A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



visitors arrived at St. Andrew's on lo July, 

 and found there twenty-five resident monks, 

 which they reported to be about the average 

 number. They further stated that the prior 

 rendered all due obedience to his diocesan, and 

 acknowledged his jurisdiction, and this had been 

 the case for the last sixty years ; that the brethren 

 kept their rule, and all sacred and devotional 

 services were properly celebrated ; that there 

 was a sufficiency of grain and stock up to the time 

 of the next harvest ; that the prior had taken 

 over the house in 1272 from John, prior of 

 Wenlock, with an ostensible debt of 272 marks, 

 but that he found the debt was at least 100 

 marks more ; that the present obligations were 

 200 marks, but that prior Bernard had leased 

 the estate of Eastby for five years to one of the 

 creditors, Walter de Sham, that he had made 

 over to the said Walter for a large sum of money 

 the living or benefice of Easton, Northants, which 

 was worth ;^6o, that other transactions must be 

 explained verbally, as it would take too long to 

 explain in writing ; and that the buildings were 

 in good repair. The visitors condemned the 

 administration of the late prior as most objection- 

 able and negligent. Prior Bernard, they stated, 

 truly pleaded that when first appointed he was 

 but a boy and somewhat careless (aliquantulum 

 puer et minus diligens), but that now by God's 

 help he carried out his duties well, honestly, 

 and with diligence.^ In 1 314 it was reported 

 at the general chapter that sufficient provision 

 was not made for the infirm at the Northampton 

 house on account of the loss of rents pertaining 

 to the infirmary, and that the customary alms 

 had not been distributed because the almoner, for 

 thirty or more years, had been wrongfully de- 

 prived of twenty-five quarters of wheat, as 

 assigned by the late Prior Odo. The prior of 

 La Charit^ was ordered to see at once to the 

 correction of these evils.^ At the general 

 chapter of 1317 the English visitors reported 

 that brother Hugh of St. Margaret, sub-prior of 

 Northampton, had refused to carry out the 

 mandates of the visitors ; it was ordered that the 

 English province should see to his due punish- 

 ment.* In 1 33 1, Conon, who was appointed 

 prior of St. Andrews in 1320, was deputed by 

 the abbot of Cluny to visit as his proctor all the 

 English houses of the order.* The English 

 visitors in 1 32 1 reported to the chapter-general 

 at Cluny that they had received unseemly and 

 irreverent treatment at Northampton Priory, 

 that the prior had refused to pay according to 

 custom their necessary expenses in moving from 

 place to place, and that a monition proving of 

 no avail, they had pronounced excommunication. 

 It was decided to confirm this statement, and to 



1 Duckett, Visitation of English Cluniac Foundations, 

 pp. 22, 23. 



!• Ibid. p. 303. 3 Ibid. p. 317. 



* Pat. 5 Edw. III. pt. 2, m. 28. 



insist upon the sub-prior publishing it in chapter 

 on certain days.' 



On the outbreak of the war with France 

 Edward III. seized the lands of all alien priories 

 into his hands ; but, at the petition of their 

 superiors, in July, 1337, he granted the custody 

 of the same to them for the payment of a yearly 

 ferm. From that date throughout the reign we 

 find numerous presentations by the crown to 

 Northamptonshire and other livings pertaining to 

 the priory duly recorded in the patent rolls. 

 In 1337 the king appointed John de Grandisson, 

 sub-prior, and Stephen de Bruggenorth, monk of 

 St. Andrew's, to the custody of the priory at an 

 annual rent of 200 marks ; the custody was soon 

 afterwards transferred to William de Thonville, 

 prior of Newton Longville. It came, however, 

 to the king's ears that William was managing 

 badly, and staying at St. Andrew's with a large 

 and costly household.* The crown therefore in 

 July, 1339, reappointed Stephen de Bruggenorth 

 to the wardenship.^ This office was held by 

 him (the post of prior being in suspension) until 

 May, 1342, when a mandate was issued by the 

 king to deliver up the temporalities to brother 

 Francis, a monk of La Charitc*, nominated by 

 the prior of that house to be prior of St. Andrew's. 

 It is explained in the mandate that although the 

 prior of La Charit^ was of parts then at war 

 with England, the king had admitted the ap- 

 pointment because Francis was a native of 

 Flanders, and had taken his fealty on condition 

 that the ferm of the priory should be answered 

 to the king during the war with Philip of Valois.* 

 In July of the same year Thomas de Pabenham 

 and four other of the king's sergeants-at-arms, in 

 conjunction with Simon de Hoghton, were 

 appointed to collect rents and pensions pertaining 

 to the priory of St. Andrew's, many of which 

 were in arrears, so that the prior was unable to 

 pay his ferm.' The recently appointed prior 



' Duckett, Visitations and Chapters-General of Cluny, 

 p. 326. 



* Under date of i 347 it is stated in the Patent Rolls 

 that the king had lately, at the request of Robert de 

 UfFord, earl of Suffolk, committed to brother William 

 de Thonville the keeping of the alien priory of 

 St. Andrew's, so long as the priory should remain in 

 his hands on account of the war with France, at a 

 rent of 200 marks yearly ; that the said William had 

 afterwards petitioned to be relieved of this custody, 

 and his prayer was granted ; and that now, fearing lest 

 he should be prosecuted in time to come by his 

 enemies for trespasses or waste done during his custody, 

 he prayed that he might be pardoned such possible 

 offences by the king, as he had paid his ferm during 

 the whole time he had the custody. A certificate to 

 this effect was granted. Pat. 21 Edw. III. pt. I, m. 7. 



7 Ibid. 13 Edw. III. pt. 2, m. 26. The king 

 assigned in December, I 341, 156 marks yearly during 

 pleasure out of the ferm of the priory to Robert de 

 Artoys. Ibid. 15 Edw. II. pt. 2, m. 20. 



8 Ibid. 16 Edw. III. pt. I, m. I. 

 ' Ibid. pt. 2, m. 24d. 



106 



