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The Chapel was an ancient part of the establishment of the Household, traceable far back into the twelfth century.[1] Up to the end of the fourteenth, we hear only of chaplains and clerks. These were respectively priests and laymen, and the principal chaplain came to bear the title of Dean.[2] Children of the Chapel first appear under Henry IV, who appointed a chaplain to act as Master of Grammar for them in 1401.[3] In 1420 comes the first of a series of royal commissions authorizing the impressment of boys for the Chapel service, and in 1444 the first appointment of a Master of the Children, John Plummer, by patent.[4] It is probably to the known tastes of Henry VI that the high level of musical accomplishment, which had been reached by the singers of the Chapel during the next reign was due.[5] The status and duties of the Chapel are set out with full detail in the Liber Niger about 1478, at which date the establishment consisted of a Dean, six Chaplains, twenty Clerks, two Yeomen or Epistolers, and eight Children. These were instructed by a Master of Song, chosen by the Dean from 'the seyd felyshipp of Chapell', and a Master of Grammar, whose services were also available for the royal Henchmen.[6] There is no further record of the Master of Grammar; but with this exception the establishment continued to exist on much the same footing, apart from

  1. ↑ Constitutio Domus Regis (c. 1135) in Hearne, Liber Niger Scaccarii, i. 342, 'Capellani, custos capellae et reliquiarum. Corridium duorum hominum, et quatuor servientes capellae unusquisque duplicem cibum, et duo summarii capellae unusquisque 1^d in die et 1^d ad ferrandum in mense'; cf. R. O. Ld. Steward's Misc. 298 (1279); Tout, 278, 311 (1318); H. O. 3, 10 (1344-8); Life Records of Chaucer (Chaucer Soc.), iv. 171 (1369); Nicolas, P. C. vi. 223 (1454).
  2. ↑ H. O. 10. In 1318 he was 'chief chapellain'.
  3. ↑ J. H. Wylie, Henry IV, iv. 208, from Household Accounts, 'John Bugby our chaplain retained 3 years ago pur apprendre et enformer les enfants de notre chapelle en la science de gramaire at 100/- p. a. nothing yet paid, £15 due'. A grant to John Tilbery, a boy of the King's chapel, was made on 12 Nov. 1405 (C. P. R., Hen. IV, iii. 96).
  4. ↑ Wallace, i. 12, 21, from P. R. The commission of 1420 was to John Pyamour 'uni clericorum Capellae hospicii nostri'; another of 1440 was to John Croucher, Dean. When regular Masters were instituted, the commissions seem to have been made direct to them.
  5. ↑ Wallace, i. 14, quotes laudatory accounts of the singing of the chapel by two members of the suite of Leo von Rožmital, a Bohemian who visited the English Court in 1466.
  6. ↑ H. O. 49. There is nothing about plays, but 'Memorandum, that the King hathe a songe before hym in his hall or chambre uppon All-hallowen day at the latter graces, by some of these clerkes and children of chappel in remembrance of Christmasse; and soe of men and children in Christmasse thorowoute. But after the songe on All-hallowen day is done, the Steward and Thesaurere of houshold shall be warned where it liketh the King to kepe his Christmasse'.
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