[1585/12/39]¹

Act for repossession of ministers and masters of colleges and schools

²Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of his three estates convened in this present parliament, wills and grants and, for his highness and his successors, decrees and ordains that all ministers, masters of colleges and schools who departed out of this realm at any time within the space of three years past shall be restored and repossessed to their benefices, lands, livings, offices and possessions and to their goods and debts extant, to be possessed, enjoyed and occupied by them as before the troubles intervened, notwithstanding any acts or process led or made against them or dispositions made of that which pertained to them of before, which his highness wills and commands to have no force to their hindrance or prejudice; and ordains letters to be directed for their repossession in like manner as are granted for the noblemen and others, his highness's subjects, lately received to his majesty's favour and obedience, providing that the rents of the said colleges yet extant in the tenants' hands and on intromitting with before the last feast of Martinmas [11 November] during the said space, be conveyed fruitfully for pious uses and the commodity of the said colleges, by the sight and advice of the lords of his highness's exchequer; and ordains letters to be directed hereupon, if need be, in the appropriate form.