RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



With regard to the ancient right of sanc- 

 tuary at Beaulieu, it is not surprising to find 

 that neither Cromwell nor his royal master 

 had any scruple as to its violation. In Sep- 

 tember, 1537, the abbot received a letter 

 from Cromwell demanding the delivery to 

 the bearers of the body of James Manzy, a 

 Florentine. He replied that he would have 

 done so, but that Manzy had left sanctuary 

 on the previous Sunday when he was absent 

 from home. On hearing further from the 

 Lord Privy Seal, the abbot wrote to say that 

 in conjunction with Master Huttoft he had 

 gathered together all the conveyers of James 

 Manzy, and had so used them that he thought 

 they would ' love the worse hereafter to steal 

 sanctuary men from Beaulieu.' Manzy hid 

 day and night in woods, bushes and old 

 barns, and the abbot indignantly repudiated 

 the suggestion that he had connived at his 

 escape. At the same time Huttoft wrote to 

 like effect to Cromwell. ' I have made 

 search with my lord of Beaulieu these two 

 days, both aboard ship and in all the forest, 

 and have this night (28 September) found the 

 said James in a hay loft on a farm besides 

 Hampton. He was hidden half the mow 

 deep, and when discovered seemed more dead 

 than alive. After a while he fell to weeping, 

 saying his abuse was only for fear of your 

 lordship, and that his keepers menaced him 

 to be carried up like a prisoner. I beg you 

 will have pity on him for he has been 

 severely handled. The bearer Parpoynt has 

 spoken many words more than needeth. My 

 Lord of Beaulieu has used very good diligence 

 in this matter, and is also much discouraged 

 by the reports made of him.' * 



On 2 April, 1538, the subservient abbot 

 signed the surrender of this great monastery 

 of royal foundation to the notorious com- 

 missioners Layton, Petre and Freeman, and 

 induced twenty of the monks to do the like. 2 

 The site was immediately granted to Thomas 

 Wriothesley (afterwards Earl of Southampton). 

 Crayford, one of the sub-commissioners for 

 suppression of monasteries, wrote to him on 

 17 April, saying that Abbot Stevens, imme- 

 diately before his surrender, let out the mill, 

 parsonage, etc., of Beaulieu, and the lodge at 

 St. Leonard's grange to his sister. 3 On 26 

 April, the ex-abbot wrote to Wriothesley, 

 protesting against the detraction of his ' lewd 

 monks, which now, I thank God, I am rid of.' 4 



1 Letters and Papers, Hen. Vlll. xii. (2), 728, 

 765, 766. 



* Dep. Keeper's Reports, viii. appendix ii. 9. 



3 Letters and Papers, Hen. Vlll. xiii. (i), 750. 



4 Ibid. 847, 84.8. 



At the time of the dissolution the monas- 

 tery held in Hampshire the manors of 

 Colbury, Hilton, Upton, 'Ippeley,' Holbury, 

 and the manor of Frerencourte in Fording- 

 bridge, the rectories of Beaulieu, and lands, 

 rents, etc., in Southampton, Lymington, 

 ' Esthamlode ' in the Isle of Wight, ' Gooreley,' 

 ' Blayshford, Bremmer ' and Avon, and New- 

 church in the Isle of Wight ; in Berkshire 

 the manors of Great Faringdon, Little 

 Faringdon, Inglesham, Shilton and Wyke, 

 and rents in Westbroke and Langford ; in 

 Cornwall the manor of St. Kirian, a mill at 

 Tregonon, and rent in Helston ; and a messu- 

 age in Southwark in Surrey. 6 



Stevens obtained a pension of 100 marks, 

 but in February, 1540, was instituted to the 

 rectory of Bentworth near Alton. In 1548 

 he was collated to the treasurership of Salis- 

 bury Cathedral, and died in 1550 seized of 

 both these preferments. Seventeen of the 

 monks also obtained small pensions. 



With the suppression came the end of the 

 historic sanctuary rights throughout what was 

 termed ' the Great Close of Beaulieu.' On 

 the day of the surrender the commissioners 

 wrote to Cromwell stating that there were 

 thirty-two sanctuary men there for debt, 

 felony and murder, who had their houses and 

 grounds where they lived with their wives 

 and children. They declared that if sent to 

 other sanctuaries they would be undone, and 

 desired to remain there for their lives, pro- 

 vided no more were admitted. The com- 

 missioners wished to know the king's pleasure. 

 The ex-abbot also wrote to Wriothesley, 

 begging him to be a good master to the 

 Beaulieu sanctuary men who were there for 

 debt. He said they had been very honest 

 while he was their governor, and it would be 

 no profit to the town if they were to leave, 

 for the houses would yield no rent. Crayford 

 also wrote to Wriothesley about the same time, 

 asking for the king's protection for the ' miser- 

 able debtors,' stating that all the inhabitants 

 of Beaulieu were sanctuary men, and urging 

 the immediate departure of the murderers and 

 felons as ' hopeless men.' In the end the 

 debtors were allowed to tarry for their lives, 

 under protection, at Beaulieu ; and one, 

 Thomas Jeynes, who had slain a man at 

 Christchurch, was granted a pardon. 6 



The circular elaborate fifteenth century 

 seal, of which an illustration is given, repre- 

 sents the crowned Virgin seated in a canopied 



5 The first Mins. Acct. recited in Dugdale's 

 Monasticon, v. 683. 



8 Letters and Papers, Hen. Vlll. xiii. (i), 668, 

 792, 796, 877, 1309 (23). 



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