a benefice with his mastership, before one be appropriated to it, he shall not receive his stipend of 50s. per annum, over and above the benefit of the church of Rushworth, as he usually did before this license. The petition to obtain this sets forth; that the college was founded by Sir Edmund Gunvyle, late rector, the rectory being turned into a collegiate church, for a custos, or master, and five brethren chaplains, to pray for him, his ancestors, successours, and benefactors, which master was to have the cure of souls, and the benefit of the church there, and that he designed to endow it much better, but died in the meantime. The Bishop consented to this license, and in 1414, this Alexander was presented to the rectory of Lerling by the fellows, and held it with his mastership to his death; yet notwithstanding the Pope's bull, and the King's license upon it, they could never get their rectory of Lerling appropriated to them, as they designed.
- 1421, Edmund Cooper elected.
- 1436, 16 July, Tho. Sigo, fellow, elected on Cooper's resignation, by Tho. Halyday and Rob. Fen, fellows.
- 1443, 13 July, Rob. Crask, chaplain.
- 1443, 27 Sept. Crask resigned, John Wurlych, priest, elected.
- 1444, 29 April, he resigned, and Edmund Coupere, bachelor of the decrees of St. John's College, Cambridge, was elected, (the same man, I take it, that resigned in 1436.)
- 1446, 9 June, Ralph Beauford, on Coupere's resignation.
- 1450, at Beauford's death, Lawrence Gerard, priest, elected.
These last five, were elected by Tho. Halyday, J. Kaye, and John Barker, chaplains and fellows.
- 1472, 27 Feb. Gerard resigned, and Hen. Costesey was chosen. Will. Halday and John Maynard, fellows. This Costesey, Cosse, or Cossa, was also rector of Banham and Wilby, of all which he died possessed in
- 1483, in which year, Aug. 18, John Bulman, priest, was elected, by Halyday, Maynard, and John Kellyng, fellows.
- 1488, Bulman resigned, and they elected John Bandys, A. M.
- 1508, John Brenneys (or Bandys) died, and
- John Purpett, fellow, was chosen master.
- 1526, 22 Aug. the Bishop collated Edward Anson, priest, to a fellowship, it having been void above six months.
- 1529, 17 July, George Windham, A. M. archdeacon of Norwich, was elected master, at Purpett's resignation, who was the last master, it being dissolved in his time; he continued archdeacon till 1543.
The site of this college, with all its revenues thereto belonging, sc. the impropriation, college manor in Rushworth, Lerling manor and advowson, and a manor in Elden in Suffolk, were granted to the Earl of Surrey, to be held in capite by Knight's service. In 1545, Henry Earl of Surrey, by the King's license, aliened a manor in Elveden, and two manors in Rushworth, one in Suffolk, and the other in Norfolk, together with the site of the college, and the impropriate rectory, with the other revenues of that college, in Fakenham, Thetford, Weston, and Schadewell, to Thomas Duke of Norfolk, by whose attainder they fell again to the Crown, where they continued till King Edward VI. in 1550, granted Rushworth
