and re-endowed and substantially enlarged by his son Henry, 4th Earl and later 1st Duke of Lancaster under a Charter of 24 March 1355/6. Later known as The Newarke, the institution had a Dean and twelve Canons (later termed Prebends), thirteen Vicars-Choral, four Lay Clerks and six (boy) choristers. By the late 15th century it had achieved a high status and musical reputation and had acquired the privilege, apparently shared only with the Chapels Royal, of having the right to recruit outstanding musicians and singers from other institutions without their consent, in other words to poach the very best musicians of the country. From 1528 The Charters required among many other things the use of the Salisbury ("Sarum") Rite, a daily sung Mass in honour of Our Lady, and also the singing of Matins, a High Mass and Vespers on more than two dozen high feasts, led by the Dean in Choir, so there would have been a heavy musical programme for the choir of around sixteen (including at least some of the Vicars) and its musical director. In addition to his annual wage Aston, also referred to in some documents as a singer and organist, was entitled to receive further significant payments for additional services such as funerals. He also appears to have been retained by six other Midland religious houses: Sulby and Pipewell in Northamptonshire; the abbeys at Coventry and Kenilworth in Warwickshire, and the Leicestershire abbeys of Launde and Leicester Abbey. Dissolution Just 18 months after Aston's retirement the final dissolution of the Newarke Choral Foundation took place at Easter 1548. The almshouse with its chapel was re-branded as 'Trinity Hospital' but the Collegiate Church was demolished along with most of the college buildings. Hugh Aston, on the other hand, continued to live in what appears to have been the official residence of the choir-master. This was a substantial property fronting onto Southgates Street directly opposite the main gate into the Newarke (The Magazine Gateway). On retirement he received not only a £12-a-year pension in respect of his Newarke College office, which was honoured by the state following the Dissolution, but he also received further pensions totalling £6 13s. 4d. in respect of loss of office at the six other suppressed choral institutions. Furthermore, he had been granted a life tenancy on the Southgates property, with its with barns, gardens and paddocks, and his wife, Elizabeth Aston,