A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



the Crown had on several occasions appointed 

 obedientaries and sergeants for the monastery 

 during the vacancy of the see, it was thought 

 well to obtain royal sanction for this episco- 

 pal ordinance. Consequently Edward I., in 

 September, 1284, granted letters patent con- 

 firming the episcopal covenant, and also grant- 

 ing to the prior the power of appointing to 

 the sergeanties or other secular offices pertain- 

 ing to the house. At the same time the 

 chapter was granted the custody of the priory 

 during voidance. 1 



About ten days after the sealing of the 

 covenant between the bishop and priory, 

 through the resignation of William de Basing, 

 there was a vacancy in the office of prior, and 

 the bishop, with the unanimous assent of his 

 brethren, put the custody of the house into 

 the hands of Nicholas de Merewell, the sub- 

 prior. On the same day (13 July) the bishop 

 issued a letter to the retiring prior and the 

 obedientaries giving them absolution after 

 certain scandals, the nature of which is not 

 stated. On 1 8 July the sub-prior and chapter 

 asked leave of the bishop to elect a new 

 prior ; in the bishop's letter of sanction he 

 referred to the resignation of Prior William, 

 stating that it was not caused through any 

 crime or conscious fault, but for the sake of 

 humility and true religion.* 



On 25 August, 1284, the bishop gave his 

 assent to the election of William de Basing 

 as prior, and issued the usual injunction to 

 the sub-prior and convent to yield him due 

 obedience. 3 From this it would appear that 

 the ex-prior was, with episcopal assent, re- 

 elected. 4 



Bishop John of Pontoise was probably anx- 

 ious to see if the re-election was satisfactory, 

 for on 1 4 September he issued notice of a per- 

 sonal visitation of the cathedral priory to be 

 held at the ensuing Michaelmas. As no injunc- 

 tions were issued consequent on this visitation 

 it may be assumed that everything was found 

 to be satisfactory. 6 



By 1291 the possessions of the prior seem 

 to have been definitely separated from those 

 of the bishop, and the estates of the former 

 had considerably increased. The total yearly 

 value was 701 CM. jd* At the same time 



1 Pat. 12 Edw. I. m. 3. 



3 Winton. Epis. Reg., Pontoise, 70, 7ob. 



3 Ibid. f. 73. 



1 The Monasticon and other printed lists of priors 

 make out that there were two successive priors 

 called W. de Basing ; but this seems improbable if 

 not incorrect. 



5 Winton. Epis. Reg., Pontissera, 73. 



Pope Nick. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 213. 



it will be noticed that as late as 1346 the 

 bishop owed the service of five knights' fees 

 for his own land and also for all the lands of 

 the prior. 7 From the aid for making Edward 

 the Black Prince a knight in this year we find 

 that the prior of St. Swithun's held with John 

 Frilende half a knight's fee in ' Nywenton ' ; 

 he held also with two others half a fee in 

 Stoke in St. Mary Bourne (Crokerestok), and 

 half a fee in Long Sutton. 8 



On the death of Prior William in May, 

 1295, leave to elect was applied for and 

 granted by the bishop. The monks on this 

 occasion elected by way of ' compromise.' 

 The chapter appointed William de Hoo, 

 Adam de Hyde, Roger de Entingham, Henry 

 Bacun, Henry de Merwell, Nicholas de 

 Tarente and William Wallup to act as elec- 

 tors. Their choice eventually fell upon 

 Henry de Merwell alias Woodlock, and the 

 bishop's assent was given on 7 June. The 

 particulars as to this election are set forth in 

 the episcopal register with much detail. 9 



On 13 June, 1305, Bishop Henry granted 

 leave to fill up the vacancy in the priory, 

 caused by his own elevation to the episcopate, 

 and gave the custody during the vacancy to 

 William de Somborne, John de Donketon and 

 Ralph de Canne. On 31 July entry was 

 made in the episcopal register of the process 

 of election, and a week later the bishop's 

 consent to the appointment of Nicholas de 

 Tarente was signified, and he was duly in- 

 stalled. 10 The bishop visited the priory in 

 1308, and apparently found nothing to 

 correct. 



In 1297 mandate was issued by the Crown 

 to the justice of the forest to permit the 

 prior to grant and make stable-stands, accord- 

 ing to the term of the king's charter to him 

 and his successors, in the demesne lands 

 and woods where they had chases in Hamp- 

 shire, and to carry away venison, and to 

 keep their dogs not expeditated, but on 

 condition that they set or stretched no nets for 

 taking such venison. 11 John de Ford, monk 

 of St. Swithun's, received a royal pardon in 

 June, 1344, for taking a doe and a sorel in 

 the New Forest and carrying them away. At 

 the same time Prior Alexander was pardoned 

 for receiving the said doe and sorel. 1 * 



The various acta relative to the election 

 of Richard de Eneford as prior are briefly 



7 Feudal 4 iJ}, ii. 335. 



8 Ibid. 325, 330, 333. 



9 Winton. Epis. Reg., Pontoise, 16, 17. 



10 Ibid. Woodlock, 9-1 1. 



11 Pat. 25 Edw. I. pt. 2, m. 14. 

 13 Ibid. 1 8 Edw. III.pt. i, m. i. 



no 



