RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



house apparently arose in Geoffrey's time,^ 

 and as very early in its history it became 

 dependent on St. Albans, the abbot was pro- 

 bably concerned in its foundation,* with the 

 object no doubt of accommodating the nuns 

 who existed at St. Albans Abbey through the 

 Saxon period down to about this date. 



While Geoffrey was abbot the cemetery of 

 the nuns was consecrated by Bishop Alexander, 

 probably Alexander Bishop of Lincoln (i 1 23-48), 

 and it was then ordained that without the 

 consent of the abbot none might enter the con- 

 vent, the number of which was hmited to 

 thirteen.' Geoffrey is also said to have directed 

 that the nuns for their safety and good name 

 were to be locked in at night under the abbot's 

 seal, and that maidens only were to be received 

 into the community.' 



Among the earliest grants to Sopwell were 

 those of Henry de Albini ' and his son, the 

 former giving in frankalmoign 2 hides of land 

 in his manor of Cotes, in Cardington parish, co. 

 Bedford,* and the other adding a virgate in the 

 same place when his sister Amicia became a 

 nun at Sopwell ' ; Roland de Dinan's gift to the 

 nuns of half a hide in Ickleford ; Richard de 

 Tany's^" grant of land called Black Hide in 

 the soke of Tyttenhanger " ; that of Hugh de 

 Keynes ^^ of a hide in Croughton, co. Northants.^^ 

 Other benefactions included assarted land 

 in Shenley,^* the yearly allowance of 50J. 



' Henry de Albini's gift was made for the souls of 

 the Conqueror and his sons, so that it was probably 

 not earlier than 1 1 35, while the wording of the 

 grant ' to the work of the cell and the nuns ' suggests 

 that the house had just been established. The gift 

 of Henry's son Robert to Sopwell was witnessed by 

 Abbot Geoffrey (Dugdale, Mm. iii, 365, no. iii). 

 * See St. Albans. 



^ Charter witnessed by the bishop and the abbot 

 {Gesta Abbat. i, 81-2). The rule as to numbers was 

 perhaps made in view of the convent's income, to be 

 set aside if this increased ; it was certainly disregarded. 

 Abbot John blessed fourteen nuns at Sopwell in 1 2 1 2 

 and there were at least nineteen here in 1338 (ibid, 

 i, 232 ; ii, 212). ' Ibid, i, 81. 



' He was a benefactor of St. Albans (Dugdale, 

 Mm. ii, 220). * Ibid, iii, 365. ' Ibid. 



^'' It is witnessed by his son and heir Reginald, 

 probably the Reginald de Tany who occurs in 1 156 

 (Cussans, Hist, tf Herts. Hund. of Hertford, 34). 

 ^^ Dugdale, Mon. iii, 365, no. vi. 

 '^ Hugh de Keynes occurs in 1 1 40 (Baker, Hist. Oj 

 Northants, i, 350). 13 Anct. D. (P.R.O.), A 5065. 

 ^^ Confirmation temp. Henry III by grandson of 

 donor (ibid. B 3218), Ralph de Chenduit, who 

 occurs temp. Henry II (Hearne, Black Bk. of Exch. 

 i, 208). The nuns also received in the 13th century 

 rents in St. Albans and elsewhere (Anct. D. [P.R.O.], 

 A 996, 1 140, 1 152, B 125; Cal. of Chart, in 

 Bodleian Lib. 677; Cal. Pat. 1272-81, p. 459; 

 Cart. Misc. Augment. Off. vol. xv, no. 67), and land 

 between Eywood and the nuns' orchard from Warin 

 de Redbourn (Anct. D. [P.R.O.], B 1371). 



from the issues of Hertfordshire, granted in 

 1247 by Henry HI to support a chaplain cele- 

 brating daily the mass of the Virgin,^' a rent of 

 5 J. in West Wycombe received in 1281 1» from 

 Henry de Norwyco, whose daughter Phihppa 

 was a nun at Sopwell in February 1266-7, ^^^ 

 was then promised by Abbot Roger the first 

 hvery to fall vacant of the three called the 

 Maundy of St. Mary, dehvered daily from the 

 abbey's refectory and kitchen." 



The convent, apparently not satisfied with 

 its dependent position, on one occa-^ion tried to 

 elect the prioress. On the death of Prioress 

 Philippa, c. 1330, they talked the matter over 

 among themselves, and the majority decided 

 on Sister Alice de Hakeneye." The Abbot of 

 St. Albans hearing what had occurred sent 

 Nicholas de Flamstede, the prior, to the priory 

 unexpectedly. He said that although the abbot 

 had the right to select their head he wished to 

 hear their opinions, and asked each to state 

 her choice in writing. Sixteen and more gave 

 their votes for Alice de Hakeneye, about three 

 for the sub-prioress, Alice de Pekesden. 

 Nicholas, however, by previous instructions 

 from the abbot, declared Ahce de Pekesden 

 prioress and installed her. She was probably 

 indeed the best fitted for the post, for she is 

 said to have been more zealous for religion 

 than all the rest. 



A glimpse of the state of the house twenty 

 years later is afforded by the injunctions issued 

 by Abbot Michael in 1338 after a visitation.^' 

 These order that the nuns were to sing the mass 

 of St. Alban once a week with a few exceptions ; 

 that no sister undergoing the penance of silence 

 was to be debarred from religious exercises or 

 from seeing mass celebrated ; that the custom 

 of the chaplain of our Lady to help the confessor 

 at certain services was to be observed ; that 

 when it was time to rise the sub-prioress was to 

 ring the bell in the quire and no one was to leave 

 the dormitory before without permission, all must 

 then get up and attend the mass of our Lady, 

 and after this sit in the cloister occupied with 

 their private devotions until Prime, at which 

 all except the sick were to be present, then they 

 should attend the chapter and in the interval 

 until their meal go about their work ; the doors 

 of the garden and parlour were to be closed 

 when curfew was sounded at the abbey, and the 



15 Cal. Chart. R. 1226-57, p. 312. 

 1' Cal. Pat. 1272-81, p. 459. 



1' Reg. of St. Albans, ii, 339, App. D. 



18 Gesta Abbat. ii, 212. 



1' He said that he had heard that certain good 

 customs that used to be observed by them were now 

 omitted, while various abuses were maintained, and 

 then ordered the observance of the customs as 

 renewed by him (Dugdale, Mon. iii, 365-6, no. vi). 

 Also printed and translated by Riley in Gesta Abbat. 

 ii, App. D, pp. 511-iq. 



423 



