A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



were obedient and maintained a religious life ; 

 that divine worship and the essentials of religion 

 were laudably observed ; that there was no debt 

 on the house ; that the various manorial buildings 

 were in good repair, save those of Saxton, which 

 had been entirely destroyed by fire in 1510. 



He also stated that many buildings within the 

 priory were in ruinous condition, through the 

 fault of his predecessors, being prostrate at the 

 time of his institution. The only complaints of 

 Nicholas Wellington, the sub-prior, were a de- 

 ficiency in lights and lamps in the church through 

 the fault of the sacrist, and that the clock neither 

 went nor struck. Simon Hirt said that the office 

 of chamberlain was filled by John Bache, a lay- 

 man, contrary to religion, and that the brethren 

 had no common tailor to make their garments. 

 Adam Ponde also objected to a lay chamberlain, 

 and that the door of the buttery was so placed 

 that the brethren had to stand in the rain when 

 they wished to drink. William Reynberd said 

 that four lights which ought to burn before 

 the image of the Blessed Virgin and four 

 other lights before the image of St. John 

 Baptist were not found. In all twelve canons 

 were examined in addition to the prior, five 

 of whom testified omnia bene. The bishop 

 ordered the prior to find the accustomed lights at 

 the proper season, so soon as the repairs of the 

 church and the glazing of the windows were 

 finished ; to have the clock repaired ; and to 

 supply a tailor as in times past. 1 



Ixworth priory was visited by the suffragan 

 Bishop of Chalcedon and Robert Dikar, as com- 

 missaries of the diocesan, in June, 1520. Prior 

 John Gerves and fourteen canons unanimously 

 reported omma bene, and the bishop could find 

 nothing worthy of reformation. 2 The next 

 recorded visitation was held in July, 1526, when 

 sixteen canons were examined, in addition to 

 Prior Gerves. Six said omnia bene and the rest 

 had comparatively small complaints to make, 

 such as the absence of a convent tailor, the 

 insolence of the butler, and the letting of farms 

 without the consent of the chapter. The in- 

 junctions consequent on this visitation ordered 

 that particular inventories of the goods belonging 

 to each office should be prepared ; that no letting 

 of farms or manors should be undertaken without 

 the consent of the majority of the chapter ; and 

 that a suitable infirmary should be speedily 

 provided. 3 



At the last visitation, in July, 1532, Prior 

 Gerves and fifteen canons were unanimous in 

 replying omnia bene, save that Simon Fisher, 

 master of the novices, said that no convent tailor 

 was provided as was customary. The bishop 

 could find nothing worthy of reformation. 4 



On 22 October, 1534, Prior John Gerves, 

 Sub-prior William Reynberd, and fifteen other 



1 Jessopp, fisit. 83-5. 

 1 Ibid. 2401. 



1 Ibid. 149-50. 

 4 Ibid. 302. 



1 06 



canons, signed their acknowledgement of the 

 royal supremacy. 5 



Prior Gerves died a few months before the 

 overthrow of the house. Sir Edward Chamber- 

 lain, writing to Cromwell on 13 January, 1535-6, 

 told him of the death, adding that he was 

 founder (i.e. patron) of the priory, and that it 

 appeared from his ancestor's grants that the con- 

 vent ought to proceed to an election immediately 

 with his consent. He begged Cromwell, as 

 visitor-general of monasteries, to sanction this 

 procedure. 6 The result was the election of 

 William Blome. 



The notorious comperta of Leyton and Legh, 

 drawn up in this year, state that one of the 

 Ixworth canons acknowledged to a form of 

 incontinence. But the commissioners could 

 wring out very little from these canons, and 

 coolly add : 'there is also suspicion of confedera- 

 tion, for though eighteen in number, they have 

 confessed nothing.' 7 



The net income of this house being under 

 j20O it came within the meshes of the first 

 Suppression Act. On 28 August, 1536, the 

 Suffolk commissioners visited the priory for the 

 purpose of drawing up an inventory. The 

 church and vestry were well furnished with 

 ornaments, plate, and vestments. The most 

 valuable item at the high altar was ' a lectern of 

 latten praysed at xs.' There were tables of 

 alabaster at the various altars, and two pairs of 

 organs, one little and the other great. The 

 plate in the vestry, including three pairs of 

 chalices, a cross, and two cruets, all of silver, 

 was valued at ^27 iqs. lod. The furniture 

 of the conventual buildings was simple and 

 of little worth. The cattle were valued at 

 j^33 i6s. 8^/., and the corn growing on the 

 demesnes at 44 5;. The hay was another 

 important item, so that the total came to 

 j 1 1 7 9*. %d. The inventory is signed by 

 William Blome, the new prior. 8 



The actual suppression did not take place 

 until February, 1536-7,' when Prior Blome 

 obtained a pension of ^20 a year, 10 but the rest 

 of the canons had to betake themselves to the 

 larger houses of the order or to go out penniless. 



The site of the priory and most of its 

 possessions were granted on 20 July, 1538, to 

 Richard Codington and Elizabeth his wife. 11 



PRIORS OF IXWORTH 



William de Ixworth, 12 died 1338 

 Roger de Kyrkested, 13 1338 



5 Dep. Keeper's Rep. vii, App. ii, 289. 



6 L. and P. Hen. PHI, x, 89. ' Ibid. 364. 

 6 Proc. Stiff. Arch. Inst. viii, 109-12. 



9 L. and P. Hen. fill, xiii, pt. i, 5 10. 



10 Misc. Bks. (Aug. Off), ccxxxii, fol. 31. 



11 Pat. 30 Hen. VIII, pt. iii, m. 21. 



12 Norw. Epis. Reg. iii, p. 2. " Ibid. 



