the use of godds service to be mayntayed within the saids church a chales w^th with a paten, a corporas w^th the case and ij vestments to servce God at masse a better and a worse, requiring the towne that if a prest furtue to succede me that they then will lend hym the challes and the second vestment to singe w^th until he be provided: John Curtis, 1557.

Chantry House: Testator leaves his house “To be a chauntry howse or scoole howse yf any succede; yf not I will an honest tennant to be sent in rt and to paye by the yere vs, and this to be distributed after this sorte: to the prest vjd, to saye dirige and masse uppon the xcj daye of Marche, and the rest to be gyven to the poore to pray for the soule of Mr Roger Wake (1) and my laidye Elizabeth his wiffe. Item: I will that the tenante be bounde uppon suertyes to maynteyn both glasse and reparacone and specially thache that the seelynge come not disapere. Item: I will that all the tables, tressells, formers in all the house remaythe as standerde, and that the glasse be not dyminished, but all thinges stand holi to hym that shall succede me”. John Curtis, 1557.

Books. “To George Burley my gramar bookes; to the parson of Gayton Opera Gersonis ancelmi dictionarium”

Eliote (2) “To Sir John Cassewell my gowne with stryght sleves”: John Curtis, 1557.  

Footnotes:

1 Founder of the Chantry. The testator was the chantry priest.

2 Ancelmi probably means Opera Anselmi: the dictionarium Eliote is doubtless Sir Thomas Elyot’s Latin-English dictionary, published in 1538.