A HISTORY OF 
might point to laxity ; the bishop only said 
that the canons were not to go to Bedford, that 
hunting dogs were not to be kept in the monas- 
tery, and that the common seal was to be kept 
under lock and key. And it seems that 
Bishop Longland accused the house of no 
worse fault than poverty. 
The original endowment of the priory can- 
not be exactly stated, as the foundation 
charter is not in existence. Robert of 
Houghton granted to the canons the site of 
the priory in 12721; and in 1336 they held 
lands and tenements in Bedford, Bromham, 
Milton, Colesden, Roxton, Chalverston, 
Sandy, Sutton, Potton, Thurleigh, Holwell, 
Felmersham and Shelton.? The churches 
held by the priory in 1291% were Oakley 
with Clapham, Roxton, Bromham, Sandy ; 
with Marsworth and Broughton in Bucking- 
hamshire and Arnesby in Leicestershire. In 
1535 they still remained in its gift, except 
Broughton and Sandy ; Tolleshunt Major in 
Essex being added.* In 1302 ° the prior of 
Caldwell held half a knight’s fee in Chaw- 
ston and small portions in Milton Ernest 
and Eaton; in 1346°% the same half-fee ; 
and until 1346 he held also one quarter of 
a knight’s fee in Edlesborough in Bucking- 
hamshire.” The first report of the Crown 
bailiff gives a total of £134 15s. 84d., in- 
cluding the demesne lands of the priory, 
the manor of Shelton and divers parcels of 
land in the counties of Bedford, Warwick, 
Northampton, Leicester, and the rectories of 
Clapham, Oakley, Roxton-cum-Colesden, 
Bromham, Marsworth, Arnesby and ‘Tolles- 
hunt Major.® 
Priors oF CALDWELL 
Osbert,® occurs 1178 and 1186 
1 Dugdale, Mon. vi. 391. Dated 7 July, 57 
Henry III. 
2 Close, 13 Edw. III. pt. 1, m. 38. 
3 Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), and the Linc. 
Epis. Reg. Arnesby had been held since the reign 
of Henry II. Pat. 13 Richard II. pt. 1, m. 21. 
4 Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv. 189. 
6 Feud. Aids, i. 9. 
6 Ibid. i. 34. 
7 Ibid. i. 74. 
8 Dugdale, Mon. vi. 391. 
® Harl. MS. 3656, £. 65, and Gorham, History of 
St. Neot’s, II. lxxiv. (O. prior of Caldwell). Pro- 
bably not the first prior. A charter of Robert 
Bruce to Harrold (1153-65) is witnessed (Lansd. 
MS. 391, £. 4b) by ‘ Nicholas Archer, prior of 
Caldwell, Gosbert, dean of Lincoln, etc.’; but 
the name sounds unlikely at such an early date ; 
and the chartulary in which it occurs is a trans- 
cript of the fifteenth century, and contains mis- 
takes in copying. It is suggested that ‘ Nicholas 
BEDFORDSHIRE 
Hugh,*® occurs 1200-1 
Alexander," elected 1212, died 1229 
William,’ elected 1229, died 1244 
Eudo,'* elected 1244, resigned 1249 
Walter of Caddington,'* elected 1249, 
resigned 1272 
Matthew of Bedford,'® 
resigned 1287 
John of Yprés,’® elected 1287, resigned 
1313 
John de Lacu,!” elected 1303, died 1318 
Hugh de Beauchamp,'® elected 1318, 
resigned 1326 
elected 1272, 
Roger of Wymington,’® elected 1326, 
occurs 1332 
Robert of Lufwyk,”° resigned 1338 
William of Souldrop,” elected 1338, 
resigned 1348 
Richard of Hardwick,” elected 1348, 
died 1349 
Ralph of Derby,” elected 1349, died 1375 
Thomas of Stratford, elected 1375, died 
1396 
Ralph Portreeve,”® elected 1396, resigned 
I 
Thomas Pollard,?® elected 1397, died or 
resigned 1420 
Thomas Bole,?’ elected 1420, occurs 1425 
John Ampthill,?* occurs 1437 
John Bedford,”® resigned 1479 
Richard Derby, elected 1479 
Thomas Cople,*! elected 1492, resigned 
1509 
Archer ’ ought to be ‘ Nicholas Archid ’ (the arch- 
deacon of Bedford from 1145-81). 
10 Feet of F. (Rec. Com.), 27. 
11, Ann. Mon. (Rolls Series), iii. 39 (sub-prior of 
Dunstable). 
12 Tbid. 116. 
13 Tbid. 166. 
14 Tbid. 179. 
16 Tbid. 255. 
46 Thid. 340. 
17 Linc. Epis. Reg., Inst. Dalderby, 260d. 
1e Ibid. f. 276. 
19 Ibid. Inst. Burghersh, 298d; Close, 6 Edw. 
ITT. m. 18d. 
20 Tbid. 319. 
a bid. 
22 Ibid. Inst. Gynwell, f. 376. 
23 Tbid. 382. 
24 Ibid. Inst. Buckingham, 392. 
25 Thid. 369. 
26 Tbid. 
27 Tbid, Inst. Fleming, 121; Pat. 3 Henry VI. 
pt. I,m. 21. 
28 In an old charter in the possession of F. A. 
Page-Turner, Esq. 
2 Linc. Epis. Reg., Inst. Rotherham, 132. 
30 Thid. 
31 Ibid. Inst. Smith, 457. 
384 
