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Rings in Ecclesiastical Usages: Harris

In a very interesting paper by Mr. Harrod, F.S.A., in the 'Archæologia' (vol. xl. part 2) we have particulars of the custom, which prevailed in the Middle Ages, of widows taking a vow of chastity, and receiving a particular robe and ring. Sir Harris Nicolas printed in the 'Testamenta Vetusta' an abstract of the will of Lady Alice West, of Hinton Marcel, widow of Sir Thomas West, dated in 1395, and proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. There is a bequest to her son Thomas, amongst other things of 'a ring with which I was yspoused to God.' Sir Harris rightly says that this could not have been her R marriage-ring, and it was certain she had not entered a convent. This is still more clearly made out by a reference to the transcript of the will in the registers of the Prerogative Court.

Gough, in his 'Sepulchral Monuments,' quotes a story, from Matthew Paris, of one Cecily Sandford, a lady of condition, who, on her deathbed, having passed through the usual forms with her confessor, and he ordering her attendants to take off a gold ring he observed on her finger, although just expiring, recovered herself enough to tell them she would never part with it, as she intended carrying it to heaven with her into the presence of her celestial spouse, in testimony of her constant observance of her vow, and to receive the promised reward. She had, it appears, made a vow of perpetual widowhood, and with her wedding-ring assumed the russet habit, the usual sign of such a resolution. 'In the "Colchester Chronicle," portions of which are printed in Cromwell's "History of Colchester," one entry appears to confirm the conjecture that the whole was composed in the fourteenth or fifteenth century, "Anno Dni ccciij. Helena mortuo Constancio perpetuam vovit viduitatem." ‘By the testament of Katharine Rippelingham, dated February 8, 1473, who calls herself "advowes," she desires to be buried in the church of Baynardes Castell of London, where she was a parishioner; and by her will, in which she gives herself the title of " widow advowes," she shows herself in the full exercise of her rights of property, devising estates, carrying out awards, and adjusting family differences, and in an undated codicil she bequeaths to her daughter's daughter, Alice Saint John, "her gold ring with a diamante sette therein, wherewith she was 'sacred.'", 'Sir Gilbert Denys, Knight of Syston, 1422: "If Margaret my wife will after my death vow a vow of chastity, I give her all my moveable goods, she paying my debts and providing for my children; and, if she will not vow a vow of chastity, I desire that my goods may be distributed, or divided into three equal parts, &c.' 'John Brakenbury, in 1487, leaves his mother certain real estate, "with that condicion that she never mary, the which she promised afore the parson and the parish of Thymmylbe, and if she kepe not that promise, I will she be content with that which was my fader's will, which she had every peny.' 'William Herbert, knight, Lord Pembroke, in his will dated July 27, 1469, thus appeals to his wife: "And, wife, that you remember your promise to take the order of widowhood, so ye may be the better maistres of your owen, to perform my will, and to help my children, as I love and trust you." 'William Edlington, esquire, of Castle Carlton, on June 11, 1466, states in his will: "I make Christian, my wife, my executor on this condicion, that she take the mantle and the ring soon after my decease ; and, if case be that she will not take the mantle and the ring, I will that William, my son (and other persons therein named) be my executors, and she to have a third part of all my goods moveable.' 'Lady Joan Danvers in 1453, gives the ring of her profession of widowhood to the image of the crucifix, near the north door of St. Paul's. "Lady Margaret Davy, widow, in 1489, leaves her profession-ring to "Our Lady of Walsingham."' Gough prints the Act of Court from the Ely Registers, on the taking the vow by Isabella, Countess of Suffolk, in 1382. This took place at the priory of Campsey, in the R2 presence of the Earl of Warwick, the Lords Willoughby, Scales, and others. The vow was as follows: 'Jeo Isabella, jadys la femme William de Ufford, Count de Suffolk, vowe à Dieu, &c., en presence de tres reverentz piers en Dieu evesques de Ely et de Norwiz, qe jeo doi estre chaste d'ors en avant ma vie durante.' And the Bishop of Ely, with authority of the Bishop of Norwich (in whose diocese Campsey was) received and admitted the same, 'et mantellum sive clamidem ac annulum dicte voventis solempniter benedixit et imposuit super eam.' Catherine, sixth daughter of Henry the Fourth, married to William Courtenay, Earl of Devon, on the death of her husband, took the vow of perpetual widowhood in 1511. Dugdale, in his 'History of Warwickshire' and in his 'Baronage,' prints a licence from John, Bishop of Lichfield, to one N. N. to administer the vow of chastity to Margery, wife of Richard Middlemore, who died 15th of Henry the Seventh, which contains this passage: 'In signum hujusmodi continentiæ et castitatis promisso perpetuo servando eandem Margeriam velandam seu peplandam habitumque viduitatis hujusmodi viduis, ut præfertur, ad castitatis professionem dari et uti consuetum cum unico annulo assignandum.' Legacies and gifts of rings for religious purposes were frequent in former times; thus, amongst other rich gifts to the Cathedral of Canterbury, Archbishop Hubert, in 1205, presented four gold rings adorned with precious stones. Henry the Third, while on a visit to St. Alban's Abbey, made some costly presents, including bracelets and rings, and five years afterwards gave similar gifts at another visit to the same abbey. 6 The same monarch, among other gifts to Salisbury Cathedral, offered one gold ring with a precious stone called a ruby.' After hearing mass he told the dean that he would have the stone and the gold applied to adorn a sumptuous gold 'text' (a Bible for the use of the altar) enriched with precious stones given by Hubert de Burgh. Dugdale mentions in a list of jewels formerly in the treasury of York Cathedral 'a small mitre, set with stones, for the bishop of the boys, or, as he was anciently called, the barne bishop; also a pastoral staff and ring for the same.' The Bishop of Ardfert, in Ireland, gave to St. Alban's 'three noble rings; one set with an oriental sapphire, the second with a sapphire that possessed some medicinal quality, and was formed like a shield, and the other with a sapphire of less size.' Henry de Blois presented to the same abbey a large ring set with jewels; the middle one was a sapphire of a faint colour, and in the circuit four pearls and four garnets. John of St. Alban's, a knight, left as a legacy to the monks of the abbey 'a number of rings containing many precious stones.' At the death of Walter, Abbot of Peterborough, among his effects, containing many rich articles, were no less than thirty gold rings, the offerings of the faithful.