RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



her obit, which was observed by all the priests 

 of the house. The queen provided that seven 

 poor widows should daily receive refreshment 

 in the house in her memory, and that five 

 poor persons should sit at table on her anni- 

 versary. 



Laurence de Colshull gave a large sum of 

 money, many jewels, and much furniture, to 

 provide for the daily saying by a canon of a 

 mass for him and others, with special collects. 

 John Forstbury and Joan his wife gave all 

 their lands and tenements at Westley for their 

 anniversary. It was provided in their behalf 

 that each week two canons should celebrate 

 mass at the altars of the Holy Trinity and 

 the Blessed Virgin respectively. And Agnes 

 Betune, widow, gave all her lands and tene- 

 ments at Ogden and Bentley, for keeping her 

 anniversary on the first Thursday in Lent. 1 



An indult was granted in 1241 by Pope 

 Gregory IX. to the prior and brethren of 

 Mottisfont to hold to their uses, on its void- 

 ance, the church of Somborne, of their 

 patronage, reserving a vicar's portion. 2 



The prior of Mottisfont at this time seems 

 to have been respected at the papal court, as 

 he was twice ordered to see to the enforce- 

 ment of the papal authority in this country. 3 



Roger de Clifford, justice of the forest on 

 this side Trent, was ordered, in January, 

 1275, to cause the prior and convent of 

 Mottisfont to have four oaks fit for timber in 

 the wood of Melchet, which is within the 

 forest of Clarendon, for the work then in 

 progress at their church.* 



Archbishop Peckham visited this priory on 

 26 January, 1284, and issued long injunctions 

 to be observed by the canons. Amongst 

 them was one permitting the employment of 

 women over sixty years of age for certain 

 domestic work. Mention is also made of the 

 duties of prior, sub-prior, sacrist, chanter, cel- 

 larer and treasurer. 5 



The taxation of 1291 gave the annual 

 value of the temporalities of the priory in the 

 archdeaconry of Winchester at 2 7 i QJ. The 

 church of Mottisfont was at the same time 

 declared of the annual value of 30. The 

 priory was also possessed of lands at Kidwelly, 

 in the distant archdeaconry of Cardigan, which 

 were worth 2os. per annum. 



1 The foundation charters and this obituary were 

 all cited in Dugdale's Monastkon, ii. 322-5, ex Cod. 

 MS. in Scacc. penes Remem. Regis ; but there is 

 no such chartulary now at the Record Office. 



a Cal. of Papal Letters, i. 193. 



3 Ibid. i. 195, 202. 



* Close, 3 Edw. I. m. 23. 



5 Cant. Archiep. Reg., Peckham, ff. 29ob, 230. 



In the same year, licence was granted for 

 the alienation in mortmain, by John dc 

 Rivers the younger, to the prior and convent 

 of Mottisfont, of an acre of land in Roswyk 

 in Pengareg and the advowson of the church 

 of Mullion, Kerrier (Cornwall). 8 This was 

 confirmed by Edward II., together with leave 

 to appropriate the church. 7 



Licence from the Crown to elect in vacan- 

 cies of religious houses was only required when 

 the Crown was patron. Owing to the mi- 

 nority of the heir of Briwere the founder, the 

 king claimed the ad interim patronage of this 

 house in 1291. The patronage is stated to 

 have belonged to Maud daughter and heir of 

 Patrick de Cadurcy the king's ward, in 1 294, 8 

 but soon afterwards it devolved wholly on 

 the Crown, by whom it was conferred on the 

 Earl of Lancaster. 



From the episcopal registers we find that 

 Thomas de Barton was instituted as prior on 

 21 February, 1294, and on the same day the 

 the bishop's mandate was issued to the arch- 

 deacon for his induction. The various pro- 

 ceedings of the election are set forth with 

 much detail ; the election was by way of 

 compromise, and eleven canons (the full num- 

 ber) recorded their votes for him. 9 



In 1310 Bishop Woodlock issued his man- 

 date for visiting this priory, appointing the 

 Saturday after the feast of St. Matthew as the 

 day. No decree was issued as the result of 

 this visitation, so it may be concluded that the 

 bishop was satisfied. 



In April, 1316, licence was obtained for 

 the alienation in mortmain by William Rus- 

 sell, to the prior and convent of Mottisfont 

 of a messuage, 80 acres of land, 4 acres of 

 meadow, and 5*. id. of rents in Barton Stacey. 10 



The documents relative to the election of 

 John de Dernford as prior in 1330 are set 

 forth at length in the episcopal registry, and 

 include the consent of Henry, Earl of Lancas- 

 ter, as the patron. 11 In 1331, the bishop 

 issued a mandate to the new prior to report 

 as to the condition of the priory and to pro- 

 duce a statement of accounts. 13 On 26 

 November, 1334, Bishop Orlton visited Mot- 

 tisfont, and preached to the canons in their 

 chapter-house from the text ' Omnia honeste et 

 cum ordine fiantj lz 



8 Pat. 19 Edw. I. m. 16. 



7 Ibid. 3 Edw. II. m. 26. 



8 Ibid. 22 Edw. I. m. 24. 



9 Winton. Epis. Reg., Pontoise, fF. 13,92, 93. 



10 Pat. 9 Edw. II. pt. 2, m. 25. 



11 Winton. Epis. Reg., Stratford, fF. I2ib, 122 

 i 3 Ibid. f. 56b. 



13 Ibid. Orlton, i. f. 1 1. 



173 



