A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



more than maintained under his successor, 

 William Castleton, a monk from Norwich, who 

 had been elected that year. Even William 

 Bury, once so riotous, and now restored in his 

 old age to the office of prior, had now no other 

 complaint than that the monks did not proceed 

 in a body to the dorter after compline. Richard 

 Cambridge was still there, but instead of 

 breathing forth complaints about his brethren, 

 he merely asked a question of the visitors as to 

 a pension due to them from the abbot and con- 

 vent of Langley. The injunctions provided that 

 the monks were to retire to their dorter in a 

 body after compline, and to depart in the same 

 way to prime ; that the quire books should be 

 repaired ; and that a tutor be provided for the 

 instruction of the novices.^ 



Abbot Castleton resigned in 1532, and became 

 prior of Norwich, and subsequently the first dean 

 of the new establishment. His successor, Eligius 

 or Loys Ferrers, D.D., elected in 1532, was 

 the last abbot. On 31 August, 1534, the abbot 

 and ten of the monks subscribed in their chapter- 

 house to the king's supremacy.^ 



According to the scandalous comperta of Legh 

 and Ap Rice presented early, in 1536, four of the 

 Wymondham monks confessed their uncleanness.' 



On 22 August, 1537, Abbot Loys wrote to 

 Cromwell acknowledging the receipt of his 

 letter desiring them to grant a lease of the manor 

 and parsonage of Happisburgh to William Clifton. 

 The abbot stated that there was nothing he 

 could ask that they would not willingly perform 

 unless it was against the benefit of their mona- 

 stery, as this would greatly be. The lordship 

 had never been let, and they got many beneficial 

 things from it, such as wreck and fish, and they 

 had no other pasture for their sheep whereby 

 they maintain hospitality according to the king's 

 injunctions. The letter was signed by the abbot, 

 Thomas Thaxted, cellarer, Thomas Lynne, sub- 

 prior, John Harlyston, third prior, Edward 

 Saame, chanter, Richard Cambridge, sub-chanter, 

 Robert Colchester, sacrist, and three others. On 

 13 September the abbot sent another letter in 

 reply to an answer from Cromwell, wherein 

 doubt had been thrown upon his previous state- 

 ments. The abbot was sure that hospitality was 

 better maintained for both rich and poor under 

 the present arrangement. If they had to leave 

 Happisburgh they would be compelled to sell 

 their sheep and buy mutton in the market. He 

 boldly asked Cromwell to prefer the maintenance 

 and profit of a multitude ' to the particular com- 

 modity and preferment of this one person, 

 William Clifton.'* 



On 30 January, 1538, Abbot Loys again 

 wrote to the lord privy seal, saying that after 



' Jessopp, Noru!. fisit. (Camd. Soc). 

 ' L. and P. Hen. Fill, vii, 142. 

 ' Ibid. X, 143. 

 • Ibid, xii (2), 212, 247. 



his return from London he had told his brethrer> 

 of Cromwell's great goodness, notwithstanding 

 the sinister and untrue reports of William Clifton. 

 The convent agreed to grant him an annuity of 

 53;. ^d., and the patent of this he sent by the 

 bearer, together with a ' portegewe of gold.' ' 



Priors of Wymondham 



Nigel,^ occurs c. 1 1 15 



Alexius,^ occurs 1 136 



Galienus * 



Ralf de Miers,' occurs 1160 



Nicholas ^^ 



Raymund,^^ occurs 1 187 



Donatus,'^ occurs 1 1 90 



Alexander de Langley,^^ occurs 1 2 1 7 



Ralph de Stanham alias Whitby," occurs 



c. 121 8 

 William de Feschamp,'' occurs c. 121 8 

 Thomas Medicus,^^ occurs 1224 

 William de St. Albans,^' died 1262 

 William de Hortone,^* 1264 

 Roger de Hare '^ 



Adam Pulleyn, occurs 1285,"" died ^* 13^3 

 John de Stevenache,^^ occurs 1304 

 William de Somerton,^^ elected 7 February, 



1317 

 John de Hurlee,^ elected 3 February, 1 3 1 7 

 Nicholas de Flamstede," elected 1323 

 Richard de Hedersete,-^ elected 1334 

 Henry de Stukeley,^' elected 1337 

 Henry de Stukeley,^^ reappointed 1347 

 Nicholas de Radclyf,^^ elected 1360 

 William Killingworth,'" elected 1380 

 Thomas Walsingham,'^ elected 1394 

 William Wyndruch,'^ elected 1396 

 John Savage,'' elected 1400 

 William Boyden,'* elected 1405 

 John Isham,'* elected 141 6 

 William Alnwyk,'^ elected 1420 



' Ibid, xiii (i), 57. 

 Blomefield, Hist. ofNorf. x, 518. 

 ' Ibid. 



' Ibid. ^ Ibid 



" Cott. MS. C. viii, 61. 

 '» Blomelield, Hist. ofNorf. x, 518. 

 " Gesta Abbatum, i, 260. " Ibid. 



" Ibid, i, 274. 



'* Matt. Paris, Vit. Abb. St. A/bani, 1053. 

 " Gfsta Abbatum, i, 407-8. 

 " Ibid. 



" Ibid. " Assize R. 5 80, m. 1 9 </. 



" Blomefield, loc. cit. 

 " Gesta Abbatum, ii, 86. 

 " Norw. Epis. Reg. i, 72. " Ibid. 



" Ibid, i, 102. '' Ibid, ii, 67. 



" Ibid, iii, 7. " Ibid. iv. 64. 



'' Ibid, v, 84. 



™ Amundesham, Ann. \, 436. 

 '' Norw. Epis. Reg. vi, 195. 

 ^' Gesta Abbatum, iii, 436. 

 " Norw. Epis. Reg. vi, 282. 

 " Ibid, vi, 330. 

 '^ Blomefield, Hist. ofNorf. x, 5 19. " Ibid. 



Ibid. 



342 



