A leaf from the portress's day-book at S. Anne in Brewode
The day-book of the portress at S. Anne in Brewode, kept in the porter's lodge against the wall by the wicket. Late entries set down at compline, in dame Phelippa Whyte's hand: visitors of the day, with the businesses and houres. The leaf for the xvij of April, 30 Henry VIII — Wedensday in the holy weke.
xvij Aprilis, Feria iiij ante Pasche —
ad matutinas. Nothinge of remarke. One boye of Iohn Hyll cometh for the milk; sent away with iij d.
betwene terce & sext. Master Tho. Maukyn, by appointment, to the prioresse for the rent of the lower close. He departed by the side-gate, contented.
at none. The prioresse her selfe to the gate, of her own person, the wch I have not in my booke this twelvemoneth. She brought to me a folded matter, the bignesse of an open hand, swadled in linen, tyed about with priorie cord, signed with no signet but pinned with a pin wch she tooke from her own wimple. She bade me give it to him at the gate who shoulde aske ferst what the wether was. He came at vespers.
at vespers, as sayd. A man of mydlinge stature, in a horseman's cloke, no badge, his belt for a sworde but the sworde was not on him. He had a markt to the lefte cheeke as of a brennynge of long agoe. He asked ferst what the wether had been. I sayd as I was bid: the wynde hath beene easte all the daye. He sayd nothinge, but receaved the folded matter from my hand & put it under his cloke. I asked his name. He answered, they call me what they will at the gates I am sent to. He payd no money. He took no bread. Departed by the great gate.
at compline. The prioresse to the gate again, of her own person, wch is two tymes in one daye. She asked if it was gone. I sayd, yt is gone, mistresse. She crossed her selfe.
Set into the leaf at the foot, in a hand other than the portress's: viz., the prioresse's own —
Phelippa, daughter — if anie aske after this dayes businesse, thou knowest nothinge & I know nothinge. The wynde was easte; that wch was sent is in the keepinge of those it shoulde keepe. Forgive me thee imposition of compline.
— C.
And at the head of the leaf, in pencil, very late — perhaps the same hand as the pencil in the rekenynge of the Boare's Hed —
S. Anne in Brewode, dissolved xxxj Henry VIII. Portresse's hand identified by R. de C. as that of Phelippa Whyte, of Whyte of Pencridge, who appears upon the pension list of the late priory of S. Anne, in receipt of xls. yearlie to her decease, P.R.O. E 315 / 91, fol. xij^r. The prioresse's note above was found folded behind the leaf at the time of the binding, and is here transferred to its proper place. The man with the markt is in three doors now and no name; I have looked, and looked again, and the gates are silent.