276 History of the Priori/ of Monkton Farley. 



closely the claim for dilapidations against Hung-erford and Stoui-ton. 



Though emancipated from the jurisdiction of Clugni, Farley was 

 still dependent upon Lewes Priory. Almost the latest act in its 

 history is an attempt to shake off this dominion also. A process 

 was commenced, but the result does not appear. A change was 

 now impending, about to put an end to both establishments, and to 

 consign mother and daughter to one common grave. The last 

 Prior of Farley was Lodowick Millen, alias Brecknock. In his 

 time the storm of dissolution fell, and Farley ceased to be a Priory. 



The visitor employed in King Henry the Eighth's reign, by 

 Thomas Lord Cromwell, to inspect and report upon the state of 

 this house, was Richard Layton.^ He came here in 1537, visiting 

 on the same journey the neighbouring monasteries of Maiden Brad- 

 ley, Glastonbury, and others. But his report contains no reflection 

 on the discipline of Farley Priory. On reaching Bristol, at the 

 end of his tour, he wrote a curious letter to Lord Cromwell, and 

 sent up by the bearer, at the same time, a bag full of reliques, "in 

 which" he says "je shall see strange things. Amongst them, 

 Mary Magdalene's girdle, wrapped and covei'ed with white" (sent 

 with great reverence from house to house upon certain interesting 

 occasions), " which girdle Matilda, the Empress, one of the founders 

 of Farley, gave unto them, as saith the Holy Father of Farley." 



The Priory, with all its estates, equal in modern money to pro- 

 bably three or four thousand pounds a year, was granted to the 

 Earl of Hertford, afterwards the Protector Somerset ; a small pay- 

 ment of £36 a year being reserved to Eton College. 



The estate in Farley parish appears to have been about 850 acres, 

 of which 772 were under the plough ; at South Wraxhall 212 more. 

 This seems to have been their home-farm in hand, judging from an 

 inventory of stock, goods, and chattels taken at the time. Valua- 

 tions were also taken of their stock upon all their other estates, 

 from which it seems that they farmed the whole of them on their 

 own accoimt. They had several bailiffs, and Sir Henry Long, of 

 South Wraxhall, was their steward-in-chief. 



' Hoare's History of Mere, p. 103. 



