A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



influence of John Woderowe, the king's con- 

 fessor, who in June 1356 is mentioned as their 

 prior.'" 



Still, the foundation of Dartford for some 

 time did not change materially the financial 

 position of Langley. The king in October 

 1363 granted to the convent of twenty brothers 

 200 marks a year of his alms — viz., to each 

 friar lOOS. for his maintenance and 33J. 4J. 

 for clothing, '^ and in March 137 1 ordered that 

 the money should be paid to them from the 

 issues of the alien priory of Burstall.*^ 



But the appropriation of the church of 

 Langley in 1374 to the nuns of Dartford^ is 

 the beginning of a new arrangement. In 

 October 1376 Edward III made over to John 

 Duke of Lancaster, Simon Archbishop of Canter- 

 bury, and others in trust for the convent at 

 Langley the hundred and manor of Preston 

 and the manors of Overland in Ash, Elmstone, 

 Wadling in Ripple, Packmanstone in New- 

 church, Harrietsham, ' Godmeston,' ** Beaure- 

 paire, W'aldeslade in Chatham, Ham and 

 Westgate in the Isle of Thanet, co. Kent,** 

 and these were granted to the friars from Easter 

 1382 for forty years,^' with the idea that during 

 this term they might be secured to them in 

 frankalmoign." The convent let them to Simon 

 de Burley, who shortly afterwards received a 

 grant of them in fee simple from Richard II." 

 The brothers in 1383-4 represented to the king 

 that the rent was much in arrears, and begged 

 that King Edward's intention might be fulfilled 

 and the lands given to them in mortmain " ; 

 but this was not done, for in September 1386 

 the king assigned to them the farm of the 

 alien priory of Ware instead of the manors held 

 by Burley.*" After Burley's execution and 

 forfeiture in 1388 the friars were allowed 

 possession of the property pending inquiry into 

 the king's right, but complained that they and 

 their sureties were harassed by the Exchequer, 

 while large sums due from Burley were still 

 owing." The desired Letters Patent were not, 



'" Cai. Pat. 1354-8, p. 444. 



" Pat. 37 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 37. 



'^ Ibid. 45 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 26. To leave 

 something for general expenses, the allowance for 

 clothing was now reduced to 20/. 



'' Line. Epis. Reg. Buckingham, Inst. pt. i, fol. 

 306. 



^■* This may be Goodneston, but Hasted (Hisi. oj 

 Kent, iii, 703) does not mention any property here 

 belonging to Langley Priory. 



" Pari. R. iii, 60-1, 18 0-5. 



35 Memo. R. (Exch. L.T.R.), Mich. 9 Hen. V, 

 rot. g. 



^' Anct. Pet. no. 991, printed in Par/. R. iii, 

 i8o3. 



38 Ibid. 39 Ibid. 



*° Cal. Pat. 1385-9, p. 213. 

 " Anct. Pet. no. 12488. 



however, granted until 24 April 1399, when 

 the king considering that the house of King's 

 Langley ' was not yet sufficiently built and 

 endowed, and as the foundation required,' gave 

 the manors to the nuns of Dartford in frank- 

 almoign to hold for the friars.** Five years 

 earlier they had acquired in the same way from 

 Richard II the advowson of U'illian, co. Herts.,** 

 and from John Waltham, Bishop of Salisbury, 

 and Warin Waldegrave that of Great Gaddes- 

 den," CO. Herts., with leave in both cases to 

 appropriate the churches to their own uses. 



When Richard died in February 1400 he was 

 at first buried at Langley priory *^ ; afterwards, 

 however, his "body was removed by order of 

 Henry V to Westminster Abbey.*' But the 

 conventual church of Langley still retained a 

 sign of the priory's connexion with the royal 

 family in the tomb of Edmund of Langley, 

 Duke of York, interred here in 1402 beside his 

 wife, the daughter of Peter, King of Castile.*' 



Henry IV in 1399 *' and Henry V in 141 3 *» 

 confirmed the grants made to the friars, who 

 therefore could easily prove their title to the 

 Kentish manors, when the escheator seized 

 them in 1420 on the expiration of the term for 

 which they had originally been given.*" The 

 experience showed the expediency of royal 

 confirmations, and the prior and convent 

 obtained the ratification of their charters 

 from Henry VI in 1424,''^ Edward IV in 

 1466,*" Henry VII in i486, and in 15 10 from 

 Henry VIII.^ 



The house seems to have been now provided 

 with an income, not only assured but sufficient. 

 The certain livelihood it offered is said to have 

 been the reason why Richard Wycherley, a 

 former prior promoted to be Bishop of 

 ' OHvence,' asked to be appointed prior again 

 about 1497, and this time for life.'* He 

 promised that he would live under the obedience 



*2 Memo. R. (Exch. L.T.R.), Mich. 9 Hen. V, 

 rot. 10. 



*3 The king had received the advowson from 

 Robert Braybrook, Bishop of London, on condition 

 that the church should be appropriated to the nuns 

 (ibid.). 



** They had acquired the advowson from the Earl 

 of Huntingdon, the king's half-brother (ibid.). 



*' ' Annales Ric. II et Hen. IV ' in Trokelowe 

 and Blaneforde, op. cit. 331; Devon, Issues of the 

 Exch. 276. 



*' Trokelowe and Blaneforde, op. cit. 326-7. 

 The king gave the brothers ^^22 on this occasion. 



« Ibid. 344. 



** Cal. Pat. 1 399-1401, p. 59. 



*' Ibid. 141 3-16, p. 139. 



»" Memo. R. (Exch. L.T.R.), Mich. 9 Hen. V, 

 rot. 9. '1 Cal. Pat. 1422-9, p. 263. 



" Ibid. 1 46 1 -7, p. 556. 



" Memo. R. (Exch. L.T.R.), Hil. 9 Hen. VIII. 

 rot. 15. 



" Early Chan. Proc. bdle. 266, no. 2. 



448 



