A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



deeply the death of his friend, and on appeal to 

 the pope a dispensation was granted.' 



On 7 April, 1324, the sheriff of Hampshire 

 was ordered to cause Margaret, the eldest daughter 

 of Sir Roger de Mortimer of Wilmore, to be 

 conducted to the prior)' of Shouldham. At the 

 same time the sheriff ordered the convent to 

 receive and keep her safely amongst the nuns, 

 informing them that they would receive from 

 the king's treasure i$d. weekly for her main- 

 tenance and a mark yearly for her robe. Mar- 

 garet's younger sisters, Joan and Isabella, were 

 in like manner severally despatched to the Gil- 

 bertine houses of Sempringham and Cockersand, 

 i2tL a week being paid for their maintenance.^ 



The untrustworthy compcrta of Ap Rice and 

 Legh, presented in 1536, alleged confessions of 

 incontinence by two nuns and three canons of 

 this liouse.^ 



The house was surrendered on 15 October, 

 1538; it was signed by Robert Swift, prior, 

 Richard Foster, sub-prior, and eight other canons, 

 and also by Elizabeth Fincham, prioress, Joan 

 Plomstede, sub-prioress, and five other nuns.* 



On 24 November the prior obtained a pension 

 of ;/^20, and eight canons smaller amounts ; 

 at the same time a pension of ^^5 was assigned 

 to the prioress, and smaller sums to eight nuns.' 



After the dissolution this priory and its posses- 

 sions remained in the hands of the crown until 



1553, when it was sold to Thomas Mildmay 

 for ;^ 1)049 9^- ^¥- 



Priors of Shouldham 



William,' occurs 1250 

 Richard,* occurs c. 1270 

 Benedict,^ occurs 1281 

 Nicholas,'" occurs 1294 



Thomas de Carmirton alun Carmelton,'' re- 

 signed before 1305 

 Robert de Syvington,'- occurs 1387 

 Robert," occurs 1404 

 Nicholas Feriby,'* occurs 1413 

 Hugh HuU,'^ occurs 1435 

 Thomas,'^ 1439 

 John Wenham,'' 1455 

 Thomas Stanton,'* occurs 1479 

 Thomas,'^ 1 493 

 John Edmund,-'* occurs 1502 

 John Bray,^' occurs 1 5 1 7 

 Robert Swift,-^ occurs 1534 



Prioresses of Shouldham 



Margaret) 03 



„ .v ^occurs 1404''' 

 Cecily J 



Anna^,=* 1453 



Joan,-* 1465 



Elizabeth Fincham,-^ 1531 



HOUSES OF PREMONSTRATENSIAN CANONS 



42. THE ABBEY OF WEST DEREHAM 



Hubert Walter, dean of York, who after- 

 wards became successively bishop of Salisbury 

 and archbishop of Canterbury, founded at his 

 birthplace of West Dereham, in the year 1 188, an 

 abbey for Premonstratensian canons, which was 

 colonized from Welbeck. The canons were to 

 pray for the souls of the founder and his parents, 

 his brothers and sisters and all his relatives and 

 friends, as well as for the souls of Ralph de 

 Glanville, justiciary of England, and Bertha his 

 wife.^ 



King John, on 7 September, 1 199, confirmed 

 all the grants made to the abbey by the founder 

 and by other early benefactors ; at the same 

 time, at the request of the founder, who was 

 then archbishop of Canterburj', he conferred on 

 the abbey and its tenants exemption from all 



' Cal. Papal Reg. ii, 214. 



' Cal. of Close, 17 Edw. II, m. 15. Sir Roger de 

 Mortimer had escaped out of the Tower of London. 

 Chnn. <ie Sempringham, fol. 351. 



^ L. and P. Hen. Fill, x, 143. 



* R\mer, Foedera (Rec. Com.), xiv, 620. 

 " L. and P. Hen. Fill, xiv (i), 600. 



* Foundation Charter (Dugdale, Mon. vi, 899-900). 



kinds of service, tolls and dues.'' In the same 

 year John granted to the abbey a weekly Wed- 

 nesday market, and an annual fair of four days, 

 namely on the festival of St. Matthew and the 

 three following days,^* and in 1 201, the king 

 confirmed to them the grants of half the church 

 of Holkham and of the church of Ringland.^' . 



' Blomefield, Hist, of Nor f. vii, 424. 



^ Ibid. = Pat. 9 Edw. I, m. 12. 



'° Pat. 22 Edw. I, m. 12 a'. 



" He essoins as ' formerly prior ' in this year ; 

 Assize R. 1235, m. 38 d, 45. 



" Pat. 10 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 23. 



'^ Memo. R.K.R. Trin. 5 Hen. IV, m. 5. 



" Norw. Epis. Reg. vii, 60. 



" Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. vii, 424. 



'* Norw. Epis. Reg. x, 27. 



" Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. vii, 424. 



'^ Ibid. " Norw. Epis. Reg. xii, 175. 



''" Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. vii, 424. 



" Ibid. " Ibid. 



" They are named jointly as prioresses ; Memos. 

 R.K.R. Trin. 5 Hen. IV, m. 5. 



" Tanner, Norw. MSS. i, 579. 



" Ibid. »" Ibid. 



" Chart. R. I John, m. 10. 



" Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. vii, 331. 



" Chart. R. 2 John, 18 April. 



414 



