Snippets By Paul Heley
Fraternity members - Carved figures in the Church rafters
The result was an incredible engineering undertaking for the time when the complete roof was lowered by removing the upper level of the building. The cost must have been enormous and was met, in full, by the fraternity - a most generous (and some might say, most pious) act. But, amazingly, there was money left over in the kitty thereby underlining how incredibly wealthy the fraternity must have been. Within the new roof, carved figures can be seen in the rafters. These, it is assumed, depict some of the fraternity committee at the time together with the chaplain and a token schoolboy. (See images above) Although the fraternity undoubtedly fulfilled its mission to do “good work” within the community they didn’t forget themselves either, and had an annual celebratory feast where no expense was spared. There is a record of such a feast in 1527 catering for just over 130 people (members, wives, families and friends) who enjoyed a mind (and stomach) blowing meal. Peripheral details and costs were 1/6d to the baker ; 4/0d to the brewer (using 29/0d worth of malt) ; an extra 7 barrels of beer at 1/10d per barrel. One man was paid 4d for “the watching of ye mette” and others were employed as “turners of ye spytt” ; 14 forms were made costing 1/6d (ie just over 1d each!) ; 11 dozen spoons, 12 dozen trenchers were bought and 26 dozen pewter mugs were hired ; a man and his wife were paid 10d to do the washing up and ostlers were paid 6d a day over 4 days (24d = a lot of money). The banquet itself consisted of :- trout and fresh salmon; 91 geese at 3d each; 64 capons at 2.5d; 84 chickens (2d); 84 rabbits (1.5d); many joints of “red 32 www.thevinedirectory.co.uk
Chaplain
School Boy
meat” costing more than £1; 20 lambs at 1/4d each. This means that more than 200 animals plus joints of meat were consumed by 130 people. Just imagine getting through that lot! There was also 3lb of pepper costing £2 - 11 – 0 (spices were very expensive in those days) but vegetables were ignored since they were for poorer folk only (no five-a-day then!). Similarly, milk was regarded as being only for the poor yet the accounts include 19 gallons of milk used in the making of milk jellies and egg custards. In addition there were several large suet puddings stuffed with raisins and sultanas - medieval Spotted Dick! To wash it all down there was milk, cream, eggs and honey which were heated and flavoured with mace and almonds. The final course (if they were still peckish!) consisted of raisins, liquorice, prunes, almonds and sweetmeats. Quite a feast! The total cost was £20 – 7s - 0d, but £39 – 2s - 3d was collected afterwards in a charitable “whip round” implying that the members must have been very wealthy, very generous (and, most likely, very fat!) In conclusion, the Dunstable fraternity definitely benefitted the town in a number of ways for more than a century. But there’s always the nagging doubt that they might have wanted to be seen to be doing good work and to earn “Brownie points” for their future passage through purgatory. A cynical view, perhaps, but when one appreciates the medieval mindset regarding the terrifying distinction between heaven and hell, then maybe such an ungenerous thought, however unpalatable, is allowed.
