Fol. 2a: Books

OF ST. PETER MANCROFT, NORWICH. 187

The accompanying diagram shows the possible arrange-
ment of the lower vestry.

The keeping in it of so many valuables explains the
heavy grating of the vestry windows.

The inventory also mentions four other chests which
were not in the vestry. One stood "on the right hand
in the chappell of o^r lady w^t this lettre M." [for Mary],
and contained two massbooks. The other three were
severally in the chapels of St. John, the Trinity, and
St. Nicholas, and were marked accordingly "J," "T", and
"N." As each contained only the massbooks used in the
chapel, they could not have been of any size.

The text of the inventory is as follows:

Fol. 2a]. Antiphenares w^t dyv'se other bo[kes],
ffirst in the place accustomed on the lift hand of the }
dore at the first entre ^. one the nether shelfe }
one Antiphenar^? of the large volume garnished }
w^t blew silk and bottons of the same whos iij } [old English letter:] A
leife begynnyth (Dominica prima adventus) of }
s' Robt Cutler afs Sexten ¹ bryngyng in to the }
church, &c. and of s' Willm̃ bilhm̃ is gifte.² }

Itm. an Antipenar^? of a lese volume then the first
one the same shelfe whose iiij leife begynnyth }
(dominica prima adventus) garnished w^t blew } [old English letter:] B
silke & bottons of the same & w^t claspis of latten.

¹ Sir Robert Cutler alias Sexton was appointed chantry priest of Cosyn's
chantry in 1490.—Blomefield, iv. 202.
² Sir William Bilham or Byllern was appointed chantry priest at the
altar of Our Lady in 1487 (Blomefield, iv. 205). His successor was appointed
in 1513. Blomefield says (p. 214) : "1498. Will, Byllern, priest, gave a
whole set of vestments of blue velvet to the two copes, of 12l. value, and
his corporas case of blue cloth of gold tissue, with the corporas therein ready
hallowed, and an antiphonary of 12 marks, and many other books, and a
cross."

O 2