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FEAGMENTS OF THE HISTOEY OF ACONBUEY 



PEIOEY AND CHUECH. 



By Db. Bull. 



The Priory of Acornbury, Cornebury, Accornebury, Akernebury, or Akarnebury,* 

 as it is variously spelt in old Deeds, has lost in modern times the "r" from its 

 name, and the place is now called Aconbury. The Priory was founded by Lady 

 Margery, wife of William de Lacy, during the reign of King John (1199-1216). 

 The precise date is not known, but the period is certain from an Inquisition held 

 at Ledbury, by precept of the King, 49 Henry III. (12G4). The Inquisitors were 

 G. de Leukenoure, Galfridus de Morton, Hen. de Munemue (Monmouth), Rog. 

 Tirel, Will, de Bray, Rog. Walensis, and John de Sudelegh, &c. King John at 

 first gave three carucates of land to be "assarted," that is, grubbed up, for the 

 making or creating a certain Religious House. This grant was afterwards con- 

 firmed and much extended by his son, Henry III., who released and freed the 

 said nuns from all wast, regards, and jurisdiction of the ministers, or officers of 

 the Forest, 17 Henry III. (1232). 



In the account of the Commission, it is stated that King John granted the 

 whole of the Forest of Acornbury, with the exception of Adelstone, or Elstanewod 

 Wood, which belonged to William de Cantilupe and Hugo de Kilpec, the Forester, 

 in fee, and then to Hubert de Burg, at that time Lord Justiciar of England, to 

 Margery, wife of William de Lacy, in order that she might found there a nunnery, 

 which she did on a spot about three miles south of Hereford, and dedicated it to 

 the Holy Cross, and her husband confirmed the same. The Priory was founded 

 for the good of the souls of William de Braos, father of Margery de Lacy, and 

 Matilda his wife, and William their son, the brother of the foundress ; and dedi- 

 cated to St. John the Baptist (MS. St. Michael's Priory). 



Hubert de Burg was removed from his office, and Ayleston Wood, thus 

 falling into the hands of King Henry, was also handed over to the Priory. It 

 was then worth 6 marcs and 5 shillings annually. 



Dugdale states it to have been an Austin Nunnery ; Speed terms it a House 

 for White Nuns dedicated to St. Catherine ; but according to Prynne, Papal 

 Usurpations, Vol. III., the inhabitants were first of the Order of St. John of 

 Jerusalem, but were absolved from that Order, and reduced to that of St. Austin, 

 by Otho, the Pope's Legate, about A.n. 1237. In the List of the Possessions of the 

 Knights' Hospitallers of St. John in Herefordshire, there is no mention made of 

 Aconbury, and it is therefore extremely doubtful whether there was ever any 

 relation between them. 



* In the deed whereby King Pebiau (grandfather of St. Dubricius) gives to the See of Llandaff 

 the mansion of Junabui (Llandinabo), distant about four miles, amongst the witnesses to the deed 

 there appears the name of a layman, Aircon. (Liber LaJidavensis, p. 317). Airconbury may 

 have been the original form of the word. (Edit.) 



