Richard Pomeroy, Wells Cathedral (-1460-1537-)

Wells Cathedral Choir Today

 Plainchant 

Richard Pomeroy of Wells Cathedral: On record at Wells Cathedral between 1477 - 1537

 Vicars Choral: Keeper of the Fabric

"Canon of Wells Cathedral, Keeper of the Fabric, considerable benefactor, undifferenced coat of arms of the head of the Pomeroy family at Berry Pomeroy, but his place in the pedigree remains to be acertained...."

Richard Pomery of Wells was of record at Wells Cathedral as early as 1477.

1477—Deed poll. Stephen Morpath and John Spekyngton, canons of Wells, William Northam and Thomas Chewe, lately deceased, and Richard Hochyns and John Combe, vicars of the cathedral church, Salutem in domino sempiternam. Huchyns and Combe, as feoffees of the lands and tenements, etc., of John Waryn, sometime canon, enfeoff Masters John Rich and John Austell, canons residentiary, John Manyman, Andrew Grantham, John Toker, John Bawdon, John Aleyn, Richard Pomerey and John Warder, vicars perpetual, their heirs and assigns, in all the lands and tenements of the above John Waryn, in the borough and parish of Wells, Witnesses: Master William Witham, dean, Masters Walter Osborn and Thomas Mersh, canons, [and others]. Dated, 26 July, 7 Edw. IV.

1488: Voted master of the fabric, taking the accustomed oath. Collation: Pomeroy  To the third chantry at the altar of St. Mary Magdalene,  worth 30s., of the sub-dean's collation: Divided this year between John Menyman and Pomerey.

To the chantry at the altar of St. Saviour, of the archdeacon of Taunton's collation, by proctor: Pomerey.

1489:Called “perpetual vicar.” 1489, St. Jerome's day, Sept. 30.—Collation to the priories, chantries. Same as 1488. 

1493: Vicar-Choral: clerk: signs leases of Cathedral land. Received 6 silver spoons and 20s., and sole executor of will of Andrew Grantham, vicar-choral and in priestly orders. 

1495: “Richard Pommery, vicar-choral, 6 silver spoons and 20 s. and he sole executor of the will of Andrew Granuntham, vicar-choral and in prestly order.

1498: Richard Pomerey, clerk, vicars-choral and principal of the New Close

1501-2: principal of the New Close of Vicars.  Seal I R in monogram. 

1505: Richard Pomeroy, Keeper of the Fabric at Wells

1519: Richard Pomeroy and others: Feoffees of the lands and tenements of John Waryn, formerly canon of Wells to new canons resident of Wells. 

1519: Richard Pomerey and others: power of attorney of lands and tenements of John Waryn of Wells to deliver seisin of same to John Berkham and others. 

1537: et pro Exequiis (for funeral of.) Ricardi Pomray, 5s; and for the refreshment of the Vicars in the Common Hall  3s 4d.

Also, to the Choristers of the Church for one Antiphon sung on the Feast of the Exaltacion of Holy Cross for the soul of the said Pomray 3s. 4d. 

1557: Grant by John Smyth and others to Thomas Fudge and others, all messuages, lands etc in Prestleigh in parish of Dultynge, Somerset, which were the gift of Richard Pomeroye and Thomas Farre.  

Powley does not mention him at all. 

Nor does he appear in any of the “Visitations."  

The Vicar's Close: The Close owes its origins to a grant of land and buildings by Walter de Hulle, a canon of the cathedral, for the purpose of accommodating thirteen chantry priests.  Bishop Jocelin styled these priests the Vicars Choral, their duty being to chant divine service eight times a day.  Previously they had lived throughout the town, and Bishop Ralph resolved to incorporate them and provide subsistence for the future. The Vicars Choral were assigned annuities from his lands and tenements in Congresbury and Wookey, an annual fee from the vicarage of Chew, and endowed them with lands obtained from the Feoffees of Walter de Hulle. The residences he built became known as the College, or Close of the Vicars.(see wikipedia for more information and photos.)

Wells Cathedral: Its Foundation, Constitutional History, and Statutes

 edited by Herbert Edward Reynolds

Book II. Chapter IV.

The building of Close Hall for the Vicars Choral:

“Several other Benefactors have they had, some giving windows, both in their chapell and Hall, some painting and adorning them; Among many of this kind I find one more eminent than the rest, naely Richard Pomray, whose name is up in several places about the College, in the Windows in the Hall, and especially on *(oer) the Manteltree of the Chimney there, where are these words in a waved scroll and ancient Charactions:

In vris precib habeat; commendation Dum Ricum Pomray, Quem salvent Jesus, Amen. 

What the obligations were from this person to the College, that should deserve such particular Commenorations I cannot find, but doubtless he was a Benefactor of more than ordinary note, and besides the rent of xiiii which I find charged in the rEceiver’s Accompt as his gift, I suppose him by these many public Remembrances of him to have done some remarkable things in or towards the building or adorning of this new College or Close Hall.

That this Pomeray was of a most judicious, or trustworthy, or energetic character there can be no doubt from a perusal of the Schedule of Collations in the Chantries and Appointments of Capitular officers, where we find him for many years consecutively elected Master of the Fabric, and on one occasion treated with Great leniency, although he had committed so serious an offence a to take down the great Bell in the South Tower and have it recat without the sanction fo the Dean and Chapter.

In the preface of the book:

An account: Headed Novus Clausus Vicariorum Wellen rendered by Andrew Thorne from Michaelmas anno 27 Henry I to 28.

(1537-1538) 

et pro Exequiis (for funeral of.) Ricardi Pomray, 5s; and for the refreshment of the Vicars in the Common Hall  3s 4d.

Also, to the Choristers of the Church for one Antiphon sung on the Feast of the Exaltacion of Holy Cross for the soul of the said Pomray 3s. 4d.