The Guild of Corpus Christi in the City of York

The religious guild of Corpus Christi was established at York in the year 1408 by certain "chaplains and other worthy parsons, both secular and regular," and dedicated "to the praise and honour of the most sacred body of our Lord Jesus Christ." The principal object of its founders appears to have been to promote the decorous observance of the religious festival of Corpus Christi, and to provide for the due performance of the ceremonies of the day. As a full and very interesting account of the celebration of this festival in York has already been given by Mr. Davies, it is unnecessary for me here to do more than quote his observation that "whilst under the management of the guild, it was conducted with all the pomp and splendour which the church was then capable of imparting to the solemnities and ceremonies of her ordinances." [p. v]

. . .

From this period until the Dissolution, no event of importance in the history of the Guild of Chorpus Christi is recorded in its Register, or in the municapal archives of the city of York. Before the close of the year 1545, the Act was passed by which the possessions of every college, free-chapel, chantry, hospital, fraternity, brotherhood, and guild in the kingdom were vested in the crown.  [p. xi]

. . .

Of the great popularity attained by the York guild of Corpus Christi, the register affords abundant proof. It contains the names of upwards of 16,850 persons who joined the farternity during its comparatively short existence of not quite a century and a half. Individuals of the highest rank, both ecclesiastical and civil, enrolled themselves as members. Among these were the archbishop of York, the bishops of Carlisle, Durham, Exeter and Hereford, the abbats of York, Fountains, Rievaulx, Selby and Whitby, the priors of Bridlington, Kirkham, Newburgh, Nostell and Watton; Richard, duke of Gloucester, afterwards king of England, his mother Cecily, duchess of York, Francis, viscount Lovel, the lords Clifford, Latimer and Scrope, and Sir Richard Bingham, Sir Thomas Fulthorpe and Sir Ralph Poole, justices of the King's Bench. [p. xii]

Robert H. Skaife, ed. (1872) The Register of the Guild of Corpus Christi in the City of York, Publications of the Surtees Society.

And Boyntons

1498

Hen. Boynton,e miles, et Isab. uxor ejus.

Dom. Agnes Ratclyffe.f

e Sir Henry Boynton, of Sedbury, co. York, son and heir of Sir Christopher Boynton, by Agnes, daughter of Henry, fourth lord Scrope, of Bolton. He married Isabella, daughter and heiress of Bertram Lumley, esq., of Ravensholme, co. Durham.

f The mother of the above Sir Henry Boynton. She married, to her second husband, Sir Richard Radcliffe, the favourite of king Richard III.
[p. 148]

1507

Edm. Boynton et uxor.

Per dom. Anton. mason.

[p. 165]

1512

Dom. Marg. Boynton.c

c Margaret, wife of Sir Robert Boynton, of Barmston, and daughter and co-heiress of Sir Martin de la See. Will dated 2nd September 1533 [Pro. 21st November, 1536].
[p. 178]

1513

Will. Boynton et uxor.
[p. 181]