Upon the 6th March, 1527, William Brown, Prior of St. Peter's Priory, at Ipswich, surrendered into the hands of the Cardinal the revenues and scite of the same. As soon as the numerous vocations of Wolsey allowed him to turn his attention to the work, he directed the foundation of his intended College to be laid. This ceremony took place on the 15th of June, 1528, in the presence of a large concourse of people, the first stone being laid by the Bishop of Lincoln, John Longland. A Dean was soon appointed in the person of William Capon. The building progressed rapidly towards completion, and the Corporation displayed their liberality and zeal towards the new institution, by bestowing upon it all the interest of the town in lands bequeathed by Richard Felawe, lying at Whitton and in the town of Ipswich.

This act of the municipal authorities, is duly enrolled in the Great Court Book of the Corporation, where it is specified that, at an Assembly of the Bailiffs, Portmen, Commonalty, and Burgesses, held on the Wednesday next, after the Feast of the Nativity, in the 20th year of the reign of King Henry the 8th (1528,) present;

-the Bailiffs, Portmen and Burgesses, by unanimous assent and consent, give and grant and convey to the Dean and Canons of the Cardinal's College of the Blessed Mary the Virgin, in the said Town of Ipswich, all the right and interest which they have in certain Lands, Tenements, and Appurtenances, in Ipswich and Whitton, according to the last Will of Richard Felawe, late of the said Town of Ipswich, Merchant.

It is not possible at the present day to enumerate all the sources from which the revenues of the college were derived. We have before stated that the valuation of the Priory itself in Taxatio Ecclesiastica, date 1291, was £46. Os. 11d. This included possessions in 54 parishes. Holding the manors of Harrold in Burstall, St. Peter in Cretingham, and Hintlesham; also the tithes of St. Matthew's, Ipswich, Letheringham, Thorpe, &c. the impropriation of the Churches of Crewe, Wherstead, Dokesworth, St. Austen, St. Mildred, St. Edmund a Pountney, St. Clement, St. Mary at the Key, St. Peter, and some others, it is probable that its revenues at the time of its suppression for the purposes of Wolsey were considerably beyond the sum above mentioned.

Beyond the possessions of this Priory, Cardinal Wolsey caused the suppression of the following religious houses, and bestowed their property upon the College.

DODNASH, a Priory of Augustines, or Black Canons, dedicated to St. Mary, founded at an early era by the ancestors of the Earls of Norfolk. It held the tithe of barley in Fakenham, in Colneis; 320 acres of land in Hemingstone and Coddenham; 320 acres in Burstall and Bramford; a house and 39 acres of land in Bergholt; and free warren, lands, and rents, in 15 parishes. Its valuation in 1291, was £19. 19s. 5d., and according to Dugdale and Speed, £42. 18s. 8d. Date of its suppression, 1524.

FELIXSTOW, a small cell dedicated to St. Felix, and founded by Roger Bigod, first Earl of Norfolk. Its valuation, in Tax. Eccles., £6. 16s. 1d.

RUMBURGH, an ancient priory, founded between 1064 and 1070 by the Monks of the Abbey of Hulme. It was a Cell and

Priory, dedicated to St. Michael or St. Felix, and was valued in Taxatio Ecclesiastica at £10. 12s. 11d. Date of grant to Wolsey 1528.

WYKES, a small Hospital, believed to have been stationed in Cambridgeshire. Its revenue was very small. Date of supres

sion not known.

Originally

SNAPE, a Priory of Benedictine Monks, founded in 1099 by William Martel, his wife, and sons, to the use of which they gave the manor of Snape. The benefit of all wrecks of the sea from Thorp to Orford Ness was also conferred upon it. attached to the Convent of St. John of Colchester, the Priory underwent before its suppression a change of masters rather unusual with property of this description. Founded in 1099occupied in 1155-- a Cell to Colchester till 1403, then Conventual until 1508-a Cell to Butley until 1509, and a second time Conventual until 1524; it then fell into the hands of Wolsey; its endowments included the Churches of Aldeburgh, Friston, and Bedingfield; and the several Manors of Bedingfield, Snape, Friston, Aldeburgh, Scotts, and Tastard's. Its value in Tax. Eccles., in 13 parishes, was £32. 12s. 71⁄2d. According to Dugdale, £99. 1s. 11žd., and in the Valor Ecclesiasticus, 1534, to the same amount. The date of its suppression, 1524.

MOUNTJOY, a Priory of Austin Canons, situated in the Hundred of Eynsford, Norfolk. It was founded by William de Gyney, about the reign of Richard I. or King John. It held peculiar privileges-among them the right of celebrating divine service during interdict, and all who should hold unlawful possession of its revenues were sentenced to excommunication. The rectories of Stanfield, Irmingland, and Heverland were appropriated to its use. The valuation in Tax. Eccles. was only £2. Os. 7 d., but it afterwards rose to a high amount. It was suppressed, and its revenues given to Ipswich College, in 1528.

BROMHILL, a Priory and Conventual Church of Austin Canons, situated in the Hundred of Grimshoe, Norfolk, founded in the reign of John or Henry III. by Sir Hugh de Plais, and de

dicated to the Blessed Virgin and St. Thomas the Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury. Value in Tax. Eccles., in Norfolk, £23. 8s. 2d., and Suffolk, £2. 2s. 7d. Suppressed in 1528, at which period seven manors were in its possession.

BLIBURGH, a Priory of Augustine Canons, was also suppressed by bull for the purposes of Ipswich College; but its revenues were never attached. It would have formed a very considerable addition to the possession of that establishment had its annexation been concluded. This was also a very ancient foundation, the Church of Bliburgh having been presented to the Priory by Henry I. It was dedicated to the honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and its value, according to Tax. Eccles. in Suffolk, 37 Parishes, £32. 18s. 24d.; in Norfolk, £1. 6s. Valor Ecclesiasticus, 1534, £48. 8s. 10d.-gross value by the same authority, £60. 13s. 4d.

Trinity, or Christ Church Priory, at Ipswich, was also given to Wolsey for his College. Value, Tax. Eccles. £47. 17s. 4žd.; Valor Eccles.; clear value £88. 6s. 9d. gross value. £119. 16s.; 2d. This establishment stood near the present mansion of Christ Church, the property of the Rev. C. Fonnereau.

The revenues of Horkesley, and Tiptree Priory, in Essex.

A portion of the possessions of Wendling, in Norfolk, granted for the endowment of both Colleges.

According to Howard, it appears also that the Rectory of Marybone, after being appropriated to the Dean and Canons of Christ Church, was at their request granted to the masters and scholars of the School of Ipswich.

Such were the revenues of Wolsey's College, as collected from many sources, bearing the stamp of authority. It is not improbable that other gifts were bestowed by the generous founder upon the object of his care and attention, but of which record is lost, or difficult to discover. The establishment appears to have met with the warm approbation of his fellow townsmen, the principal owners of the soil in the county, and notices are extant of the feasting on fat bucks, and the distribution of gifts or money to celebrate its existence.

Although the revenues of the College were ample, it does not appear to have been overburdened with servants and retainers. The foundation consisted of a dean, eight clerks, twelve secular canons, eight choristers, and fourteen beadsmen; and we find the Dean, William Capon, complaining that there was more than sufficient employment for one individual as a Sacristan in the Church, and praying that other assistance in that important department of the Catholic ceremonial might be granted at Wolsey's earliest convenience, until which time arrangements had been made to prevent neglect in the duties of the office. This dean, the first and last of Ipswich College, appears to have been a person zealously attached, not only to the establishment over which he was appointed to preside, but also to the person of his munificent master and patron. The following letter written by him to Wolsey, and containing many minor particulars relating to the opening of the College, displays this feeling in an eminent degree.

"Pleasith it your Grace to be advertysed, the Sonday the vjte day of September, maister Stephyns, Doctor Lee, with Mr. Crumwell, repayred to Gipswiche and came to your Grace's College there, and brought with theym coopes, vestements, aulter clothes, plate, and other things, the perticullers whereof byn comprised in a payer of Indenturs made bitwene me and the said Mr. Crumwell; the oon indenture the said Mr. Crumwell hath with hym and thoder part remeyneth with me. Also all the said parcells be ingroced and incerted into your Graces boke indented, amongst other of your graces stuff, which boke remeyneth in my custodye. Also the said Mr. Stephyns, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Crumwell taryed in your graces College the space of iiij dayes, in whiche tyme Mr. Crumwell dyd take moche payne and labour not only in surveying your graces stuff hether caryed sawfely, but also in prepayring and ordering off hangings, benchis, with all other necessaries to the furniture of our hall whiche ys now well trymmed and ordered thrugh his good diligence and helpe. And upon our Ladyes evyn I, with all the company of your Grace's college, as the subdeane, Mr. Ellis, vj. prests, viij. clerks, and ix. choresters, with all our servants, when we had