The tower contains a peal of eight bells. These are all old; the fifth and sixth bells have fourteenth-century inscriptions round their crowns, the others appear to have been cast early in the fifteenth century.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE Sh.e.l.lEY MONUMENT.]

CHAPTER IV

DEANS OF THE SECULAR COLLEGE

1. Ralf Flambard, afterwards Bishop of Durham.

2. G.o.dric.

3. Gilbert de Dousgunels.

4. Peter de Oglander.

5. Randulphus.

6. Hilary, afterwards Bishop of Chichester.

PRIORS OF THE AUGUSTINIAN COLLEGE

1. Reginald, 1150.

2. Ralph.

3. Peter, 1195. He built the clerestory and carried out other Early English work.

4. Roger, 1225.

5. Richard.

6. Nicholas de Wareham.

7. Nicholas de Sturminster.

8. John de Abingdon, 1272.

9. William de Netheravon, 1278.

10. Richard Maury, 1286.

11. William Quenton, 1302.

12. Walter Tholveshide, 1317.

13. Edmund de Ramsbury, 1323. During his time Bishop Stratford's Injunctions were issued, 1325. See page 129.

14. Richard de Queteshorne, 1337.

15. Robert de Leyghe, 1340.

16. William Tyrewache, 1345.

17. Henry Eyre, 1357. He became blind in 1367 and was allowed a coadjutor.

18. John Wodenham, 1376.

19. John Borard, 1398. During his time Archbishop Arundel issued Injunctions, 1404. See page 130.

20. Thomas Talbot, 1413.

21. John Wimborne, 1420.

22. William Norton.

23. John Dorchester.

24. John Draper I., 1477. Bishop Langton's Injunctions were issued during his tenure of the priory.

25. William Eyre, 1502. During his time the choir was completed.

26. John Draper II. He surrendered the priory to Henry VIII.'s commissioners, 1539, and was allowed to retain Somerford Grange for life, and received a pension of 133, 6s. 8d. He died in 1552, and was buried in the nave near the entrance to the choir.

VICARS OF CHRISTCHURCH

By the council of Arles 1261, religious orders that held parish churches were bound to supply vicars to officiate. These were appointed by the canons, and were taken from their own body.

The names of many of these are known. The 13th was Robert Harys, whose chantry stands in the south choir aisle; he died in 1325. In the time of the 15th, William Trapnell, the church was granted by Henry VIII. to the parishioners, 32nd year of Henry VIII. In the time of the 17th, Robert Newman, an inventory of the property was made by order of Edward VI.'s commissioner. John Imber, the 21st vicar, was expelled by the Parliament from 1647-1660, but was restored to his preferment in the same year as Charles II. gained the throne. The present vicar is the 32nd.

STRATFORD'S INJUNCTIONS, 1325

1. Every canon save the seneschal and cellarer must attend Matins, High Ma.s.s, and the Hours. The seneschal, if present in the priory for two nights together, must attend one Matins, and the cellarer must be present at service on alternate nights at least.

2. Six canons must be enrolled for celebrating Our Lady's Ma.s.s; the prior must celebrate on all great feasts at High Ma.s.s, and on Sat.u.r.days at Our Lady's Ma.s.s, and must wear a surplice not a rochet.

3. Canons in priests' orders must celebrate daily, those who are not must repeat eleven Psalms with a Litany or Psalter of Our Lady every day.

4. Four confessors must be appointed to hear the confessions of the canons.

5. Latin or French must be the languages spoken.

6. No one save the prior or officers, without special leave, must ride or leave the Priory.

7. Two-thirds of the canons must dine daily in the refectory; the door must be kept by a secular watchman whose duty it is to remove servants and idle people from the door during dinner; the almoner must prevent any canon carrying his commons to the laundry-people or people of the town.

8. All the canons must sleep in the dormitory, each in his own bed.

9. The infirmary must be visited daily by the prior or sub-prior.

10. Two canons must act as treasurers, and a yearly account must be presented.

11. The common seal must be kept under four locks, and doc.u.ments sealed in full chapter, not as heretofore during Ma.s.s.

12. Canons must not play at chess or draughts, nor keep hounds or arms (save in the custody of the prior), nor have a servant (save when on a journey), nor write nor receive letters without leave. The prior may keep hounds outside the priory buildings.

ARCHBISHOP ARUNDEL'S INJUNCTIONS, 1404

No. 1. Ordered the destruction of an old hall and an adjoining chamber known as the sub-prior's hall after the departure of Sir Thomas West its then occupier, as n.o.blemen were in the habit of occupying it to the great disturbance of the order and the keeping open of gates which ought to be closed.

No. 2. Enjoined the building of a house for the proecentor, and a new chamber for the sick.

No. 3. Ordered the setting apart of a chamber for recreation apart from the infirmary (it may be supposed that the canons during recreation hours were noisy, thereby disturbing the sick).

No. 4. Directed the provision of separate studies for the canons. It would appear that n.o.bles, such as the Montacutes and Wests, put the priory to such great expense by taking up their abode, together with their retainers, in the domestic part of the buildings.

THE NORMAN CASTLE

Very little of the castle erected by Richard de Redvers, who died in 1137, remains; but on an artificial mound at no great distance to the north of the Priory Church stand fragments of the east and west walls of the square Norman keep, about 20 feet high and 10 feet thick. The castle belonged to the De Redvers, Earls of Devon, till they were alienated to the crown in the 9th year of Edward I. (1280), the last earl having died in 1263, though the last female descendant lived till 1293. In 1331, Edward III. granted the castle and land to William de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury; after the execution of John de Montacute in 1400 for the part he took in the plots against the new king, Henry IV., Sir Thomas West, who lies buried in the Lady Chapel, was appointed constable. He died in 1405, then Thomas, Earl of Salisbury, held the castle till 1428. After this it was held by various persons, and we find a constable of the Lordship of Christchurch as late as 1656. The manor held by the De Redvers, and then by the Montacutes, pa.s.sed through various hands. Among the holders we may notice the Nevilles, hence the connection with the Priory of the ill-fated Margaret, the kingmaker's granddaughter, who was Countess of Salisbury in her own right, the Earl of Clarendon, Sir George Rose, and the present owner, the Earl of Malmesbury, who obtained it in 1862.