A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



the end," for the church figures in the Ust of the 

 Prior of Ware's property in 1297.*" 



Fulk's predecessor, WilUam, had been ex- 

 communicated by Archbishop Kilwardby, but 

 the reason is not disclosed." Archbishop 

 Peckham absolved him in August 1 279, the 

 penance enjoined being that every sixth day to 

 the number of forty he should fast on bread, 

 fish and ale, feed ten poor, and on that day and 

 the following say fifty psalms. 



During the war with France, 1 295-8, the priory 

 was taken into the king's hands.** In these 

 circumstances a warden was put into the house 

 to see that the monks had no communication 

 with France, to answer at the Exchequer for the 

 issues of the property and receive from the 

 Exchequer what was necessary to maintain the 

 convent." Ill-feeling with France in 1324 

 caused Edward II to seize the priory's posses- 

 sions. Two men were appointed to account to 

 the Crown from 8 October to 10 December for 

 the monastic manor and the church at Ware, 

 but these, it was found, had been previously let 

 on lease.** The prior at this time was probably 

 in difficulties,** because in July 1 3 19 the king 

 had borrowed of him 100 marks which he did 

 not repay.*' 



Under Edward III the war with France 

 stopped for a long while the usual relations 

 between the priory and the abbey. The trans- 

 mission of money to St. Evroul's was forbidden 

 in January 1337," and the property of the house, 

 then in the king's hands, was farmed, with the 

 exception of the advowsons, to the prior for 

 j^230 a year.** In April 1348 the king at Queen 

 Isabella's request and on payment of 100 marks 

 granted the prior the advowsons," but from 

 September 1349 Edward again presented to the 

 convent's livings,** a fairly sure proof that the 

 prior had fallen a victim to the Black Death.** 



" After an appeal to Rome. 



20 Pope tiich. Tax. (Rcc. Com.), 243^. 



" Reg. of John Peckham (Cant, and York Sec), 

 140. 



'* Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 249*. Protection 

 was granted to the prior from 1294 to 1298 {fial. 

 Pat. 1292-1307, pp. 91, 97, 176, 270). 



^ Ordinances for the alien religious in 1295 {Cat. 

 Fine R. 1272-1307, pp. 362-4). Though principally 

 concerned with the houses near the coast, certain 

 provisions must have been intended for all. 



** Mins. Accts. bdle. 1125, no. 1 1. 



"In 1327 he was sued for a rent of 4 marks, 

 which had been unpaid for years (De Banco R. 269, 

 m. 48). 



»« Anct. Pet. (P.R.O.), no. 7868. The debt was 

 paid by Edward III {Cal. Close, 1327-30, p. 6). 



27 Cal. Close, 1333-7. P- 643- 



28 Cal. Pat. 1334-8, pp. 466, 519. 

 " Ibid. 1334-50, p. 51. 



30 Ibid. 304. 



31 H. P. Pollard, 'The Alien Benedictine Priory 

 at Ware,' East Herts. Arch. Soc. Trans, iii (2), 126. 



The farm due to the king seems to have been 

 sometimes in arrears** because the prior's 

 tenants did not pay, and between 1342 and 

 1356 payment of rents to the priory had more 

 than once to be enforced by collectors appointed 

 by the Crown.** On the Peace of Brt-tigny in 

 1360 royal control over Ware ceased," but when 

 the war was resumed in 1 369 the priory was 

 taken into the king's hands and again committed 

 to the prior at a rent.** 



Richard II in November 1377 made William 

 Herbert, the prior, custodian of the house for 

 ^245 a year," and on 20 May 1381, at the 

 request of the Princess of Wales,*' confirmed the 

 grant to him for life or as long as the war con- 

 tinued. But when the princess, his patron, 

 died in 1385 Herbert's rights were disregarded, 

 and the custody was given at the same rent to 

 John Golofre, one of the gentlemen of the 

 king's chamber." 



In March 1398 the king assigned the house 

 during the war to his nephew, Thomas Holland 

 Duke of Surrey, without rent,** and it was 

 probably the duke *" who made it over to 

 Mount Grace Priory, co. York.** 



Henry IV in February 1400 gave the Abbot 

 of St. Evroul leave to grant in mortmain the 

 priory of Ware with all its property to the 

 abbey of St. Mary, Leicester,*" but this cannot 

 have been done, for in December the king gave 

 Philip Repyndon, Abbot of Leicester, for life 

 the rent paid by the Prior of Ware as farmer of 

 his house.** 



In August 1405 Queen Joan received the 

 custody of the priory, valued at ^240 a year.^* 



The prior, Nicholas Champene, in February 

 1410 had hcence to bring a monk from St. 

 Evroul's with a servant to live in the priory for 

 Ufe for the maintenance of divine service.** 

 Ware was leased on 24 November 141 3 to 

 Champene, a fellow-monk of his called Richard 



'2 On 25 June 1343 he was threatened with the 

 loss of the custody if he did not pay ^^160 imme- 

 diately to one of the king's creditors {Cal. Close, 

 '343-6, p. 69). 



^^ Cal. Pat. 1343-5, PP- **6, 385; 1345-8, 

 p. 303 ; 1348-50, p. 525 ; 1354-8, p. 340. 



** Cal. Close, 1360-4, p. 318. 



** Close, 44 Edw. Ill, m. 3. 



'« Cal. Pat. 1 38 1-5, p. 13. 



" She became lady of the manor and patron of 

 the priory in 1 3 8 1 on the death of Blanche Lady 

 Wake (A'.C.H. Herts, iii, 386). 



58 Anct. Pet. (P.R.O.), no. 7262. 



'^ Cal. Pat. 1396-9, p. 332. The duke was then 

 patron of the priory. 



** Mount Grace was of his foundation. 



*i Cal. Pat. I 399-1401, p. 532. 



*2Ibid. 221. 



** Ibid. 206. The prior was farming the property 

 of Ware in May (ibid. 276). 

 ** Cal. Pat. 1405-8, p. 48. 

 ** Ibid. 1408-13, p. 157. 



456 



