16 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND. 



Prior's, Canon's, Infirmarian's, and the Sacrist's, as well as the 

 great garden, kitchen-garden, and orchard is shown, and this 

 quantity of distinct gardens is not in excess of the usual number.* 

 As a rule the Prior had an enclosure of his own. At Melsa there 

 was both "the garden which is called the Prior's," and "the 

 garden of the Abbot's chamber."t At the Abbey of Haghmon, 

 in Shropshire, the Prior was allotted " for his recreations a 

 certain chamber under the dormitory, . . . with the garden 

 of old called ' Longenores gardine,' annexed to the chamber 

 before-mentioned, together with the dovecote in the same." % 



At Norwich, payments occur to the gardener from the Lord 

 Prior for a " parcel of the garden," or small piece reserved for 

 his special use. The "little garden," or "garden within the 

 gates," at Norwich, was let to the cellarer. The Sacristan, the 

 Treasurer, the Precentor, and the " Custos operum," all had 

 separate gardens at Abingdon, and paid rent for them to the 

 gardinarius. At Winchester, the payment to the gardener, 

 " Roberto Basynge, custodi gardini conventus," occurs in the 

 Receiver's account (a.d. 1334) as well as charges for mowing 

 the Almoner's garden, and besides these the " custos operum " 

 defrayed the expenses of a garden called " Le Joye." The 

 Infirmarian's garden was usually an important one, as in it 

 he grew healing herbs for the sick of the monastery, and for 

 convenience this plot was, as a rule, placed near the infirmary 

 or hospital. 



In all countries, heathen and Christian, and in all ages, 

 flowers have played an important part in ceremonies, such as 

 funeral rites and marriage feasts. England in the Middle 

 Ages was no exception ; and the use of flowers in the services 

 of the Church, in crowning the priests, wreathing candles, or 

 adorning shrines, was very general. 



The gardens within the monastery walls for providing these 

 flowers were under the care of the Sacristan. At Abingdon, he 

 paid the gardinarius four bushels of corn for the rent of his 



* History of the Deanery of Bicester. J. C. Blomefield. 

 f Abbot Burton's Chronicle of Melsa, Vol. III., p. 242. 

 X Dugdale, Monasticon (new ed.), Vol. VI., p. 112. 



