Another practice revealed by these old accounts was that of people coming to stop at the convent for the celebration of some of the greater feasts. Thus for one "All Saints' Day," Mary de Ecton, Joan Villiers, and the two daughters of Robert Neville were lodged and entertained by the nuns. These visitors eventually made an offering for the hospitality shown them; as, for instance, on this very occasion each of the Neville ladies paid 5_s._ and Joan Villiers 6_s._ 8_d._ The last-named lady was at Grace Dieu no less than four several times in the year 1418, and each time left behind a similar offering. At another time Giles Jurdon paid 7_s._ for the board of his daughter during the week of Pentecost, when she probably came to visit her sister, who, known as Dame Elizabeth, was a nun in the convent. Roger Roby also, who was apparently the father of Dame Alice, was entertained by the nuns twice in the year 1416, and gave an alms of 6_s._ 8_d._ at one visit and 13_s._ 4_d._ at the other.
It may be of interest to give a list of the nuns at this time living in Grace Dieu. They were fourteen in number, exclusive of the prioress, and their names were:--
Dame Margaret Kempston, prioress. Dame Alice Mortimer, sub-prioress. Dame Margaret Twyford. Dame Philippa Jake. Dame Alice Dunwich. Dame Katherine Midelton. Dame Anne de Norton. Dame Alice Roby. Dame Margery Witham. Dame Katherine Pounce. Dame Alice Prestwold. Dame Elizabeth Jurdon (originally put 3rd). Dame Petronilla Dunwich (originally put 5th). Dame Elizabeth Hakulthorp. Dame Alice Powtrell or Pouncstrell.
The spiritual needs of this community were, of course, ministered to by a chaplain. He is generally called "Sir William," but on one occasion he appears as "Sir William Granger, or Norwich." He was paid 38_s._ 4_d._ a year as his stipend, and this was to include 6_d._ as the price of a pair of gloves. On certain occasions, as on the greater feasts, Sir William had other clerical help, such as that of "Henry the Chaplain," and the "Parson of Hatherun." It is not uninteresting to notice that the nuns' little present for the services of these reverend gentlemen was, it would seem, delicately handed to them in purses purchased for the purpose. They had also the ministration of an "extraordinary" confessor, a certain Friar William Young, and to him was given 1_s._ 8_d._ for the expenses of his journey each time he came to the convent. Something additional was, of course, bestowed on him when, as in 1418, he remained to help in the Holy-Week services. At times, not very frequently, "my Lady," the prioress, entertained the clergy at a little simple banquet; she did not merely provide for them, for that, of course, the convent always did with true hospitality; but she dined with them. Dame Petronilla does not say, when they "dined with my Lady," but when "my Lady dined with them," as, for example, when she notes on the Sunday within the octave of our Lady's Assumption in the year 1416: "a sucking-pig for the table of my Lady, because to-day she dined with the Vicar."