Bells Cathedrals: Wimbourne Minster and Christchurch Priory | Page 4

VIII., says, "It is but of late
time that a dean and prebendaries were inducted into it." The deanery
was in the gift of the Crown, and we have a full list of the deans from
1224 up to 1547, when it was dissolved. The ecclesiastical
establishment consisted of a dean, four prebendaries, three vicars, four
deacons, and five singing men. It will not be needful to give any
detailed account of these, as most of them, though in many cases they
held other more dignified posts,[1] either together with the deanery or
after resigning it, are not men who have made their mark in English
history. A few only will here be mentioned, who on account of some
circumstances connected with the fabric, or for other reasons, are more
noteworthy.
[1] It is noteworthy that they all held some other preferment during the
time that they held the office of dean.
#Thomas de Bembre#, 1350-1361, founded a chantry and an altar in the
north part of the north transept, which was added at this time.
#Reginald Pole#, so well known in the history of the reigns of Henry
VIII. and Queen Mary, was Dean of Wimborne from 1517 till 1537. It
is remarkable that he was only seventeen years of age at the time of his
appointment.
He was succeeded by #Nicholas Wilson#, who held the office of dean
until the dissolution of the deanery in 1547. To him a curious letter still
existing was addressed in 1538 by certain leading men of the parish,
though nothing appears to have been done in consequence of it. These
worthy men complain of the dilapidated state of the church, the want of
funds to carry out needed repairs, and suggest the taking from the
church "seynt Cuthborow's hed," and "the sylv' y^t ys about the same
hed," which they claim as belonging to the parish on the ground that it

was made by the charity of the parishioners in times past. "Our
chyrche," they say, "ys in gret ruyn and decay and our toure ys
foundered and lyke to fall and ther ys no money left in [~o] chyrche
box and by reason of great infyrmyty and deth ther hath byn thys yere
in oure parysh no chyrche aele, the whych hath hyndred [~o] chyrch of
xx^ti nobles and above, and well it is knowen y^t we have no land but
onely the charity of good people, wherfor nyed constraynyth us to sell
the sylv' y^t is about the same hed. Besechynge yo^r mastership to
sertefy us by y^r tre wher we may sell the said sylv' to repayr [~o]
chyrche."[2]
[2] In an inventory made in the reign of Henry VIII. we find mentioned
an image of St Cuthberga, with a ring of gold, and two little crosses of
gold, with a book and staff in her hand. The head of the image of silver
with a crown on it of silver and gilt. On her apron a St James shell with
a buckle of silver and gilt.
The names of many of the other ecclesiastics connected with the church
are known: among these, we need only mention William Lorynge
canon, who in the time of Richard II. caused the great bell called the
Cuthborow bell to be made; and Simon Beneson, sacrist, who left land,
which is called Bell Acre, towards the maintenance and repair of the
bells.
Among other benefactors of the church was Margaret, Countess of
Richmond, mother of Henry VII., so well known at Cambridge under
the name of Lady Margaret, the foundress of Christ's and St John's
Colleges. She founded at Wimborne the original seminary connected
with the minster, which afterwards became by a charter of Elizabeth the
Grammar School of the town, and presented splendid vestments to the
church. July 9th was until the Reformation kept at the minster as a
festival to her memory, with a special office and High Mass.
When the deanery was abolished, Wimborne Minster became a Royal
Peculiar, under the administration of three priest-vicars elected by the
Corporation. These served each for a week in turn. The Corporation
had the power of appointing one of the three vicars--who was known as
the "Official"--to hold courts and grant licences. The court was held in

the western part of the north aisle, the Official presiding, seated at a
desk, the two other vicars sitting one on each side of him, while at a
long table sat the churchwardens, sidesmen, the vestry clerks, and the
apparitors.
The arrangement by which the vicars served the church each in turn
continued in force until 1876. At that time one of the three vicars
retired on a pension; another removed to the chapelry of Holt, three
miles from Wimborne (which had previously been served in turn by