RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



The great forest wastes around the monastery 

 granted to the canons by their founder were 

 known in the old charter as ' Kygell ' and 

 ' Ravenshede,' their bounds being set forth with 

 much particularity at the beginning of an old 

 chartulary. 3 



King John in 1206 confirmed the founder's 

 grant, making mention also of the church of 

 Hucknall, and of his own gift, when Earl of 

 Mortain, of j os. 6d. of lands in Walkeringham, 

 Misterton, ' Sepewic,' and ' Walkerith ' (Lincoln- 

 shire). 8 



On 8 May 1238 the royal mandate was sent 

 to the Prior of Newstead to let Thomas de 

 Dunholmia, citizen of London, have all the 

 goods late of Joan, Queen of Scots, deposited 

 with them after her death by Brother John de 

 Sancto Egidio and Henry Balliol to do therewith 

 what the king has enjoined on them. 4 



In April 1241 the convent of Newstead had 

 licence from the king to elect a prior ; the said 

 licence being delivered at Westminster to Henry 

 son of Walkelin and Thomas de Donham, two 

 of the canons who took the news to the king of 

 the death of Prior Robert. 5 



A confirmation charter of Henry III in 1247 

 makes further mention of the gifts of Robert de 

 Lexinton of all the land of Scarcliffe, with the 

 capital messuage, park, mills, homage, and service 

 of William de Grangia from his holding in Crich 

 (Derbyshire) with the towns of Staythorpe (Not- 

 tinghamshire) and Rowthorn (Derbyshire). 6 



Henry III in 1245 ratified the gift which 

 John de Stutevill made by charter to St. Mary 

 of Newstead in Sherwood and the canons there 

 of 40;. rent and a quarter of wheat yearly out of 

 the manor of Kirkby in Ashfield and to provide 

 wine and bread for the altar use. 7 



In 1251 Henry III gave to the priory 10 

 acres of land out of the royal hay of Linby, to 

 be held quit of regard and view of foresters and 

 verderers and of all forest pleas, with licence to 

 inclose the land with a hedge and dike. 8 



The convent was so seriously in debt in 1274 

 that the king appointed Robert de Sutton of 

 Averham to take the custody of the priory 

 during pleasure. 8 



The Prior of Newstead maintained his various 

 rights in Misterton, Papplewick, Staythorpe, 

 Walkeringham, &c. at the beginning of the reign 

 of Edward I, by the production of charters that 

 covered the various possessions of the convent in 

 Derbyshire as well as Nottinghamshire, and also 

 their various chartered privileges, such as freedom 



'Cited in Dugdale, Mm. vi, 474-5. 

 5 Chart. R. 6 John, m. 4, no. 42. 

 'Pat. 23 Hen. Ill, m. 8 d. 

 5 Pat. 25 Hen. Ill, m. 8. 

 Chart. R. 31 Hen. Ill, m. 9. 

 ' Pat. 29 Hen. Ill, m. 2. 

 Pat. 35 Hen. Ill, m. 7. 

 Pat. 2 Edw. I, m. 3. 



from toll and custom throughout England. 

 They had neither pillory nor tumbrel jurisdiction 

 on their Nottinghamshire manors, but were able 

 to maintain their rights to assize of bread and 

 beer and to view of frankpledge. 10 



A few years later, namely in 1279, the prior 

 and convent obtained leave to fell and sell the 

 timber of the wood of 40 acres which had been 

 given them in 1245 ; such a step as this would 

 bring considerable financial relief. 11 



The Taxation Roll of 1291 gives the income 

 of the priory as 86 13*. bd. The appropriated 

 churches of Stapleford, Papplewick, Tuxford, 

 Egmanton, and Hucknall Torkard produced 

 49 19*. 4<^. ; the remainder was from tempor- 

 alities in Nottinghamshire ^35 ijs. 6d, and in 

 Lincolnshire i6j. 8<^. 12 



This house was again in financial difficulties 

 in 1295, when at their own request Hugh de 

 Vienna was appointed by the Crown to take 

 charge of their revenues, applying the income, 

 saving a reasonable sustenance for the prior, 

 canons, and their men, to the relief of their debts, 

 no sheriff, bailiff, or such-like minister to lodge in 

 the priory or its granges during such custody. 13 

 On 25 July 1300 another like custodian, Peter 

 de Leicester, a king's clerk, was appointed after 

 a similar fashion. 14 



The king in 1 304 made an important augmen- 

 tation of the possessions of Newstead, by granting 

 the house 180 acres of the waste in the forest 

 hay of Linby at a rent of 4 due to the sheriff, 

 with licence to inclose them and bring them into 

 cultivation. 15 Two years later a grant was made 

 of all tithes of these 1 80 cultivated acres, provided 

 they were not within the limits of any parish. 16 



Both Edward I and Edward II seem to have 

 been attached to this house in the centre of the 

 forest, notwithstanding the important royal hunt- 

 ing lodge at Clipston. Edward I sojourned at 

 Newstead in August 1280 and in September 

 1290, and Edward II in September 1307 and 

 October 1315, as is shown by the Patent and 

 Close Rolls. 



In 1310 the priory, on account of its indebt- 

 edness, was once again taken into protection by 

 the Crown, John de Hothun, king's clerk, being 

 appointed to administer the revenues. 17 



The royal licence was obtained in 1315, when 

 Edward II was at Clipston, to permit the appro- 

 priation of the church of Egmanton. 18 



10 Hund. R. (Rec. Com.), i, 60 ; ii, 25, 26, 29 

 301, 302, 305, 311, 3 1 5 ,- Plac. de Quo War. (Rec. 

 Com.), 646-7. 



11 Pat. 7 Edw. I, m. 2. 



11 Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 74, 310, 

 311^, 312. 



"Pat. 23 Edw. I, m. 3. 



14 Pat. 28 Edw. I, m. 8. 



18 Pat. 32 Edw. I, m. 28. 



"Pat. 3 5 Edw. I, m. 19. 



17 Pat. 4 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 5. 



" Pat. 9 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 2. 





