The battle of Shrewsbury was fought on the vigil or eve of St. Mary
Magdalene, Saturday, 21st July, 1403; and the place where it was fought
has ever since been called Battlefield. In gratitude for, and in
commemoration of this victory, the present church of Battlefield was
erected, and dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, and a college of secular
canons was formed to serve it. Its erection has often been ascribed to
Henry IV., but the real founder of the church was Roger Ive, priest, of
Leaton, rector of Fitz in 1399, and of Albright Hussey from 1398 to 1447,
and a staunch Lancastrian.
[Picture: Battlefield Church about 1750]
The site on which the church was built was given by Richard Hussey, Esq.,
of Albrighton Hussey, who on the 28th October, 1406, obtained license
from King Henry to assign to Roger Yve and John Gilberd, chaplains, in
frankalmoign, two acres of land in Albrighton Hussey, lying in a certain
field called Hayteleyfeld, in which a battle was fought between the king
and Henry Percy, lately his adversary deceased, to celebrate divine
service daily in a certain chapel there, to be by them newly built, for
the king’s salvation during his life, and after his death for his soul,
and for the souls of his progenitors and of those who were slain in the
battle and were there buried, and for the souls of all the faithful
departed.
The church was accordingly at once begun, and it seems to have been
completed, at least sufficiently for divine service to be performed, in
March, 1408–9, when the king, by letters patent, founded and established
the church into a perpetual chantry of eight chaplains, one of whom was
to be master; the said master and chaplains to be capable of acquiring
lands; and he further endowed the Chantry with the advowson of the church
of Michaellskirke, in Lancashire. In August, 1409, the receiver of
Tutbury was commanded to deliver a quantity of lead to cover the new
chapel. Before February, 1409–10, Roger Ive surrendered the land and
chapel into the hands of the king; from whom in March or May, 1410, he
received a new and fuller grant of the same, in which the said piece of
land is described as being enclosed by a ditch, and containing in length
and breadth two acres, together with two inlets and outlets, one
extending in length from Hadenallestone directly upon land of Richard
Hussey and the said piece of land, and containing in breadth 20 feet, and
the other in length from Harlascotelone directly upon land of the said
Richard, and containing in breadth 20 feet. The king established the
chapel of St. Mary Magdalene into a perpetual Chantry of six chaplains,
of which Roger Ive and his successors, rectors of the chapel of St. John
Baptist at Albright Hussey, were to be masters, and Richard Hussey and
his heirs patrons. He endowed it with the advowsons of Michaellskirke in
Lancashire, St. Andrew of Iddesale (or Shiffnall), and the free royal
chapel of St. Michael within the Castle Salop, to which the chapel of St.
Juliana of Salop was appurtenant or appendent. And he granted to Ive
freedom from tenths, fifteenths, subsidies, &c.; and that he and his
successors should have a fair at the Chantry each year on the feast of
St. Mary Magdalene. John Repynton had been warden of St. Michael’s with
St. Julian’s, but resigned these into the hands of King Henry V., in May
1417.
The above Charter of 27th March (or May) 1410, was practically the
Foundation Charter of the Chantry, and it was confirmed by Henry V. on
the 17th June, 1414, by Henry VI. on the 17th November, 1425, and by
Henry VII. on the 29th June, 1485. Ive himself received a general pardon
from Henry VI. in October 1424; and in December 1445 had license for
himself and his co-chaplains quietly to celebrate divine service without
fear of arrests, fines, amerciaments, &c.
Roger Ive’s will, which is dated 13th October, 1444, contains the
regulations and ordinances for the chantry or college. By it, he directs
his body to be buried in a stone tomb near the high altar. He bequeaths
to the five chaplains three chalices, a paxbrede, two cruets, three brass
bells hanging in the belfry, three crosses, and a number of books and
vestments. The chaplains were to dwell in the mansion already built
there, and were to dine and sup together, and not in their own rooms.
They were not to leave the college by night or by day without the
master’s leave, under a penalty of 3s. 4d. They were each to swear and
perform obedience to their master, and were to receive a stipend of eight
marcs a year apiece, and two more for praying at every mass for the
testator, and keeping his obit annually. They were to pray for the souls
of Henry IV. and V., founders of the college, of Richard Hussey, senior,
the first patron, and Isolda, his wife, of John Hussey, Richard Hussey
the father of Richard Hussey then living, and Thomas Hussey, of Roger
Ive, the first master and his parents, of William Howyke of Pountfret and
Sir Thomas Kyrkeby, chaplains, and for the souls of all the faithful
departed slain in the field of Battlefield, and there buried. Minute
directions are given as to the services to be performed. The alms from
indulgences granted to the college were to be expended about the building
and work of the belfry, and when this was finished, then for the
sustentation of the poor in the college, and repair of their alms house.
Besides the advowsons before mentioned, he leaves them the profits of the
Chapel of Dadele (Dawley), the town and grange of Aston, and the Chapel
of Forde.
We have not much information extant about the college during the 150
years of its existence.
In 1445, Roger Ive seems to have prosecuted before the barons of the
exchequer a claim to exemption from taxation in respect of all the
benefices belonging to the college. The Bishop of Hereford certified
that Ford was an appurtenance of St. Juliana, Salop. The parishioners of
Ford seem to have complained that the college neglected to provide for
divine service there; and the Lord Chancellor wrote a letter between 1440
and 1443 to the Bishop of Lichfield about this neglect, and desiring him
to remedy it, which is preserved in the Bishop’s Registers at Lichfield.
A few years later the college claimed all the tithes of Derfald, which
they alleged belonged to them as possessors of St. Michael’s. Long
before, however, in Henry II.’s reign, Haghmond Abbey had purchased a
portion of Derfald. Accordingly an agreement was come to in 1462 between
Haghmond Abbey and the college, by which the Abbey was to receive the
tithes of the grange and of all lands etc. of Derfald, between the great
close of Cowlande, and the great slade jointly to the wood of Pimbeley,
called Darrerisden.