A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



In 1317 the prior and convent obtained licence 

 from Edward II when at Nottingham to acquire 

 in mortmain lands, tenements, and rents to the 

 value of 20 a year. 19 This licence was vacated 

 and surrendered in 1392, for it was not until that 

 date that Newstead acquired (by a number of 

 small grants) lands and tenements in full satisfac- 

 tion thereof. 20 



A grant of some pecuniary value was made by 

 the same king in 1318, when it was settled that 

 on a voidance of the priory the sub-prior and 

 convent of Newstead were to have the custody 

 thereof with full and free administration of all 

 its possessions and issues during such voidance, 

 saving to the king, however, knights' fees, advow- 

 sons, wards, reliefs, and marriages which might 

 fall in. 21 



In 1324 the Crown granted pardon to the 

 Prior and Convent of Newstead for the unlicensed 

 alienation to them in mortmain by Ralph de 

 Frechville of all the lands which they had of fee 

 of Ralph in Scarcliffe and Palterton, Derbyshire, 

 with capital messuage, inclosed park, mill stews, 

 services of freemen and villeins, &c., together with 

 the homage and service of William de Warsop 

 and his heirs for a tenement he held in Crich, 

 with grant that they might hold the same in frank- 

 almoign. 22 



News of the resignation of Prior Richard de 

 Grange was brought to the king at Nottingham 

 by the canons Robert de Sutton and Robert de 

 Wylleby on 13 December 1324, and they took 

 back with them leave to elect. On 10 Decem- 

 ber the king signified the Archbishop of York 

 that he had assented to the election of William 

 de Thurgarton, canon of Newstead, as prior. 

 Owing to informality, the archbishop quashed 

 the election and claimed that the right of pre- 

 ferment had devolved upon him. Recognizing, 

 however, the worth of William de Thurgarton, 

 the archbishop proceeded to collate him as su- 

 perior ; and the king, when at Ravensdale, the 

 forest lodge of Duffield, Derbyshire, on 10 Jan- 

 uary 1323, issued his mandate for the deliverance 

 of the temporalities to the new prior. 23 



The financial difficulties of Newstead do not 

 seem to have much abated when Edward III 

 came to the throne. In 1330 the prior and 

 convent, in consideration of their poverty, had 

 remitted to them the rent of ^4 due to the 

 sheriff for the 180 acres within the hay of Linby, 

 granted to them by Edward I. 24 



Licence was granted in 1334 for the alienation 

 by William de Cossall to the priory of twelve 

 messuages, a mill, and various lands, &c., in Cossall 

 and Nottingham, to find three chaplains, to wit, 



19 Pat. 1 1 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 32. 



10 Pat. 1 5 Ric. II, pt. ii, m. 7. 



" Pat. 12 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 25. 



n Pat. 17 Edw. II, pt. ii, m. 27. 



* Pat. 1 8 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 2, i ; pt. ii, m. 34. 



14 Pat. 4 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 41. 



two in the church of St. Katherine, Cossall, and 

 one in the priory to celebrate daily for the souls 

 of him, his ancestors and successors. 25 



In 1341 Henry de Edwinstow, king's clerk, 

 and William and Robert his brothers had licence 

 to alienate to the priory various lands in the 

 counties of Warwick, Leicester, Nottingham, 

 Derby, and Lancaster, of the annual value of 10, 

 to find two chaplains to celebrate daily in the 

 church of St. Mary, Edwinstowe, one in honour 

 of Our Lady and the other for the good estate 

 (and after death for the souls) of the donors, 

 their father, mother, and other relations, friends 

 and benefactors, and to celebrate Henry's obit. 

 The prior and convent bound themselves to pay 

 to one of these chaplains, who was to be warden 

 of the altar of St. Margaret in Edwinstowe Church, 

 ten marks a year for the stipends of himself and 

 his brother chaplain and another mark for the 

 obit of Henry. After the donor's death, and the 

 death of one Robert de Calverton, the presen- 

 tation to these two chaplaincies was to rest with 

 the priory of Newstead. 36 



Richard II in 1392 granted to the Prior and 

 Convent of Newstead a tun of wine yearly in the 

 port of Kingston upon Hull, in aid of the main- 

 tenance of divine service. 27 



Henry VI in 1437 l> cense d Prior Robert and 

 convent to inclose 8 acres within Sherwood 

 Forest, just in front of the entry to the priory, 

 and to dike, quickset, and hedge it, for which 

 they were to render at the Exchequer one rose at 

 Midsummer. 28 



Edward IV in 1461 licensed John Durham 

 the prior and his convent to inclose 48 acres of 

 forest granted them by Henry II, adjoining the 

 priory on the north, east, and south, with a ditch 

 and low hedge, and to cut down and dispose of 

 the wood growing thereon. 29 



Much can be gleaned relative to Newstead 

 Priory from the York Episcopal Registers. 



The appropriation of the church of Stapleford 

 to the priory of Newstead was sanctioned by 

 Archbishop Gray in 1229 on the score of their 

 poverty. 30 



Archbishop Gray in 1234 on account of their 

 poverty granted to the priory and convent of 

 Newstead the church of Hucknall Torkard for 

 their own uses, of which they already had the 

 advowson ; they were to enter into it after the 

 death or cession of Helias the then rector. 81 



Archbishop Gray visited Newstead Priory in 

 the octave of the Holy Trinity 1252, when he 

 found, after individual examination, that the 



K Pat. 8 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 24, 1 8. 



K Pat. 1 5 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 10 ; pt. iii, m. I ; see 

 also Pat. 17 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 25 ; and 20 Edw. Ill, 

 pt. i, m. 21. 



17 Pat. 1 6 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 37, 19. 



28 Pat. 15 Hen. VI, m. 1 8. 



19 Pat. i Edw. IV, pt. iii, m. 10. 



80 York Epis. Reg. Gray, fol. 30. " Ibid. fol. 66. 



114 



