1357-05-03, Westminster

To John de Wesenham, guardian and fermor of the temporalities of the bishopric of Ely, in the king's hand. Order to pay to the sacristan of Ely 10/. 18s. 4d. to find wax candles, for the present year, as has been done by other guardians in times of a vacancy, as at the petition of the prior of Ely, asserting that William, sometime bishop of Ely, had granted by charter to the church of Ely and to the monks serving God and St. Etheldreda there, one sheaf of corn of each acre of land in his demesne in all his manors, to be received every year towards finding three sufficient wax candles to burn perpetually in the church of Ely, two before the body of St. Etheldreda and the third in the choir, and King Richard by charter confirmed that grant, and the sheaves or the price thereof were paid from the time of the grant, as well by the bishops as by the kings in times of a vacancy of the bishopric, the king ordered the treasurer and barons of the exchequer to view the accounts of the guardians of the temporalities of the bishopric in times of vacancies touching the said rents and to certify the king thereupon, and by their return it is found that in the 28th year of Edward I, in the account of William de Sutton and John Godle, guardians of the temporalities of the bishopric void by the death of William de Luda, the late bishop, from 28th March in the 26th year of that reign until 14 October in the 27th year, 101. 13s. 4d. were allowed to the guardians, as paid to the sacristan of Ely of a certain rent of the said bishopric called candelcorn, for the maintenance of three wax candles continually burning in the church of Ely for a year, at Michaelmas term, and in the 38rd year of the same king's reign, in the account of Robert Hereward and John de Ditton, guardians of the temporalities of the bishopric void by the death of Ralph de Walpol, from 18 July in the 30th year of that reign until 4 February in the 31st year 10/. 13s. 4d. were allowed to those guardians as paid to the sacristan of Ely for a year at Michaelmas term.