A HISTORY OF SURREY 



The fifteenth century pointed oval seal ' 

 represents the Nativity of Our Lord, with 

 the star of Bethlehem above, and a demi- 

 angel holding a scoll. In the base are the 

 quartered arms of France and England. 

 Legend : sigillu : come : domus : ihu : 



DE : BETHLEEM : lUXTA : SHEEN : ORDINIS : 

 CARTUYS. 



A smaller pointed oval seal • of fifteenth 

 century has the Nativity treated after a 

 natural and picturesque fashion, in a different 

 way to the larger seal. The shield of France 

 and England and the legend are the same. 



The seal of the latter foundation by Queen 

 Mary '' treats the Nativity after a rude fashion. 

 Legend : jEsu • bethlehem • sheene. 



HOUSES OF AUSTIN CANONS 



5. PRIORY OF ST. MARY OF 

 MERTON 



Various dates have been assigned for the 

 foundation of this Austin priory. Stowe 

 states that it was founded in 1092, but the 

 Annals of Waverley =" and Matthew Paris 

 give the year my,^ which seems the 

 generally accepted date. The foundation 

 charter of Henry I.,* dated 1121, granting 

 the royal town of Merton to canons regular 

 to enable them to erect a permanent church 

 and conventual buildings in honour of the 

 Blessed Virgin, speaks of them as already 

 established there. An early MS. of the 

 College of Arms gives however some in- 

 teresting details which appear to reconcile 

 varying accounts.^ According to that nar- 

 rative Henry I. gave the manor of Merton to 

 Gilbert Norman, sheriff of Surrey, who in 

 the year 1 1 15 built a temporary monastery 

 of timber at this place. He then requested 

 and obtained the king's patronage for accom- 

 plishing the work, and applied to the prior 

 of the regular canons at Huntingdon for 

 assistance. The prior of Huntingdon assigned 

 Robert Bayle, the sub-prior, to superintend 

 the work. On his arrival at Merton, Gilbert 

 delivered to him the newly erected buildings, 

 of which Robert became prior, and bestowed 

 two plough-lands, a mill of 60J. rent and 

 some villeins, promising eventually to grant 

 the whole manor. The founder brought 

 prelates and nobles of the land to see the 

 place and recommended it to their patronage. 

 Among others Queen Maud expressed her 

 interest in the welfare of the new foundation. 

 After two years the prior, expressing his dis- 

 satisfaction with the site, which seems to have 

 been close to the parish church, obtained the 

 founder's consent to remove to the spot where 



» B. M. Ixsii. 63. 

 » Ann. Mon. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 216. 

 ' Matt, of Paris, Hist. Minor (Rolls Ser.), i. 222. 

 * Cart. Antiq. R. U. 5. 



5 College of Arms MSS. No. xrsiii. ; Lysons, 

 Environs of London, i. 339-41. 



the priory eventually stood. A chapel of 

 wood was speedily built there and conse- 

 crated by William Giffard, Bishop of Win- 

 chester. The prior went in procession, with 

 fifteen brethren, to the new monastery two 

 years and five months after his appointment,the 

 founder and an immense crowd being pre- 

 sent. Queen Maud and her son visited the 

 new habitation. The queen's death in 1 1 18 

 was a great blow to the rising house for 

 the king was at that time averse to the set- 

 tlement of lands on religious houses, and 

 refused his consent to the bestowal by the 

 founder of the manor of Merton. In 11 21, 

 a crusade was being prepared, and a meeting 

 of prelates and nobles was held at Winchester. 

 Gilbert and Prior Robert attended and pro- 

 mised as a contribution that the convent 

 would raise the sum of one hundred pounds 

 of silver and six marks of gold. This generous 

 contribution towards the crusade won the 

 king's consent, and a definite charter for the 

 establishment of the priory under royal patron- 

 age and for its endowment with the manor of 

 Merton to be held free and quit of all exactions 

 as it was held by the Crown with right of soc, 

 sac, tol, theam and infangnethef ^ was the 

 result. On their return from Winchester 

 Gilbert assembled all the men of the village 

 in the convent and surrendered the manor 

 and its villeins to the prior and canons, who 

 then numbered twenty-three brethren. 



The first stone of the new priory church 

 was not laid 'until 1 130, the founder laying 

 the first stone, the prior the second, and the 

 brethren, who then numbered thirty-six, each 

 laying one in succession. Gilbert died in 

 July of that year and was buried within 

 the convent walls.* He is stated by 

 Dugdale, on the authority of Leland, 

 to have added to the endowment of the 



« B. M. Ixiii. 64. 

 ' B.M. D.C.H. 57. 



8 Cart Antiq. R. U. 5. 



» College of Arms MSS. No. xxviii. ; Lysons, 

 Environs of London, i. 339-41. 



94 



