A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



John Underwood of Theberton and Matthew 

 Broun of Knoddishall obtained licence in 1342 

 to alienate to the abbey of Leiston a messuage 

 towards the sustenance of a canon to celebrate 

 once a week in the abbey church for their souls, 

 and for the souls of the faithful departed. 1 



The abbey obtained licence in 1344 to 

 acquire lands or rents to the value of ^20 

 yearly, in consequence of their impoverished state 

 through the frequent inundations of the sea over 

 their lands. 2 Lands and rents in Leiston and 

 neighbouring parishes to the value of 55*. yearly 

 were granted under this licence to the abbey in 

 the following year. 3 



In 1347 the royal sanction was obtained for 

 the appropriation to the abbey of the church of 

 St. Peter, Kirkley. 4 On i May, 1380, Henry, 

 bishop of Norwich, and Nicholas, prior of Nor- 

 wich, gave their assent to the appropriation of 

 the church of Theberton to the abbey and con- 

 vent of Leiston, 6 and in the following year an 

 agreement was sealed securing to Norwich priory 

 a pension of 4*. from Theberton church, 6 but in 

 1382 Margaret countess of Norfolk effected an 

 exchange with the abbey, giving the canons the 

 advowson of Kirkley, and taking Theberton. 7 



John the abbot and the convent of Leiston 

 indemnified the Bishop of Norwich and the 

 cathedral priory in 1367, by reason of the 

 appropriation of the parochial church of Gorton, 

 of their patronage, for first fruits, &c. 8 A 

 notarial instrument at the Bodleian concerning 

 the appropriation of this church is dated 

 27 November, u Pope Urban VI (1389)." 



The Valor of 1535 gave the clear annual 

 value of the abbey as ji8i ijs. i^d. The 

 temporalities of the manor of Leiston and its 

 members produced ^124 in., and lands and 

 rents at Culpho, Laxfield, Clavering, and Pet- 

 taugh added about ^24. The spiritualities from 

 the four churches of Leiston, Middleton, Aldring- 

 ham, and Gorton, realized a clear income of 

 37 os. 5rf. 



In 1350 the advowson or patronage of this 

 abbey, which had escheated to the crown by 

 the death of Guy de Ferre without issue, was 

 granted to Robert de Uffbrd, earl of Suffolk. 

 A few years later the new patron became the 

 munificent refounder of the abbey ; for the first 

 abbey church and the buildings, which were 

 placed inconveniently near the sea, becoming too 

 small, Robert earl of Suffolk, in 1363, erected 

 new and larger buildings about a mile eastward, 

 in a better and somewhat higher situation. This 



1 Pat. 1 6 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 4. 

 ' Ibid. 1 8 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 21. 



3 Ibid. 19 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 24. 



4 Ibid. 21 Edw. Ill, pt. iii, m. 22. 



5 Bodl. Chart. Suff. 227. Ibid. 221, 224. 



7 Ashm. MS. 804. 



" Bodl. Chart. Suff. 222. 



8 Ibid. 196 ; see also 223 



new abbey was unhappily, ere long, almost de- 

 stroyed by fire, but was rebuilt on the same site 

 on a finer scale in I3O8-9. 10 



The old abbey near the sea was never quite 

 abandoned, but treated as a small cell. Legacies 

 were left to our Lady of the old abbey in 1511 

 and I5i6, u and John Green, the penultimate 

 abbot, relinquishing his office by choice, was con- 

 secrated anchorite at the chapel of St. Mary in 

 the old monastery near the sea. la 



Richard II, in 1388, granted to the abbey an 

 ample charter of confirmation, adding the privi- 

 lege of electing their superior on a vacancy, 

 without seeking licence of the crown or any 

 other patron, and that during such vacancy no 

 one should seize their temporalities or in any 

 way whatsoever meddle with them. It was 

 further provided that no abbot of the house 

 should ever henceforth be compelled to grant 

 any corrody or pension. 13 At this time the 

 Uffords had become extinct, and Michael de la 

 Pole, the new earl of Suffolk, is named in the 

 patent as the patron of the abbey, which was, 

 however, at that time a purely nominal and 

 honorary office. 



During the reigns of Edwards II and III the 

 insisting on the support of royal pensioners by 

 the abbey had been a severe tax. In 1309, 

 Simon de St. Giles, a servant of the late king, 

 was sent to Leiston Abbey to be provided for life 

 with food and clothing and a suitable chamber. 

 In 1314 the great burden was laid on this con- 

 vent of supporting for life Thomas de Varlay 

 in food, clothing, shoe-leather, and all necessaries, 

 together with suitable maintenance for two 

 horses and two grooms. 14 In 1334 William de 

 Banbury was sent by the crown to receive mainte- 

 nance ; 16 and in 1343 John de Lech, one of the 

 king's mariners, was sent on a like errand. 18 



The houses of the white canons were all 

 exempt from diocesan visitation, but they were 

 always rigidly and regularly visited by commis- 

 saries from the parent house of Pre'montre'. 

 When Bishop Redman held the office of visitor 

 he proved himself to be a singularly painstaking 

 and somewhat stern official. His visits to Leis- 

 ton, according to his register at the Bodleian, were 

 almost entirely satisfactory. 



The abbey was visited by Bishop Redman in 

 1478, when Richard Dunmow was abbot and 

 Robert Colvyll prior and cellarer. Fourteen 

 other canons were present. It was stated that 

 the five churches appropriated to the abbey were 

 served by the canons, and that their appoint- 

 ments were not perpetual. 17 



10 Suckling, Hiit. of Suff. ii, 433-4. 



11 Ibid. 444. 



12 Add. MS. 19081, fol. 162. 



13 Pat. 12 Rich. II, pt. i, m. 19. 



14 Close, z Edw. II, m. 7 d. 



15 Ibid, 7 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 12 d. 



16 Close, 1 6 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 23^. 



17 Ashmole MS. 1519 (Bodl. Lib.). 



118 



