THE HISTORY OF BREADSALL PRIORY. 1 47 



for the term of 21 years, payable at the terms of the Annuncia- 

 tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel 

 equally, and it shall be lawful for the farmer to take, receive, 

 and have sufficient hedgebote, firebote, ploughbote, and cart- 

 bote of in and upon the premises, and the same farm shall be 

 exonerated of all yearly pensions and rents issuing out of the 

 premises during the term aforesaid, as in the said indentures 

 more fully is contained, this being the first year of his term."* 



From the sum of the receipts (^16 ys. $d.) there had to be 

 deducted a pension of 40s. due to William Dethick, gentleman, 

 and 405. to the auditor's clerk. 



The priory estate remained in the hands of the Crown till 

 May 1 6th, 1542, at which date it was granted by Edward VI. 

 to Henry, Duke of Suffolk, the father of Lady Jane Grey; 

 the particulars of the grant specify a vinery at Windley. The 

 grant also included the mediety of Mugginton rectory, which 

 had originally been granted to Darley Abbey when the smaller 

 houses were suppressed, t No sooner, however, had the Duke 

 obtained this and other monastic property from the boy king 

 than he procured another license to enable him to dispose 

 of such property. The Breadsall Priory estate was almost 

 immediately sold to Thomas Babington, of Dethick and 

 Kingston, son and heir of Sir Anthony Babington by Elizabeth 

 Ormond. 



The subsequent changes in the ownership of this picturesque 

 priory estate were remarkably frequent. It was sold in 1557 

 to Thomas Hutchinson, and in 1573 it passed from Hutchinson 

 to John Leake, uncle of " Bess of Hardwick." Towards the end 

 of Elizabeth's reign it was purchased by Sir John Bentley, who 

 converted the ruined priory into a dwelling-house, and resided 

 there until his death in 1621. There is a brass plate to his 

 memory in Stanley Chapel. 



Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John, and eventually his sole 

 heiress, brought Breadsall Priory to her husband, Sir Gervase 



* Add MSS. Brit. Mus., 6687, f. 67. 

 f Pat. R., 6 Edw. VI., pt. ii. 



