RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



John de Framlingham, clerk, obtained licence 

 in 1332, at the request of Queen Philippa, for 

 the alienation to the prioress and nuns of 

 Campsey, of the manor of Carlton-by-Kelsall 

 and the advowson of the church of that town. 

 It was provided that the priory was to grant the 

 manor for life to a chaplain, on condition that 

 he, with two other chaplains, to be found by 

 him, celebrated daily in the church of Carlton 

 for the soul of Alice de Henaud, the Queen's 

 aunt, and for the soul of the grantor after his 

 death. On the death of the chaplain the priory 

 was to resume possession of the manor and 

 regrant it to another chaplain on like conditions. 1 

 Licence was also granted in 1342, to Robert de 

 UfFord, earl of Suffolk, to alienate to the prioress 

 and convent of Campsey an acre of land in 

 Wickham and the advowson of the church of 

 that town with leave to appropriate it. 8 



The prioress and convent had licence in 

 1343 to alienate to the dean and chapter of 

 Lincoln a pension of 10 that they had received 

 yearly out of the church of Allsby, to find two 

 chaplains to celebrate daily in the cathedral 

 church of Lincoln, for the soul of Robert 

 de Alford, rector of Anderby. 3 



In 1346 Thomas de Hereford had licence to 

 alienate to this priory the advowson and appro- 

 priation of the church of Hargham, to find 

 chaplains to celebrate daily in the priory church 

 for the soul of Ralph UfFord. 4 Later in the 

 same year the church of Burgh, Suffolk, was 

 appropriated to the priory under like conditions. 5 

 Both these appropriations were made at the 

 request of Maud countess of Ulster. This lady, 

 in 1347, entered the religious life among the 

 nuns of Campsey, taking the habit of a regular, 

 and taking with her as dower the issues of all 

 her lands and rents in England, by crown 

 licence, for a year after her admission. It was 

 also granted that when, at the end of the year, 

 the king or the heir entitled to them, took this 

 property, Henry earl of Lancaster, her brother, 

 and five others, whom she had appointed her 

 attorneys, were to pay for her sustenance and for 

 the relief of the priory, which was very lean, 

 200 marks yearly for her life. 6 In October of 

 the same year, licence was obtained for Countess 

 Maud to ordain a perpetual chantry of five 

 chaplains (one being the warden) to celebrate 

 daily in the chapel of the Annunciation of our 

 Lady, in the priory church, for the honour of 

 God and His Virgin Mother, and for the saving 

 of the souls of William de Burges, earl of Ulster, 

 her first husband, and of Ralph de UfFord, her 

 second husband (whose body was buried in that 



1 Pat. 6 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 2. 



' Ibid. 1 6 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 18, 13. 



' Ibid. 17 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 35. 



* Ibid. 20 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 26 ; pt. iii, m. 25. 



6 Ibid. pt. iii, m. 24. 



' Ibid. 21 Edw. Ill, pt. iii, m. 37. 



chapel), also of Elizabeth de Burges and Maud 

 de UfFord, her daughters by the said husbands, 

 and for the good estate of the countess and 

 of John de UfFord and Thomas de Here- 

 ford, knights, and for their souls after death. 

 A messuage in Asshe, and the churches of 

 Burgh and Hargham, lately given to the priory, 

 were to be assigned to the warden of this 

 chantry. 7 



Roger de Boys, knight, and others obtained 

 licence in 1383 to alienate to this priory the 

 manor of Wickham Market and 5 acres of 

 meadow and 5 of pasture in Mellis, of the yearly 

 value of 1 8 1 8j. to support an increased number 

 of nuns and chaplains, and to find a wax candle 

 to burn in the quire of their church on the prin- 

 cipal festivals, 8 and in 1390 Sir Roger de Boys 

 and others, on payment of ^50 to the king, 

 were allowed to alienate to the priory the manor 

 of Horpol, a fourth part of the manor of Dal- 

 linghoo, and the manor of Hillington, in aid of 

 the maintenance of five chaplains to celebrate 

 daily in the priory, and of two nuns there 

 serving God. 9 This remarkable foundation is 

 fully described in a small chartulary at the Public 

 Record Office. 10 It is the only instance of which 

 we are aware where a small college of secular 

 priests was actually established within the pre- 

 cincts of a nunnery. 



The various particulars set forth in the ordi- 

 nation of this chantry by the Bishop of Norwich, 

 under date 3 October, 1390, provide that the 

 gifts of lands in Bruisyard, Swefling, Peasenhall, 

 Badingham, Cranford, and Parham, by Sir Roger 

 Boys and others were to be used towards the 

 adding of three chaplains to the two chantry 

 chaplains already provided by the foundation of 

 1383 ; that they were especially to pray for the 

 souls of William de UfFord and Robert de UfFord 

 and their wives, and for all the faithful, in the 

 chapel of St. Thomas the Martyr, within the 

 convent precincts ; that the convent was to 

 build for them a suitable manse with chambers 

 and common rooms within the close near to the 

 chapel ; that one of the five secular priests was 

 to be warden or master ; that they were to have 

 a common dormitory and refectory ; that the 

 priory was to pay the master 13 marks a year 

 and the other four chaplains 10 marks each ; 

 that the priory was to provide lights, wax, wine, 

 and vestments for the chapel of St. Thomas, and 

 also to keep the buildings in proper repair ; that 

 the chaplains were to be allowed free ingress and 

 egress through the convent at all suitable hours ; 

 that the master and chaplains were strictly to 

 abstain from entering the cloister or other build- 

 ings of the nuns ; and that the master was to 

 celebrate high mass in the conventual church on. 



' Pat. 21 Edw. Ill, pt. iii, m. 5. 



8 Ibid. 7 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 39. 



9 Ibid. 13 Ric. II, pt. iii, m. 27. 



10 Exch. L.T. R. Misc. Bks. No. 112. 



