RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



that this appointment was invalid in conse- 

 quence of the Royal assent not having been 

 obtained, and an inquisition held by the 

 abbot of Quarr and others confirmed this 

 statement. Finally, however, in 1515, this 

 inquisition was declared untrue, and the 

 Master of the Rolls was ordered to cancel it. 1 

 Prior Eyre died on 6 December, 1520. To 

 him succeeded, as twenty-sixth and last prior, 

 John Draper II., who was installed on 31 

 January, I52I. 8 



Sir James Worsley and the other com- 

 missioners first appointed to visit the 

 Hampshire houses with a view to their over- 

 throw reported in May, 1536, most favorably 

 of Christchurch ; and Prior Draper (who was 

 Bishop of Neapolis/>ar//'ztf infideKum) addressed 

 an able letter to the king, which has been 

 already cited, 8 pointing out what a great 

 convenience and boon the priory was to the 

 surrounding district. But this priory was far 

 too wealthy to be treated after any exceptional 

 fashion. Visitors of a totally different char- 

 acter to the first commission, including the 

 notorious Dr. London, paid several visits ; 

 and by threats and cajolery induced what was 

 termed a ' surrender.' 



The surrender was made on 28 November, 

 1539. The original letter announcing the 

 surrender, dated at Christchurch, 2 December, 

 and signed by Southwell, Carne, London, 

 Poulet and Berners is extant. The com- 

 missioners say, ' We founde the prior a very 

 honest conformeable person, and the house 

 well furnyshyd with juellys and plate whereof 

 some be mete for the kinges majestic in use, 

 as a litell chalys of golde, a gudly large crosse 

 doble gylt, with the foote garnysshyd and 

 with stone and perle ; two gudly basons doble 

 gylt. And ther be also other thinges of 

 sylver right honest and of gudde valew as 

 well for the churche use as for the table 

 reserved and kept to the kinges use. In thy 

 churche we finde a chaple and monument 

 curiusly made of Cane (Caen) stone preparyd 

 by the late mother of Raynolde Pole for her 

 buriall wiche we have causyd to be defacyd 

 and all the arms and badges clerly to be 

 delete. The surveying of the demasnyes of 

 this house wiche be lardge and baryn and some 

 parte thereof xx myles from the monastery 

 wiche we also do survey and mesure hath 

 causyd usse to mak longer abode at thys 

 place than we intendyd.' * The visitors 

 declared the clear annual value to be 



1 Letters and Papers, Hen. VIII. ii. 1236. 



2 Winton. Epis. Reg., Fox, iv. ff. 31-6. 



3 Supra, pp. 57, 58. 



* Cott. MS. Cleop. E. iv. f. 324. 



519 3*. 6^d. The buildings to be sus- 

 tained were, ' the late prior's lodging wholly 

 as it are sette in a quadrauntly,' with hall, 

 buttery, pantry, kitchen and lodgings over 

 the same. Also the gatehouse to the base 

 court, the bakehouse, and brewhouse, with 

 stable and barn. The buildings deemed 

 superfluous were the church, cloister, chapter 

 house, frater, farmery, and sub-prior's lodging, 

 with outer cloister and gallery, with the 

 chapel in the same cloister and all the houses 

 thereto adjoining. The lead on the church, 

 cloister and buildings was 38 fodders. There 

 were seven bells, of which five were assigned 

 to the parish. The ornaments, goods and 

 chattels sold realized ^177 Of. io</., whilst 

 there were 26 ounces of gold plate and 1,907^ 

 ounces of silver-gilt, parcel-gilt and silver 

 plate reserved for the king. 8 



The ' conformable ' Prior Draper was 

 rewarded with the big pension of ^133 6s. 8d. 

 as well as the mansion house of Somerford 

 Grange, where there was a prior's lodging, for 

 life. Robert Beverey, the sub-prior, obtained 

 a pension of jio, and seventeen other canons 

 pensions varying from 6 1 35. to 3 6s. 8d.* 



There was however sufficient influence in 

 the county and neighbourhood to save the 

 splendid church, which Cromwell's visitors 

 naturally deemed ' superfluous.' The quire, 

 body, bell-tower, with seven bells, stones, 

 timber, lead of roofing and gutters of Twyne- 

 ham priory church, together with the cemetery 

 on the north side, were granted, in 1540, to 

 the churchwardens and parishioners. 7 



At the dissolution this priory held the manor 

 of Christchurch Twynham, with the toll of 

 the fair and the rectory, the manors of 

 Somerford, Aisshe and South Chewton, 

 Hinton, Herne, Milford with the rectory, 

 Lymington, Walhampton, Sway with the 

 rectory, Ningewood, Shalfleet, Apse, ' Bar- 

 nerdesligh,' ' Hynbury,' Puddletown, East- 

 ington, Fleet, ' Odiknolle,' and ' Chameleygh.' 

 Also the rectories of Buldoxley, Brockenhurst 

 and Southdown, and land and rents in Gorley, 

 Brookhampton, ' Gunter,' Rackhams and 

 Radcliff, 'Swartelinghide,' Boldre, Paynshill, 

 Northampstead, Easthampstead, Avon and 

 Ripley. They likewise had the manor of 

 Clopton and lands at Porton in Wiltshire, the 

 rectory of Blandford and tithes, etc., in 

 Hampreston, Westport, ' Penyton,' and else- 

 where in Dorsetshire. 8 



5 Aug. Off., Misc. Books, ccccxciv. ff. 23-8. 



6 Ibid, ccxlv. .65. 



7 Pat. 32 Hen. VIII. pt. 3, m. 43. 



8 The first Minister's Account quoted in 

 Dugdale's Monasticon, vi. 306. 



159 



