A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



the advowson of the church of Brading, Isle 

 of Wight, in exchange for the priory remit- 

 ting to the king 500 marks, wherein the king 

 was bound to them for corn, stock and other 

 things in diverse manors. This was done at 

 the request of Thomas, prior of Breamore, 

 Richard, prior of Christchurch, and Gilbert de 

 Knovill, who were the executors of the will 

 of Isabel de Fortibus, Countess of Albemarle, 

 and for the good of the soul of the said 

 countess and her ancestors whose bodies were 

 buried in the priory church of Breamore. 1 



The bishop sent letters early in 1310 

 announcing his intention to visit Breamore, 

 and eventually fixed on Saturday next after the 

 feast of the Annunciation as the day. 2 There 

 are no entries of decrees after this visitation. 



On ii December, 1327, Bishop Stratford 

 forwarded to the prior and convent his visita- 

 tion decree. The orders were arranged under 

 ten heads : (i) That all the canons and 

 obedientiaries should attend the day and night 

 hours and the great mass, and four canons the 

 solemnly sung mass of our Lady. (2) That 

 the door into the nave of the church be kept 

 firmly and securely closed ; and that the door 

 into the quire be kept open until the begin- 

 ning of the mass of our Lady, and after the 

 end of the high mass, until the beginning of 

 vespers, and from the end of vespers until the 

 beginning of the said mass of our Lady, day 

 by day ; that the door from the cloister to the 

 prior's hall be kept diligently by the cellarer ; 

 and that the sacrist or cellarer be held respon- 

 sible to the chapter for the due warding of 

 all the cloister doors. (3) That silence be 

 observed at the customary times and places, 

 and that no conversation be held with any 

 women, secular or religious, save in honest 

 places, from a reasonable cause, with the 

 sanction of the prior or sub-prior, and in the 

 presence of a brother canon. (4) That no 

 canons of the house, save the obedientiaries 

 (office holders), depart out of the monastery 

 precincts without the express sanction of the 

 prior or sub-prior. (5) That the chantry in 

 the manor house of Hugh Courtenay be 

 served by a secular priest at the charge of the 

 priory ; and that at the times of pilgrimage or 

 devotion of the faithful at the chapel of St. 

 Thomas near their house, one of the older 

 canons or a trustworthy secular be appointed 

 to collect their oblations. (6) That the prior 

 or sub-prior should daily visit the farmery to 

 see that there is suitable food for the infirm and 

 to superintend the distribution of alms to the 

 poor ; and that the laudable custom of assign- 



1 Pat. 29 Edw. I. m. 19. 



- Winton. Epis. Reg., Woodlock, ff. 146, 161. 



ing to the poor the goods of a deceased canon 

 for his soul's sake be maintained ; and that 

 there be one breviator 3 in the house, accord- 

 ing to custom. (7) That the beds of the 

 canons in the dorter be arranged so that they 

 can be openly seen, and that all curtains or 

 other impediments be removed and destroyed ; 

 also that the orologium 4 and lavatory be re- 

 paired according to the bishop's injunction. 

 (8) That the common seal be kept under three 

 keys, one in the custody of the prior, another 

 of the sub-prior, and the third of one of the 

 canons chosen by the chapter, and that it 

 be not used save in the chapter house and 

 with the consent of the chapter. (9) That 

 there be two treasurers, namely the sub-prior 

 and one appointed by the chapter, to have all 

 dealings with the bailiffs and other servants of 

 the priory, and to present an annual account. 

 (10) That the novices should serve in the 

 frater, and that proper novice masters should 

 be appointed for their instruction. 6 



In June, 1332, the priory received a visit 

 from Robert de Kelleseye, one of the king's 

 clerks, bearing a letter to the prior inviting a 

 subsidy towards the expenses of the marriage 

 of Eleanor, the king's sister, with Reginald, 

 Count of Guelders. 6 The canons granted 

 the sum of 60*., and in the following year 

 they received an acknowledgment, together 

 with a pledge that the subsidy should not be 

 construed into a precedent for them or their 

 successors. 7 



The prior and convent seem at this period 

 to have been good sheep farmers. In Novem- 

 ber, 1339, they received letters patent promis- 

 ing to pay, at the Purification and Easter, 

 28 5*. $d. for five sacks and thirty-eight 

 cloves of the better wool at loo*, the sack, 

 taken by Robert de Popham and his fellows as 

 collectors of the customs for Hampshire. 8 



3 The breviator of a religious house was one of 

 the brethren appointed for the purpose of carrying 

 round to adjacent religious houses of various orders 

 the brief or document testifying to the death of 

 any professed member, so that the due services 

 might be offered for his soul. The brief was in- 

 scribed with the name of each house visited, to- 

 gether with the date. In certain houses a monk 

 or canon was nominated by the superior to under- 

 take this circuit as each death occurred ; in other 

 houses one of the staider brethren was appointed 

 beforehand to undertake the duty as necessity re- 

 quired. 



4 Possibly the clock, but more likely the sundial 

 on the south side of the north wall of the cloister. 



5 Winton. Epis. Reg., Stratford, f. I78b. 



6 Close, 6 Edw. III. m. i6d. 



7 Pat. 7 Edw. III. pt. i, m. 12. 



8 Ibid. 13 Edw. III. pt. 2, m. 37. 



170 



