RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



and other silver plate had been pledged. William 

 Kingsmill made like complaints, and said that the 

 prior, whom he considered remiss but not criminal 

 in his conduct, had presented no accounts for 

 seven years. The depositions of Robert Barne- 

 ham and Thomas Herd were to much the same 

 effect.' 



At Bishop Nicke's visitation of June, 1520, 

 only the prior, John Thetford, and three canons 

 were present. The prior stated that the priory 

 buildings were in sad decay, and that the income 

 was not sufficient for their support. Richard 

 Noris said that Thomas Lowthe, the predecessor 

 of the present prior, had taken with him a breviary 

 belonging to the house.^ 



At the visitation of July, 1526, the prior and 

 five canons were present. Prior Thetford com- 

 plained of the unpunctuality of the canons at 

 high mass on Sundays and the principal feasts. 

 Nicholas Skete thought the beer was too sweet 

 and weak.' 



The last visitation was held in July, 1532, 

 when the prior and three canons were severally 

 examined, and all testified omnia bene so far as 

 the condition of the house permitted. There 

 were also three novices who were professed by 

 the bishop. The bishop enjoined on the prior 

 to see that the newly professed were instructed 

 in grammar.* 



Prior John Thetford and six canons sub- 

 scribed to the royal supremacy in their chapter- 

 house on 26 August, 1534. In that year Prior 

 Thetford, who had been a canon of Butley, gave 

 to the church of that monastery two chalices, 

 one for the chapel of All Saints and the other 

 for the chapel of St. Sigismund ; also two relics, 

 with a silver pix for relics, and the comb of 

 St. Thomas of Canterbury. He resigned the 

 priory of Thetford about the close of 1534, and 

 became prior of Holy Trinity, Ipswich. 



Legh and Ap Rice, the notorious visitors of 

 Cromwell, visited this priory towards the end of 

 1535. According to their Mw/i^T/a Prior Clerk 

 confessed incontinency to these men and his 

 desire to marry ; they also reported badly of three 

 others.^ 



The county commissioners for suppression of 

 this house in 1536 reported that it was of the 

 clear annual value of ;^44 lis. locl. ; that the 

 lead and bells were worth ;^8o, and the 

 movable goods ^29 8j. jd. ; and that the debts 

 owing amounted to /^J is. J id. The house 

 was ' very Ruynousande in Decaye.' They found 

 only one religious person there, ' of slendre 

 Reporte who requirythe to have a dispensacione 

 to goo to the Worlde.' The persons who had 

 their living at the house were sixteen — namely, 

 two priests, two hmds, four children, and eight 

 waiting servants.* 



' Jessopp, Norw. Visit. (Camd. See), 88-89. 



' ibid. 155. ' Ibid. 242-3. ■■ Ibid. 303. 



' L. and P. Hen. VIII, x, 144. 



' Chant. Cert. Norf. No. 90. 



2 



Prior Clerk obtained a pension of ten marks.' 

 The house, site, and possessions were granted 

 in 1537 '^° S''' Richard Fulmerston. 



Priors of Thetford 



Richard,* 1202 

 Gislebert' 



Wi: 



1228 



1247 



Richard,'* 1242 



Roger de Kersey,'^ 



William, '^ 1274 



Peter de Horsage,'^ elected 13 15 



Richard de Wintringham,'' elected 1329 



John de Shefford,'* elected 1338 



Roger de Kerseye," 1347 



Robert de Thetford,'* ^349 



Robert Edwj'n,'' resigned 135 1 



Adam de Hokewold,"" elected 1 351 



William de Haneworth,^' elected 1358 



Adam de Worsted,-- elected 1378 



Robert de Stowe,^' died 1420 



John Paltok,-* elected 1420 



John Grenegras,-* elected 1432 



Peter Tryon,-* elected 1454 



Reginald Ilberd,^' elected 147 I 



John Burnell, alias Burham,"* 1496 



William,-^ 1503 



Thomas Vicar,'" occurs 15 12 



John Thetford,'' occurs 15 19 



John Clerk,'^ occurs 1535 



The thirteenth-century seal of this priory has 

 under a pinnacled canopy Our Lord rising from 

 the sepulchre, at the head of which is an angel, 

 with two sleeping soldiers in base. Legend : — 



ECCLESIE d' thetford. . . ." 



A fine but imperfect impression of a seal 

 ad causas of this house is attached to a charter 

 of 1457. It bears the Risen Saviour standing, 

 the right hand raised in benediction, and the left 

 grasping a long cross. In the field, on the left 

 are the arms of Warenne, chequy ; and on the 

 right a crescent and a star. Legend : — 



.hefo. 



.AD CAVS. 



34 



Ibid. 



' Aug. Off. Bks. ccxxxii, 35;^. 

 ^ Martin, Hist, of Thetford, 189-90. 

 " Ibid. '» Ibid. 



>' Ibid. " Ibid. 



" Norw. Epis. Reg. i, 63. 

 '* Ibid, ii, 28. '" Ibid, iii, 19. 



" Martin, Hist, of Thetford, 189. 

 " Ibid. " Norw. Epis. Reg. iv, 1 34. 



»» Ibid. *' Ibid. V, 29. 



"Ibid, vi, 63. "Ibid, viii, 57. 



-' Ibid. '' Ibid, ix, 57. 



'' Ibid, xi, 76. " Ibid. 82. 



^^ Martin, Hist, of Thetford, 190. 

 '^ Ibid. '" Jessopp, Norw. Visit. 88. 



" Ibid. 155. ^ Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.). 



" B.M. Cart. Ixix, 48 ; Dugdale, Moii. vi, 729 

 Ackn. of Supr. (P.R.O.), 109. 



^ Add. Chart. 17245 ; Blomefield, Notf. ii, 98. 



393 50 



