RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



when Pope Gregory XI issued a bull stating that 

 ' on account of the evil rule of our beloved son 

 John Palmere if indeed he ought to be called 

 " beloved," ' the priory had fallen into a bad 

 state and its goods had been wasted ; the prior, 

 ' careless not only of property, but also of his own 

 good fame,' was living dissolutely outside the 

 monastery, and orders were given for his trial 

 and deposition if guilty. 183 



It has already been noticed in the account of 

 Hardham that Tortington was selected as a place 

 of banishment for disobedient canons ; it was 

 also chosen in 1376 as the retreat of more 

 worthy residents, for the earl of Arundel left 

 commands in his will that lands to the value of 

 200 marks should be given to the priory to the 

 intent that any chaplain of the college or chantry 

 which he desired to found in the castle of 

 Arundel who should be disabled by illness should 

 have his sustenance at Tortington. 184 The scheme 

 for the foundation of the college being changed 

 this was never carried out. 



The prior of Tortington complained in 1402 

 that one of his canons had withdrawn himself 

 and carried off various muniments and jewels of 

 the house. 186 The visitation of 1478 186 revealed 

 little seriously wrong, though it was noted that 

 the brethren were disobedient, a bad example 

 being set by the sacrist, Ellis Parker, who on 

 Relic Sunday told the prior that he committed 

 idolatry in honouring and worshipping relics of 

 saints and putting them on the high altar, and so 

 caused unseemly dispute, for which he was duly 

 penitent. It may be noted that this Ellis Parker 

 had a reputation outside his own monastery as a 

 good and religious man, the canons of Michelham 

 especially requesting that he might come to 

 them as sub-prior, which office he duly filled, 

 afterwards becoming prior of Pynham. It was 

 also mentioned that ' Faith Lucas has the office 

 called Day, and makes cheese and butter and 

 comes to the house sometimes ; she is, however, 

 believed to be of good conversation.' The 

 priory appears to have been vacant in 1521, as 

 the visitation only names the sub-prior and two 

 canons 187 ; from the other visitations it seems that 

 there were usually five canons besides the prior, 

 and in 1380 there were seven. 188 The last visi- 

 tation in 1527 shows the house in bad repair, 

 books lacking, and servants incompetent and 

 unskilled. 189 



Shortly before the dissolution in June, 1536, 

 Sir William Goryng wrote to Cromwell 19 that 

 he had been to Tortington Priory as ordered, 

 and had examined a canon, and afterwards ' all 



183 Cant. Archiepis. Reg. Sudbury, fol. 26. 



184 Ibid. fol. 92*. 



184 Ibid. Arundel, fol. no. 



186 Chich. Epis. Reg. Story, fol. 32. 



187 Ibid. Sherborn, fol. 107. I89 Cler. Subs. J- 



189 Chich. Epis. Reg. Sherborn, fol. 100. 



190 L. and P. Hen. Vlll, x, 207. 



four of them,' the result of which examination 

 he was sending with ' a copy of the book which 

 the prior did read as a prophecy.' He adds : 



I have sent you a bill in the prior's hand, sent to Sir 

 William Bury of Tortington, late prior of Shulbrede, 

 on 2 1st June, one day before I received your letter. 

 It was copied out of a book of one Mayys of South- 

 wark, grocer, the prior's brother. Harry Rynghede, 

 one of the canons, told me that when the prior was 

 in the court, by means of my cousin Palmer, he wrote 

 to the said Harry to burn all such letters as his brother 

 May had written to him, which he did. 



This reads like a case of treasonable correspond- 

 ence, but no more particulars appear. The 

 brother referred to was probably Robert May of 

 South wark, who by his will of 1536 left ' 2 ryalles 

 of golde' to his brother Thomas, prior of 

 St. Mary Magdalene of Tortington. 191 



The property of the priory reaching only the 

 clear annual value of ^75 12*. 3^. in 1535, 

 and 82 9*. 3^. in a later valuation, 192 it fell 

 with the smaller houses, but the exact date of its 

 surrender is unknown. The goods of the house, 

 including five bells and 171 ounces of silver, 

 fetched 144 125. io|(/., 193 from which 10 was 

 allowed to the five canons. 194 A pension of 10 

 was granted to the prior, and a similar amount 

 to a former prior, who had been living in the 

 priory since his resignation some years earlier. 196 



PRIORS OF TORTINGTON 

 Reyner, occurs 1230 49 186 

 Matthew, before I263 187 

 William de Launcel (?), occurs 1278 198 

 Walter, occurs I32O, 199 1331 20 

 William, occurs 1361 201 

 John Palmere, occurs I376 203 

 John, occurs 1380 203 

 Robert atte Lee, occurs 1402 204 

 Thomas, occurs 1417 206 

 Robert atte Lee, died 1440 206 

 John Losecroft, elected I44O 207 

 John Page, occurs 1478 208 

 John Gregory, occurs I524, 209 1529 

 Thomas Maye, occurs I534, 211 last prior 



191 P.C.C. Dyngeley, 2. m Suss. Arch. Coll. xliv, 65. 

 I9S Ibid. 59. "> 4 Ibid. 63. 



195 Mins. Accts. 28 & 29 Hen. VIII, No. 183. 

 198 feet off. (Suss. Rec. Soc.), Nos. 219, 464. 



197 Assize R. 912, m. 4. 



198 Coram Rege R. 39, m. 16. 



199 Assize R. 938, m. 36. 



100 Pat. 5 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 35 d, 



101 Cal. Papal Pet. i, 367. 



*" Cant. Archiepis. Reg. Sudbury, fol. 26. 

 * Cler. Subs. Jgl- 



104 Cant. Archiepis. Reg. Arnndel, fol. no. 

 205 Ibid. Chicheley, fol. 206; Assize R. 1528, 

 m. 24. 



** Ibid. Praty, fol 6\b. m Ibid. 



108 Ibid. Story, fol. 32. 



109 Ibid. Sherborn, pt. ii, fol. 96. 



110 L. and P. Hen. Vlll, iv, 2701. 

 " Ibid, vii, 1498 (22). 



