William Wykeham and the Seal of Merton

In 1387, William Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, visited Merton.  He wrote a lengthy set of injunctions, causing much protest from the Prior.  They accused the canons of keeping hunting dogs, of persons of both sexes from outside the convent wandering about where they shouldn't, and so on.  Since there are other copies of these injunctions, it seems that his monitions were generic, so we can't use it necessarily as evidence of Merton's backsliding.

One of his chapters is on the seal:

'Also, we will and order that your common seal be kept under five common locks at the least, of which one shall be kept by the Prior, the second by seal the Sub-prior, the third by the Precentor, and the other two by other Confraters named for the purpose ; prohibiting under pain of the greater excommunication anything being sealed with it, except sealed letters, unless in the presence and with the knowledge of the greater part and the wiser of the whole Convent, and that it be done with the general consent.  Any one doing to the contrary to be punished by fasting on bread and water for six ferial days in the month next following.'

Locksmiths tend to be a bit sniffy about medieval locks - they are quite pickable.  (When I've got a proper job again, I'm going to treat myself to some pick-locks.  I do think that they should teach you that at school.  We learn nothing very useful.)  Five locks would have deterred someone, but for the determined, they wouldn't have posed much of a problem.  As to the container with the locks - with 5 locks, it must have been fairly big.  Here's a book box with two locks.  And here's a chest from St George's Church, Anstey (Herts), with two locks - presumably for vestments.

Given the seal box was to have 5 locks they were probably padlocks - here's an article on domed chests with padlocks.

Delightfully, Wykeham also stipulates that parents or other close family visiting canons must be received with proper hospitality.  And that relics, vestments and vessels must not be pawned........