ASSENT by the Jcr and council to a petition to found a guild in honour of St Anne in the church of St Peter, Drogheda:
To Richard [Talbot], abp Dublin, Jcr, and council of Ire. Petition of John [Swayne], abp Armagh, primate of Ire., Esmond White, William Hasty, Nichol Alexandre clerks, Peter Clinton, John Tayllour, John Fynglass, John Palmer, Richard Palmer, Richard White of Kylmone, and Robert Brou’ that to the honour of God, Our Lady and St Anne, [etc.], licence may be given to them for the K. and his heirs that they or those of them who survive may found a guild of St Anne, [etc.], in a chapel of St Anne newly built by the archbishop and annexed to the chancel of St Peter’s church, Drogheda, towards the north, of themselves and other persons, both men and women, honest and suitable, wishing to be of good will to them, enrol (enhereder), retain, admit and accept them as brothers and sisters of the fraternity or guild and that the brothers of the fraternity or guild so (issint) founded, commenced, begun and made [may elect] from themselves a master and two wardens each year to the rule, governance and surveillance of the fraternity or guild, for the guard of all the lands, tenements, rents, services, churches, advowsons or possessions, goods and chattels, that they in the future, for the fraternity or guild, purchase, give, grant, or assign, or to the fraternity or guild belonging avondreit and [according] to the rules, [&c.] of the fraternity or guild in the town and suburbs of the same have, and that the masters and wardens, by advice of the most worthy vaillants of their brothers, have full power that they may ether order and successfully constitute other masters and wardens from year to year for the rule [etc.], of the fraternity and for the guard of the lands [etc.], in said form to have, and that they and each of them from time to time, when he shall be master [have power] to remove from their offices, and exonerate them, and put or substitute others in their places as shall be expedient, and may have and exercise a common seal to serve the needs and affairs relating to the fraternity or guild, which seal remains under the guard of the master and wardens, and also that the master and wardens and their successors may plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, [&c.] for the lands, rents [etc.], in whatever actions, causes, quarrels and demands, both real and personal, and mixed, of whatever nature they may be, for the name of the master and wardens before whatsoever judges, of holy church or secular, and that the master, wardens and brothers of the fraternity or guild may assemble at suitable and necessary places and time, a tant de forts (as many times) and when it will become espleit for them to treat, agree and commune (coer) but between […] (so) themselves together, to have counsel and advice for the estate and good governance of the fraternity or guild and of the brothers and sisters and their successors and make lawful and honourable ordinances for the good governance of the fraternity or guild from year to year and from time to time, when there shall be need or necessity, according to the discretion of the master, wardens and brothers and their successors for ever.
And further licence is asked that the supplicants and their survivors, to the honour of God [etc.] may make, ordain, establish, according to their discretion, or ordinance, and provision, a perpetual chantry of two chaplains or more according to the ordinance, disposition and establishment of the master, wardens and brothers to celebrate divine service each day in the chapel of St Anne perpetually for the estate of the K. and his heirs, and the souls of their ancestors, and also for the estate of the supplicants, and for their souls, and the souls of the ancestors and benefactors, and also for the estate of the brothers and sisters of the fraternity or guild and their successors, and their souls after their death, and the masters, wardens, brothers and their successors may assemble in the places and times necessary when it shall seem to them best to do, to treat and ordain for the chantry according to the ordinances in this part to be made.
And further licence is asked for the masters, wardens and brothers and their successors to purchase lands, tenements, rents, services and advowsons of churches or chapels, as well in demesne and fee as in reversion, with the appurtenances, to the value of £20 p.a., beyond charges and reprises thereof, whether they be held of the K. in chief or of others, to have and to hold to them and their successors, for ever from the chief lords of the fees for the services thereof due and of right accustomed, as well in amendment of the estate of the fraternity or guild, as to find, support and sustain the charges of the chantry and to do perpetually other works of piety for the estates and souls of the supplicants [etc.], the statute of mortmain or any other statutes and ordinances before these hours to the contrary thereof made notwithstanding, and that the master, wardens and brothers or their successors and none of them, because of the statutes be prevented therein, molested, [etc.] by the K., his heirs, ministers or officers whatsoever in time to come, and this for God and in work of charity.
