Shelmode;  George or Gregory Coke;  Robert Harvey;  Ralph Harrison;  Robert Wilson or Herwood;  James Cheryholme (signed with mark, so probably illiterate);  James Cleyton (signed with mark, so probably illiterate);  John Bateman;  Robert Jerett or Gerard;  Roger Page (C43).

On *23 (WALCOTT) *24 (H83) October *1538 (H83, PREMONS, C43) *1539 (WHITE, H79) Dale Abbey surrendered itself (H83) and its 24,000 acres to Sir William Cavendish as Commissioner for the Crown.  The deed was signed by the abbot (John Staunton or John Bede [sic] confused in WHITE) (see Abbots), prior and 15 canons.  The same day a jury of 12 helped the Commissioners to make an inventory (C43).

Inventory Brit. Mus. Addit. MSS 6698.  ‘Parts of the abbey itself have a suspiciously barren air in the inventory’ (C43).  Francis Pole bought most of it (details in LYSONS), including the site (WARD) but not the monastic or domestic buildings, for £77 12s. 2d (C43) (over £2000 in 1943).  He was given until Christmas 1540 to pay the last £30 of this sum.

The Commissioners had paid out £55 9s. 8d. in rewards to the abbot and canons and in safeguarding the properties, so had made a loss of £7 7s. 6d.  ‘It was clearly the lands and rents of the abbey which were to make its suppression profitable, rather than its goods and buildings’ (C43).

Cavendish brought masons and carpenters and deliberately de-roofed churches and dormitories and other essential buildings, e.g. Lady Chapel (WARD).  He did it very mercifully (BRODHURST).  Some bits were not sold;  the bells were probably melted down (C43).  The 32 cwt. tenor bell in All Saints Church, Derby, is traditionally said to have come from Dale Abbey, but this seems unlikely because the total weight of Dale Abbey’s bells was only 47 cwt.  (H79).  Similarly, 3 bells in Radbourne Church are traditionally said to be from Dale Abbey but this is unlikely.  One is inscribed 'Jesus be our speed 1595' (JEWITT).

Some 30 people were given about a year's wages (10s) as a reward (WARD).  One servant was called Henry Baldock, a family which survived in Dale until the 17th century (C43). Fees and annuities were given to people who helped the suppressors.  Thomas Thacker of Heage did so, infamously, and received an annuity of 53s. 4d.  This became hereditary (given in 1552 and 1555/6).