A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



of the bishops of Hereford to show that they 

 exercised any control over the bailiff, 1 or that 

 they committed the custody of Newent to him 

 by any formal act. On account of the possession 

 of the churches of Kingsland, Dymock, and 

 Newent with the chapel of Pauntley, in 1195 

 the bishop and chapter of Hereford made the 

 abbot of Cormeilles a canon, assigned him a 

 prebendal stall, and gave him a place in the 

 chapter. He was bound to appoint a suitable 

 vicar to make perpetual residence in his absence. 3 



In 1247 tne a bbot and convent of Cormeilles 

 let the church of Beckford with the chapel of 

 Aston at a rent of sixty marks to the prior and 

 convent of St. Barbe-en-Auge, who possessed 

 a cell at Beckford. 3 The arrangement was 

 recognized by Walter Cantilupe, bishop of 

 Worcester, in 1 248.* Another agreement to the 

 same effect was concluded in 126 7.* How 

 long it lasted is uncertain; in 1339 the prior 

 of Beckford still paid procuration to the bishop 

 for the parish church. 6 In 1373 it was declared 

 that the crown had recently recovered the pre- 

 sentation to the church of Beckford which the 

 abbot and convent of Cormeilles had held as 

 appropriated to the cell of Newent. 7 However, 

 in consideration of the cause of the recovery, 

 which is not stated, Edward III granted it 

 back to the abbot and convent. 8 It was not 

 again leased to the prior of Beckford. 9 



In 1226 Henry III granted the right of 

 holding a yearly fair in the manor of Newent ; 10 

 in 1253 he confirmed the fair and added a 

 weekly market. 11 On more than one occasion 

 disputes arose with the escheators, who attempted 

 to enter upon the possessions of the priory on 

 the death either of the abbot of Cormeilles or 

 of his bailiff the prior of Newent. 13 In 1320 

 a search was made among the records of the 

 exchequer as far back as Richard I, and it was 

 discovered that the crown had never had the 

 custody of Newent Priory during such voidances. 

 At the same time it was expressly stated that 



the bailiff was appointed by the abbot and 

 removable at his pleasure. 



During the wars with France Newent was 

 seized like other alien priories. In 1305 

 Edward I allowed the prior to have the custody 

 by paying 120 a year into the exchequer. 14 

 It is not clear whether Edward III pursued the 

 same course. In 1345 he granted the custody 

 to Thomas de Bradeston for ^130 a year, 16 but 

 it is possible that it was a temporary measure, 

 perhaps taken immediately on the death of a 

 bailiff. In 1382, when the alien priories were 

 again in the hands of the crown, the abbot and 

 convent of Cormeilles granted their manor of 

 Newent called ' priorie ' to Sir John Devereux 

 for his life, with remainder to his son, wife, and 

 daughter. 16 Richard II allowed the grant on 

 condition that during war with France the 

 rent of ^126 13*. i^d, should be paid to the 

 exchequer, and that due provision should be 

 made for divine service and other charges. 17 In 

 1399 Henry IV committed the custody of the 

 manors of Newent and Kingston and the tem- 

 poralities of the priory in Gloucestershire and 

 Herefordshire to Sir John Cheyne for a ferm 

 of jS4, and ,20 to be paid for the support of 

 the prior and other charges, while the war with 

 France lasted. 18 In 1400 Henry IV restored 

 some of the alien priories, but Newent was not 

 among them. On n February, 1401, he 

 granted to Sir John Cheyne and a clerk, by 

 name Thomas Horeton, the issues, rents, and 

 profits pertaining to the rectories of Newent, 

 Beckford, and Dymock for 150 marks a year. 1 ' 

 In 1411 he granted all the possessions of the 

 priory of Newent to his new foundation of the 

 collegiate church of Fotheringhay. 20 



PRIORS OF NEWENT 



William de Hakeville, occurs I243 21 

 Simonde Goupillariis, occurs 1 290 22 and 1 298 2i 

 John Fabri, occurs I374 24 



COLLEGE 



19. THE COLLEGE OF WESTBURY- 

 ON-TRYM 



It has been surmised that a monastery was 

 founded at Westbury-on-Trym about 716." It was 



1 In 1289 the prior supplied Bishop Swinfield with 

 hay, litter, and brushwood when he came to Newent 

 on 20 December, but his act was gratuitous ; cf. 

 Household Roll of Bishop Swinfield (Camd. Soc.), ii, cxvi. 



I Ibid. fol. 8 v., 9. ' Ibid. fol. 19. 

 4 Ibid. fol. 2 2 p. 'Ibid, i jv. 



6 Wore. Epis. Reg. Bransford, fol. 1 5 d. 

 " Pat. 47 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 29. 8 Ibid. 



9 Wore. Reg. Sette Vac. (Wore. Hist. Soc.), 308. 

 10 Close R. 10 Hen. Ill, m. 8. 



II Cart R. 37 Hen. Ill, m. 10. 



" Cal. of Pat. 14 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 8. 



" Clifton Antiquarian Club Proceedings, iv, 22-42. 



most probably a place of residence for a number of 

 priests who lived their life in common, but were 

 not under monastic vows. In 824 the cathedral 

 church of Worcester obtained possession of the 



"MS. Add. 18461, fol. 92. 



15 Cal. of Pat. 19 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 31. In 1344 

 he was recognized as the abbot's proctor ; Cal. of Pat. 

 1 8 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 3. 



16 Ibid. 5 Ric. II, pt. ii, m. 9. 



" Ibid. 18 Ibid, i Hen. IV, pt. v, m. 4. 



19 Ibid. 2 Hen. IV, pt. ii, m. 31. 

 m Tanner, Notitia Monastica, ed. 1744, p. 379. 

 81 MS. Add. 1 846 1, fol. 29 r. 



" Household Roll of Bishop Smnfield (Camd. Soc.), 

 II, p. cxxxvii. 



13 Add. MS. 18461, fol. 33. 

 84 Won. Reg. SeJe Vac. (Wore. Hist. Soc.), 308. 



106 



