A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



24. THE PRIORY OF OLD BUCKEN- 

 HAM 



This priory was founded about the year 11 46 

 by William de Albini, second earl of Arundel, 

 and Queen Adeliza his wife. The foundation 

 charter, given in full in the Monaiticon, is cited 

 in confirmation charter by Edward II.' By this 

 charter the priory was endowed with the rectories 

 of All Saints and St. Andrews on the manor of 

 Buckenham, the site of the old castle, and its 

 materials, eighty acres of lands and much wood 

 and meadow. The priory was dedicated to the 

 honour of St. Mary, St. James, and All Saints, 

 and the canons were to follow the rule of the 

 order of St. Augustine, according to the insti- 

 tution of St. Mary of Merton, and to pray for 

 the souls of the founder and his wife. King 

 Stephen, Maud, their ancestors and progeny, and 

 for the souls of all benefactors. 



William de Albini, earl of Sussex, the son of 

 the founder, gave the canons the advowson of 

 Kenninghall ; Richard, son of Robert de Scenges 

 gave them the advowson of St. Mary's, Barwick, 

 Peter de Cley the advowson of St. Peter's, 

 Cleythorpe ; Robert son of Robert de Tateshall 

 the advowson of Gunneby, and Thomas de St. 

 Giles the advowson of St. Benedict, Norwich. 

 They also received large benefactions, in the 

 lifetime of the founder's son, of lands, tenements, 

 rents, and services from Richard de Scenges and 

 others, as set forth in the same confirmation 

 charter of Edward II. 



When the taxation roll of 1 291 was drawn 

 up this house had possessions in forty-two Nor- 

 folk parishes, of the annual value of ^^52 o;. ()\d., 

 and in one Suffolk parish, value is. id? 



Pardon was granted in 1335 to the priory for 

 having obtained various small grants of land in 

 Buckenham, &c., without mortmain licence,' 

 and the church of Griston was appropriated to the 

 convent in 1348.* 



The Valor of 1535 gave the clear annual 

 taxation value of the priory at ;£io8 10^. l\d. 



On 18 August, 1 3 10, the prior of Bucken- 

 ham received a letter from the crown, thanking 

 him for the loan that he had agreed to make to 

 the king of victuals for the Scotch expedition, 

 namely, 6 quarters of wheat, lO of malt, 10 of 

 oats, and 2 beeves and 10 sheep. He was 

 ordered to deliver them to the sheriff of Norfolk, 

 so that he might speedily forward them to 

 Berwick-on-Tweed, making indentures with 

 him of the sum of the victuals and of their 

 market price. He was to be repaid the follow- 

 ing Easter.' 



' Chart. R. 1 1 Edw. II, No. 49, m. 10 ; Mon. vi, 

 419. 



' Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.) 97, 99, 100, 

 104-8, 127. 



^ Pat. 9 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 16. 



' Ibid. 22 Edw. Ill, pt. iii, m. 27. 



' Close, 4 Edw. II, m. 23. 



In 1479 there were eight canons at Old Buck- 

 enham Priory, in addition to the prior, namely, 

 Thomas Fincham, Richard Cley, Henry Lyche- 

 field, Thomas Beverley, John Buckenham, John 

 Chambyr, William Harnsych, and Richard 

 Buckenham, cellarer. In 1480 there were the 

 same canons, with the addition of John Baron. 

 In 1493 there were these nine canons, with the 

 addition of John Formale, a novice just admitted 

 amongst them. The full complement of the 

 house was reached in that year, for it consisted, 

 according to its foundation, of a prior and ten 

 canons. Each canon, in addition to food and 

 maintenance, received 40/. yearly stipend, some- 

 what after the fashion of secular canons. They 

 chose yearly from their numbers a sub-prior, a 

 sacrist, and a cellarer. The temporal officers 

 of the household were the steward of their courts, 

 a liayward, a woodward, and a porter. There 

 was also an auditor, appointed by the lord for 

 the annual auditing of their accounts. In 1493 

 John Bown was their auditor ; the total income 

 was about ;^i 10, and they disbursed about ;^ioo. 

 In that year John Plattynge was prior. ^ 



Bishop Goldwell visited this house on 16 Octo- 

 ber, 1492 ; the prior and seven canons then 

 present were each privately examined, with the 

 result that various complaints were formulated 

 against the prior. They were to the effect tliat 

 Prior John did not show yearly to the chapter 

 the state of the house ; that he was too partial, 

 and that there was not perfect charity among 

 the canons ; that there was not a sufficiency of 

 fish on fast days ; that he did not seek the ad- 

 vice of his chapter on serious affairs, but did 

 everything after his own judgement ; that he had 

 pledged a silver-gilt bowl, value eight marks ; 

 that if any of the brethren were ill he did not 

 assign anyone to attend them in the farmery but 

 obliged them to attend hall ; that he farmed out 

 the dairy to the great loss of the house ; that 

 the frater was not served save in Lent and 

 Advent, nor was care taken for the observance 

 of silence in cloister and quire ; that the food 

 for the kitchen was not good or wholesome ; 

 that the house and walls of the priory were 

 ruinous ; and that a certain woman named Isabel 

 Warner was often at the priory under suspicious 

 circumstances. 



Upon this the bishop adjourned the visitation 

 to the following day, and then further prorogued 

 to 9 July of the next year, doubtless with the 

 object of seeing whether the necessary reforms 

 were carried out. 



On 26 June, 1514 Bishop Nicke visited ; and 

 after a sermon in the chapter-house by Master 

 Forthe, Prior John Millgate complained that 

 Canon Thomas was not obedient ; Sub-Prior 

 Beverley, that Canon Thomas Ixning was not 



* From p.irticulars given by Blomefield from 'An 

 accoumpt book of this priory in the hands of Mieux 



Rant Esq.' 



376 



