RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



reside in the priory more than one month in the 

 year, and enjoined not to keep there more than 

 three horses and two servants.! He resigned 

 Daventry in 1460, but retained the bishopric 

 till his death in 1 47 1. 



In aid of Cardinal VVolsey's proposed collegiate 

 establishment on a magnificent scale at Oxford, 

 Pope Clement VII. granted a bull in September, 

 1524, which was ratified by the king in the 

 following January, for the dissolution of the Ox- 

 ford priory of St. Frideswideand of several of the 

 lesser monasteries, among which was included the 

 priory of Daventry. The formal dissolution of 

 the house was executed on 16 February, 1524-5, 

 at the hands of Dr. John Alen, canon of Lincoln, 

 in the presence also of Thomas Cromwell, 

 Anthony Husy, and William Butler. The sur- 

 render was signed by Prior Alexander Colyns.^ 

 Long before the completion of Cardinal College 

 came Wolsey's fall and death, and the revenues 

 appropriated to its support were seized by the 

 crown. In 1532 the project was continued on 

 a smaller scale, under the title of King Henry VIII. 

 College in Oxford, and the Daventry possessions 

 were conveyed to the collegiate establishment, 

 and subsequently to the dean and chapter of 

 Christ Church. 



Priors of Daventry 



Osbert,^ occurs 1135 



Herbert,* occurs 1 146 



Joybert,5 about 1198 



Benedict,^ appointed 1204 



Alelm,7 occurs 1 208 



William de Bouay,* appointed 1 2 1 7 



Walter of Sawbridge,' appointed 1225, died 



1231 

 Nicholas of Ely,!" appointed 1231, died 1264 

 Robert of Hellidon,'! elected 1264, died 1269 

 John of Staverton,!- elected 1269, resigned 



1281 

 William of Lymington,^^ elected 12S1, resigned 



1289 

 Peter of Esseby,!'' elected 1289 

 Peter of Horpole,!^ elected 1327, died 1352 



1 Line. Epis, Reg, Memo, of Chadworth f. 49. 



2 L. and P. Hert. mi. iv. pt. I, 1137 (5). 

 ' Cott. MS. Claud D. xii. f. 8 2d. 

 ' Ibid. f. i56d. 

 '" Reyner, Ralph, James, Richard, and Sampson 



were all priors of Daventry during the last half of the 

 twelfth century ; they probably ruled in the order 

 given, but the precise dates cannot be given, as their 

 names only occur in undated charters. Joybert, who is 

 said to have been put over Daventry, Wenlock, and 

 Bermondsey, was appointed prior of Coventry in 1 198. 

 Matth. Paris. Hist. Minor (Rolls Ser.), ii. 67. 



6 Cott. MS. Claud. D. xii. f. i04d. 



^ Ibid. f. 1 10. 8 Ibid. f. 576. 9 Ibid. f. 172. 



10 Line. Epis. Reg. Roll of Wells. 



11 Ibid. RoU of Gravesend. 



12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. Roll of Sutton. 1* Ibid. 

 15 Cott. MS. Claud. D. xii. f. 172. 



2 II' 



John of Fawsley,!' elected 1352, died 1360 

 Thomas of Stockingford,i' elected 1360, died 



1361 

 William of Grendon,i* elected 1361, died 



1396 

 William Rothwell,!' elected 1396 

 John Ashby,^'' elected 1408 

 John Daventry,^! elected 141 5 

 Robert Man,^^ elected 1425 

 Thomas Knight,^^ elected 1444, resigned 1460 

 William Bromley,^"* elected 1460 

 William Lane,^^ elected 1475 

 Thomas Ilston,^ elected 1482, died 15 15 

 Alexander Colyns," elected 15 15, resigned on 



the dissolution of the house, 1524-5 



The pointed oval seal of the priory, mottled 

 green in colour, with fine but imperfect impression, 

 attached to a charter of Prior William de Bouay 

 about 1 2 1 7,^8 is of twelfth-century style of art, and 

 represents St. Augustine with pall and mitre, 

 having long strings, seated on a throne, his right 

 hand raised in benediction, in his left hand a 

 pastoral staff. 



The legend is wanting. 



A fragment of the centre of a seal similar to 

 above in design, brownish-white in colour, is 

 attached to a charter of the year 1239.-' The 

 reverse is the fragment only of a small pointed 

 oval counterseal ; all that remains is the word 

 PRiORis in the legend. 



Attached to a charter dated 1295 *" is another 

 fine example of the first seal given above, green 

 in colour ; the edge has been chipped, but part of 

 the legend is still legible on the obverse : — 



-|- SIG AVGVSTINI . DE DAVINTREO 



The reverse is the smaller pointed oval counter- 

 seal of Prior Peter de Esseby, and represents, in a 

 double niche with two arches of sloping sides, 

 crocketed, and having a small spire or pinnacle 

 between, on the left an archbishop with mitre 

 and pall, lifting up the right hand in benediction 

 and holding in his left hand a crozier ; and on the 

 right a bishop with mitre, lifting up his right hand 

 in benediction, holding in his left hand a pastoral 

 staff. In base under a plinth on which is the 

 inscription fr . petrus, the prior half length in 

 prayer, to the left an estoile, and a crescent on 

 the right. Legend : — 



-f s' FRIS PETRI • PRIORIS • DE • DAVENTRO. 



1^ Line. Epis. Reg. Inst, of Gynwell, f. 149. 



17 Ibid. f. 179. 13 Ibid. f. 186. 



1' Ibid. Inst of Bokyngham, ii. f. 1 82. 



"" Ibid. Memo, of Fleming, f. 212. 



^^ Cott. MS. Claud. D. xii. f. 172. 23 Ibid. 



23 Ibid. 2* Ibid. 25 Ibid. 26 Ibid. 



27 Line. Epis. Reg. Inst, of Atwater, f. 18. 



2* Add. Chart. 5,362. 



29 .-^dd. Chart. 2i,8SS. 



30 Harl. Chart. 8+ E. 23. 



15 



