will visit personally or by
commission to inquire into matters and set things in order. The Abbot
died in 1484, but his successor was not appointed until 1492.

37. #Thomas Ramryge# (1492- ). No details of events during the rule of
this Abbot exist, nor is the date of his death known.

38. #Thomas Wolsey# (1521-1529). This great cardinal was invested with
the temporalities on December 7th, 1521, and held the Abbey "in
commendam." There is no record of his ever having resided in the Abbey,
but he probably put a stop to the printing which had been carried on in
the Abbey from 1480 onwards. He also made a gift of plate to the Abbey.
He held the office of Abbot until his disgrace in 1529.

39. #Robert Catton# (1530-1538). This Abbot was really appointed by
Henry VIII., but was nominally elected by the chapter. He had been Prior
of Norwich. The Abbey printing press was again in use in his time. He
seems to have been deprived during his lifetime, for what reason we
cannot say.

40. #Robert Boreman of Stevenage# (1538-1539). This Abbot was a nominee
of the King, and was chosen by him because Henry knew that he would be
willing to surrender the Abbey. This he did on December 5th, 1539. It
was part of the policy of Henry VIII. to make it appear that the
monasteries were _voluntarily_ surrendered by the abbot and chapter, and
it was generally made worth their while to do so by a liberal pension.
In some cases the abbots refused, among them the last Abbot of
Glastonbury, who paid dearly for his refusal, as he was hanged on a hill
commanding a view of the possessions of the Abbey, which not being his
to part with he had refused to surrender, though, of course, the nominal
charge against him was not the real one. Abbot Boreman, however, made no
objection, and received a yearly pension of L266 13s. 4d., so was a rich
man for the rest of his days. Pensions of varying amounts were given to
his monks. Boreman and twenty of the monks were in receipt of them when
Mary came to the throne. Mary wished to revive the Abbey and put Boreman
over it, but did not live to carry out her intended plan. The monastic
buildings very rapidly disappeared; the church became parochial, and has
been served by the following sixteen rectors:

George Wetherhall, appointed 1553.
Archdeacon William East.
Archdeacon James Dugdale, 1556.
Edward Edgeworth, 1578.
Roger Williams,