14 - Archbishop George Abbot's articles for Bristol Cathedral, 1612. Collated with

Summary

Articles to be inquired of in the Cathedrall Church of Bristowe in the metropoliticall visitation of the most reverend father in God George by Gods permission Archbishopp of Canterbury and primate of all England, in the yeare of our Lord God 1612.

1. Of what number of persons doeth your cathedrall church stand.

2. Whether have you any lawes statuts or ordinances in your church, and by whome the same weare made.

3. Whether doeth every member of your church at his firste admission to the same sweare to observe such statuts and ordinances of the church soe farre as they concerne himself and are not contrary to the lawes of this land.

4. What other benefice or ecclesiasticall preferment hath the deane, archdeacon, prebendaries or other ecclesiasticall persons of the church beside theire roomes and places in the same.

5. Howe are the 42, 43 and 44 cannons for the residencie of the deane [and prebendaries], aswell in the said cathedrall church as uppon theire benefices [sic] and in the convocation anno 1604 and confirmed by his majestie under the great seale of England kepte and observed.

6. What tyme of residencie is every residensary in your church bounde unto, and whether doe not they dispence one with an other for their residency or some tyme thereof every yeare.

7. Whether be not all the residentiaries in your church many tymes absent at one tyme so that none is to bee seene in the church there for divers weeks togeither either to doe the service due to the churche or to keepe hospitallity there.

8. Whether doe they at the tyme of theire lyeinge there accordinge to theire statuts and the laudible customes of this church keepe hospitallitie there.

9. Whether there bee not a generall neglecte amonge the said cannons of comminge to eveninge prayer [on] Sondaies, holy daies and other weeke daies.

10. What extraordinary leases have you past within theise five yeares laste paste, and whether have you not entered into bonds and covenannts to make or renewe any lease hereafter whose terme is not yett expired, contrary to the true intent of the lawes and statutes of this lande. And what leases, covenannts and graunts have byn thus made, and to whome.