Richard Deane or Adean was the last priest of the Jesus chantry in the church (Kerry, Municipal Church of St Lawrence, p 33). Martin provides the additional information that, in Edward's reign, he was given a small regular wage by St Laurence's churchwardens for parochial duties, probably as the result of the chantry commissioners' anxiety about insufficient pastoral care being available in this crowded urban parish ('People of Reading,' p 333). He received a wage of 10s in 1547–8 (BRO: D/P 97/5/2, p 254; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 2, p 71) and a loan of £4 in 1549–50 in addition to his wage of 20s (BRO: D/P 97 5/2, p 261; Dils, St Laurence Churchwardens' Accounts, pt 2, p 79). By mid-1550, not long before the vicar, Sir John Mayneforth, died – perhaps earlier than this – Adean was designated curate. Queen Mary allowed him a yearly pension of £6 (Kerry, Municipal Church of St Lawrence, p 33). For a discussion of the situation with the clergy of St Laurence, see Historical Background.
Record title: St Laurence's
Churchwardens'
Accounts
Repository:
BRO
Shelfmark: D/P 97/5/2
Repository location: Reading
The churchwardens rendered their accounts on the feast of the Annunciation (25 March) until 1516 when they adopted the Michaelmas–Michaelmas pattern rendering their accounts on 29 September.
1498–1626; English; paper; 250 leaves; 330mm x 225mm; modern pagination; some display capitals; pp 1–2, 490–3 are separated but have been repaired and put separately in a brown paper wrapper; bound in boards covered in parchment, title on front cover: 'The Book of the | Church-Wardens Accounts | of the Parish | of | St Laurence.'