RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



burning before the high altar in the priory 

 church, and for performing the offices of the 

 dead at the anniversaries of the five donors. 1 



The priory of St. Olave was visited by Arch- 

 deacon Goldwell on 30 January 1493, as com- 

 missary for his brother the bishop. Thomas 

 Bagot the prior and five canons were severally 

 examined, with the result that William Cokke 

 was pronounced to be quarrelsome, and the 

 prior reported for not showing the accounts of 

 the house to the canons. The canons com- 

 plained that they were scarcely able to live. 2 



The next recorded visitation was held in 

 July, 1 514, by Bishop Nykke. Prior William 

 Dale stated that he rendered an account yearly 

 to the senior canons ; that the canons were 

 obedient ; and that he had recently purchased 

 certain lands of the annual value of^io 14.S. iod., 

 and paid for them. Robert Starys, the sub-prior, 

 said that they did not rise for mattins at mid- 

 night, but at 5 o'clock ; that they did not sing 

 the offices save on festivals and Sundays ; and 

 that their number was incomplete because of the 

 insufficiency of income. The six other canons 

 gave unqualified praise to the condition of the 

 house. The bishop enjoined on the prior and 

 canons that they were to furnish him with a 

 sufficient dispensation from the apostolic see for 

 not observing the rule of rising at midnight for 

 mattins, and ordered the canons to observe 

 (entire) silence in cloister and quire on all 

 Fridays." 



The next recorded visitation was held by the 

 suffragan Bishop of Chalcedon in July, 1520. It 

 was attended by Prior Dale and five canons. 

 The prior was ordered to produce a statement of 

 accounts and an inventory at the Michaelmas 

 synod. The testimony of the canons was unani- 

 mous as to the good religious conditions of the 

 house. 4 



The visitation of June, 1526, attended by the 

 same prior and five canons, was entirely satis- 

 factory. 5 Prior Dale and the like number of 

 canons appeared at the last visitation of Bishop 

 Nykke, in June, 1532, when the statements were 

 unanimously good, and the visitor reported that 

 there was nothing to amend. 6 



The Suffolk commissioners appointed to take 

 the inventories of the smaller monasteries visited 

 St. Olave's on 26 August, 1536. In the quire of 

 the church they found a silver pvx, two silver 

 chalices, a copper cross, two candlesticks of latten 

 on the high altar, an alabaster ' table,' and a 

 linen altar-cloth worth ^4 is. iod. Other 

 plate included a pair of censers with a ship of 

 silver. There were but few vestments. The 

 furniture of the various chambers, the hall, the 

 parlour, pantry and kitchen was but ordinary. 



1 Pat. 1 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 

 * Jessopp, Visit. 38-9. 

 3 Ibid. 129-31. 

 'Ibid. 216. 



The cattle and implements of husbandry were 

 valued at £12 If., and the corn at £11 13/. \d. 

 The total of the inventory only amounted to 

 £27 OS. 9 d. 7 



This house was suppressed among the smaller 

 monasteries on 3 February, 1536-7. 8 On the 

 8th of the ensuing March a pension of ten marks 

 was granted to William Dale, the last prior ; 9 

 evidently no credence was given to the coarse 

 report made against him by Legh and Leyton in 

 their notorious comperta of a few months' earlier 

 date. 10 



The site of the priory and its possessions were 

 assigned to Henry Jernyngham on 1 March, 

 I537-8- 11 



Priors of Herringfleet 



William, 12 occurs 1273 



Benedict, 13 occurs 130 1 



Thomas de Norwich, 14 elected 1308 



William Dale, 15 occurs 1309 



John de Norwich alias Tybenham, 16 elected 



•329 

 Philip de Porynglond, 17 elected 1 34 1 

 John de Porynglond, 18 died 1354 

 John de Surlyngham, 19 elected 1354 

 Roger de Haddiscoe, 2J occurs 1370 

 William de Holton, 21 resigned 137 1 

 Henry de Brom, 22 elected 1 37 1 

 John de Hanewell, 23 elected 139 1 

 John Wyloughby, 24 elected 1 402 

 William Dald, 25 occurs 1403 

 John Welles, 20 elected 1430 

 Thomas Bagot, 27 elected 1480 

 William Dale, 28 occurs 15 14, last prior 



The thirteenth-century seal of this house 

 represents St. Olave, king and martyr, crowned 

 and seated on a throne, with an axe in the right 

 hand and an orbs mundi in the left. Legend — 



MUNE . EC 

 LINGEFLE , 



AVI 

 RI . 



DE 

 * 29 



HER- 



4 Ibid. 177. 



6 Ibid. 284. 



7 Proc. Suff. Arch. Inst, viii, 85-7. 



8 L. and P. Hen. Fill, xii, pt. i, 510. 



9 Misc. Bks. (Aug. Oft".), ccxxxii, fol. 49^. 



10 L. and P. Hen. Fill, x, 364. 



" Misc. Bks. (Aug. Off.), ccx, fol. 23*. 



11 Suckling, Hist, of Suff. i, 15. 



13 BlomefielJ, Hist. ofNorf. ix, 417. 



14 Now. Epis. Reg. i, 31. 



15 Add. MS. 19098, fol. 1 ; 8. 



16 Norw. Epis. Reg. ii, 29. 



17 Ibid, iii, 45. u Ibid. iv. 155. 



19 Ibid. *> Add. MS. 19098, fol. 158. 



*' Norw. Epis. Reg. vi, 9. " Ibid. 



" Ibid, vi, 164. " Ibid, vi, 288. 



* Bodl. Chart. Suff. 203. 



96 Norw. Epis. Reg. ix, 40. " Ibid, xii, 78. 



98 Jessopp, Visit. 1 30. 



99 B. M. Can, lxxi, u + . 



IOI 



