The Chapelry of Alvaston
(Page 139)
presence of John Lawe, canon and sub-dean of All Saints' ; John Ryggeway, vicar of S. Peter's ; and John Yvo, chantry priest of Chaddesden.*
In course of time the inhabitants of Alvaston appear to have become dissatisfied with the arrangement by which they were deprived of their chaplain—no doubt through the inconvenience of attending a church three miles distant. Various disputes arising out of this state of affairs between the abbot and the parishioners, the matter was in 1499 again referred to the Bishop of the diocese (then John Arundel), who on the 10th of March affixed his official seal to the following agreement:— That the abbot should have, as heretofore, the tithes of corn in Alvaston ; that there should be perpetually a chaplain in the chapel of Alvaston, sustained by the lesser tithes and oblations of that place ; that he should serve the cure and administer the Sacraments under the vicar of S. Michael, by whom he was to be appointed on the nomination of the parishioners; that if the parishioners neglected to nominate within three weeks of the death or removal of the last chaplain, the nomination should pass to the vicar ; that all the lesser tithes were to be collected by the inhabitants for the chaplain, except the tithes of hay which were to go to the abbot ; that the vicar of Michael's, as compensation, was to receive annually £3 of the inhabitants of Alvaston ; and that the inhabitants were to attend S. Michael's once a year—viz., on the Feast of Reliques. Heavy penalties were provided to ensure the fulfilment of the last two clauses.
The Valor Ecclesiasticus (27 Henry VIII.) gives the annual clear value of the curacy at £4 4s. 0d., being derived from a mansion, Easter dues, and the tithes of lambs, wool, flax, pigs, and geese.
The Chantry Roll, 1 and 2 Edward IV., has the following entry pertaining to Alvaston :—
"St MYGHELL'S DERBIE. The Service of James Tylleslye clerke in the Chappell of Alvaston presented appointed and lymyted att the will and pleasure of the Church masters and inhabitants. There dothe mynystre all maner of Sacraments and Sacramnentalls. The Pryste hathe towards hys lyvyng all maner of tythes and duties belongynge to the Chappell except tythe corne and haye wch belonge to the Vicar there iiijli. iiijs. clere iiijli. iiijs. James Tylleslye preste. It hathe bene called the parishe churche tyme owte of remembraunce whereunto resortyth iiijxx howselynge people. Chalys plate jewells or ornaments butt suche as the inhabitauuntss did by and fynde."
* Lichfield Episcopal Registers, vol. xv., f. 58. There is a full translation of this and the next quoted document in vol. iii. of the Reliquary, from the pen of Rev. E. Poole, incumbent of Alvaston and Boulton. We desire to express our acknowledgments to that gentleman for kindly furnishing as with much information.
01 March, 2004