A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



In 1 302 Bishop Pontoise visited the house, 1 

 and in 1308 the official of the diocese, Peter 

 de Grunmill, issued a mandate to the convent 

 citing them to a visitation by Bishop Wood- 

 lock.* No injunctions followed the visita- 

 tions of 1302 or 1308, so that the inference 

 may be fairly drawn that neither bishop found 

 any cause of complaint. Bishop Woodlock 

 held another visitation of Wintney in De- 

 cember, 1315, and in the following January 

 he sent a series of injunctions of the usual 

 kind as to stricter observance of their rule to 

 the convent as the result of the visit.* On 

 14 May, 1316, only a few weeks before his 

 death, Bishop Woodlock received a letter 

 from Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury, as 

 to the reports that had reached him concern- 

 ing the nuns of Wintney and the decay of 

 their house. The archbishop stated in his 

 letter that through negligence and bad ad- 

 ministration the affairs of the house were re- 

 duced to such a state that it might altogether 

 collapse unless staying hands speedily inter- 

 vened, inasmuch as the nuns, vowed to 

 abandon a secular life, were dispersing them- 

 selves in the world because no proper provision 

 was made for their food. The archbishop 

 urged his suffragan to take prompt action to 

 correct and reform these abuses, and to recall 

 the scattered flock. 4 Immediately on receipt 

 of the primate's letter, namely on 16 May, 

 the bishop issued a commission to Master 

 Gilbert de Middleton, canon of St. Paul's and 

 vicar-general of the diocese, associating with 

 him Master Andrew de Bruges, canon of 

 Chichester, who frequently acted as bishop's 

 official, and Master Stephen de Dene, rector 

 of Abbotstone, to hold a visitation at Wintney, 

 with full power to correct and to amend 

 whatever was amiss. 5 Meanwhile Bishop 

 Woodlock died on 28 June, and commissions 

 of his appointment ceased to be valid. The 

 archbishop evidently thought the scandal of 

 the dispersion of the Cistercian nuns of Wint- 

 ney a grave and urgent matter, and on 20 

 July, during the vacancy of the see, he issued 

 a commission to Andrew de Bruges and three 

 others with full powers to visit the nunnery 

 and to inquire, correct, reform and punish the 

 excesses of delinquents. 6 There is possibly 

 some degree of excuse to be found for the 

 deplorable condition of the Wintney convent 

 and the lack of food for the inmates, when it 

 is recollected that a most grievous famine 



Winton. Epis. Reg., Pontoise, f. 23. 

 Ibid. Woodlock, f. 85. 3 Ibid. f. 197. 



Cant. Archiep. Reg., Reynold, f. 39b. 

 Winton. Epis. Reg., Woodlock, f. 206. 

 Cant. Archiep. Reg., Reynold, f. n/b. 



afflicted England in 1315 and continued for 

 three years. 



This action seems to have led to a better 

 state of affairs, and, for the assistance of the 

 house, letters of protection for the goods and 

 crops of the prioress and nuns for one year 

 were granted on 6 February, I32I. 7 



In 1367 Bishop Wykeham licensed the 

 prioress of Wintney to receive Beatrice Pay- 

 nell as a paying guest. 8 The licence, without 

 which, according to the Benedictine rule, no 

 visitor even on payment could be entertained, 

 describes Beatrice as a woman devoted to God 

 and honourable, and sister to Sir John Foxley, 

 a neighbour, a friend, and favourably inclined 

 to the prioress, at whose special request the 

 permission was granted. The licence, dated 

 20 December, was to permit Beatrice's resi- 

 dence at Wintney until the next feast of St. 

 John Baptist. Sir John Foxley lived at 

 Bramshill, about four miles from the priory ; 

 he was the son of Thomas Foxley, constable 

 of Windsor Castle, under whose directions 

 Wykeham had been in his earlier days. Both 

 father and son were among the bishop's most 

 intimate friends, and he was doubtless glad of 

 the opportunity of serving Sir John's sister. 9 



Bishop Wykeham licensed John Lydezorde, 

 rector of Elvetham (a parish adjoining the 

 priory) in April, 1380, as confessor to the 

 prioress and nuns. 10 



In 1398 the prior of Christchurch was ap- 

 pointed to collect throughout the diocese the 

 second moiety of the tenth voted by convo- 

 cation, with the sole exemption of the priory 

 of Wintney. 11 A like exemption was made 

 in favour of this priory when another moiety 

 of a tenth was being collected in January, 

 1404. It is there stated that Wintney was 

 exonerated from the payment because it is a 

 house of poor nuns heavily encumbered. It 

 is also stated that the appropriation of the 

 church of Herriard by the priory in Bishop 

 Orlton's time was permitted for a like reason. 12 



In April, 1404, the bishop commissioned 

 John Elmere, one of his two recently ap- 

 pointed coadjutors, and Robert Ketone, his 

 chancellor, to visit the priory. 13 



On 1 6 October, 1420, an inventory was 

 taken of the goods pertaining to the frater in 

 consequence of the death of Alice Preston, 

 who was in charge of the hall. The goods 



7 Pat. 1 4 Edw. II. pt. 2, m. 21. 



8 Winton. Epis. Reg., Wykeham, iii. f. 23. 



9 Moberly's Life of Wykeham, 21,22. 



Winton. Epis. Reg., Wykeham, iii. f. iS^b. 

 11 Ibid. iii. f. 300. 

 13 Ibid. f. 361. 

 13 Ibid. f. 394. 



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