

RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



at this date almost all the manors outside Sussex 

 had been granted to ' Tideman de Lynberg ' by 

 the king's licence, and half the manor of Jeving- 

 ton, as well as tithes in many places, had also 

 passed out of the prior's possession. 73 In 1337 

 the prior was ordered to pay the king ,50 in 

 addition to the 20 which he had already paid 

 to be allowed to have the custody of the priory's 

 lands at a yearly farm of lJO, 7t and these extra 

 payments proved so vexatious that in 1342 he 

 offered to pay 200 yearly instead of ^170 if 

 he might thereby be quit of all other exactions. 75 



Mention has already been made of the gift of 

 the churches of Firle, East Dean, and West 

 Dean. The latter was granted to Richard de 

 Cumbe and Sybil his wife in 1200 in exchange 

 for the church of Friston by Robert abbot of 

 Grestein, 78 who at about the same time gave the 

 church of Firle to the bishop of Chichester on 

 condition that the abbots in future should be 

 canons holding a prebend in the church of 

 Chichester. This prebend was constituted by 

 Bishop Seffrid II out of the churches of Wil- 

 mington, Willingdon, and East Dean, 77 to which 

 was added Westham, bringing the value up to 

 55 marks. 78 The advowson of Hartfield rectory 

 was obtained from William Filliol in 13 18, 79 and 

 completed the prior's spiritualities in the diocese 

 of Sussex. 



The history of this alien house previous to its 

 suppression in 1414 is practically a blank. The 

 grant of the honour of Pevensey to John of 

 Gaunt in 1 372 included the advowson or patron- 

 age of the priory of Wilmington. 80 When it 

 was seized by Richard II in 1380 the prior of 

 the neighbouring convent of Michelham obtained 

 the custody of it and its possessions, agreeing to 

 pay a rent of 100 to the king, another 20 marks 

 to the prior during his lifetime and afterwards 

 to the king, and to discharge the services, alms, 

 and works of charity customary. 81 In 1385, 

 however, the king bestowed the priory upon Sir 

 James Berners in discharge of a promised annuity 

 of jiOO, and in spite of the prior of Michel- 

 ham's protest, he was put in possession, and 

 probably so remained until 1389, when custody 

 was granted to Sir Edward Dalingregge and 

 Thomas Wysebech, chaplain the latter possibly 

 undertaking the spiritual affairs of the priory 

 at a rent of no marks, of which loo marks was 

 regranted to Sir Edward. 



In 1414 Wilmington was suppressed with the 



71 Add. MSS. 6164, fol. 417. 



71 Close, II Edw. Ill, pt.. ii, m. 37. 



74 Ibid. 1 6 Edw. HI, pt.'i, m. 21. 



76 feet off. Sun. (Suss. Rec. Soc.), No. 47. 



77 Swainson, Hist, of Chich. Cath. 26. 



78 Add. MSS. 6164, fol. 417. 



79 Inq. a. q. d. 132, No. 21. 



80 Dtp. Keeper" i Rep. xxvi, 37. 



81 Anct. Pet. 6229, printed in Salzmann, Hist, oj 

 1 1 at Is ham, 222. 



other alien houses, and its possessions granted by 

 Henry V to the dean and chapter of Chichester 

 to found a chantry for two priests for the good 

 of the souls of the king's parents and his servant 

 Nicholas Mortimer. 



PRIORS OF WILMINGTON 



John, occurs 1 243 M 



Reynold, occurs I27O 83 



William, occurs 1299^ 



William, occurs 1320 85 



William de Blainville, occurs 1338 86 



Peter Crispyn, occurs 1341,^ 1344 88 



William de Banvilla, occurs I343, 89 1345 90 



John Pykot, occurs 1352" 



John de Valle, occurs 1371 92 



Walter Bristowe, occurs 1 400 93 - 1403 94 



66. THE PRIORY OF WITHYHAM 



Robert, count of Mortain, some time before 

 1086, gave to the priory of Mortain, a cell of 

 Marmoutier, eight burgages in Pevensey worth 

 51. 6^., and probably also the manor of Withy- 

 ham and the hamlet of Blackham in that parish. 85 

 These two estates were temporarily usurped by 

 Walter de Richardeville, but were restored to the 

 monks about IO95, 96 and further confirmed to 

 them by Robert's son William, as count, about 

 IIOO. 97 A single monk appears to have been 

 put in charge of their Sussex estates and dignified 

 with the title of prior of Withyham at least as 

 early as I249- 98 



In 1325 the monks of Mortain, by their 

 proctor the prior of Withyham, had property in 

 the parish worth 26 15*.," and in 1370 are re- 

 turned as holding the manor and advowson of 

 Withyham, the manor being farmed at 20. 



81 Feet off. Suss. (Suss. Rec. Soc.), No. 416. 



83 Assize R. 913, m. I d. 



84 Pat. 27 Edw. I, m. 35. 



85 Pat. 14 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 2 d. This appears to be 

 W. de Blanville ; Anct. Correspondence, xxxvii, 55. 



86 Pipe R. 12 Edw. III. 87 Ibid. 15 Edw. III. 



88 Close, 18 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 19. 



89 Pat. 17 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 9, 10. 



90 Summoned before the Council at London with 

 other alien priors. Close, 19 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 22 d. 



91 Assize R. 941, m. $6 d. 



91 Charter in library of Chichester Cathedral; Hist. 

 MSS. Com. Rep. 1901, p. 203. 



93 Coram Rege R. Hil. 2 Hen. IV, m. 51. 



94 Acts of P.C. i, 195. He had custody of the 

 priory until 4 Hen. IV, when it was granted to Ric. 

 Leyntwardyn, clerk, and Hen. Pountfreyt ; Pipe R. 

 6 Hen. IV. He is in this place called a Cluniac 

 monk, and appears to have belonged to the priory of 

 Lewes. 



95 See r.C.H. Suss. i, 376. * Cal. Doc. Trance, 434. 

 97 Ibid. 436. " Assize R. 909, m. 4 d. 



99 Add. MSS. 6164, fol. 340. 10 Ibid. fol. 415. 



123 



