RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



vicar of Kingston-on-Thames to appear be- 

 fore him or his commissary to answer for 

 dilapidations in the chancels of East Molesey, 

 Sheen and Thames Ditton, dependants of the 

 church of Kingston.' In the case of the 

 church of Effingham their neglect seems to 

 have been successfully carried on for some 

 years, for when the bishop, on 20 April 

 1388, issued a monition to the prior of Mer- 

 ton, he stated that at several visitations of the 

 church it was apparent that the chancel was 

 notoriously in a ruinous state in respect to 

 roof, walls and windows, and complaints 

 were made by the parishioners that no one 

 could enter, and service could not be held in 

 the chancel. He added that he had refrained 

 from interfering in the hopes that the work 

 would be undertaken, but the prior was then 

 peremptorily admonished to have the chancel 

 repaired before the feast of St. Michael next 

 ensuing, in default of which he should 

 himself cause the same to be repaired at 

 the cost of the monastery, and should pro- 

 ceed against the canons for contempt of his 

 mandate.^ 



During the fifteenth century entries of in- 

 terest relating to this house become scantier. 

 Licence was granted in 1424 during the 

 rule of Thomas Shirfeld, at the request of 

 Katherine, the king's mother, for William 

 Cheyne and others to convey to the priory of 

 Merton the manor of Combe, Surrey, in 

 order that celebration might be maintained 

 in the conventual church for the good estate 

 of the king and his mother while living, and 

 for their souls after death, and for the souls 

 of the king's progenitors, Henry IV. and 

 Henry V., and of Charles, the father of the 

 queen dowager, and of all the faithful de- 

 parted. The sum of ^^40 was paid by the 

 convent to obtain this licence.^ The prior 

 and canons were called on in 1477 to pay an 

 annual pension of looj. to William Clyfton, 

 one of the king's trumpeters.* 



The monastery was visited on 30 April 1501, 

 during the voidance of the sees of Winchester 

 and Canterbury, by Dr. Thomas Hede, com- 

 missary of the prior of Canterbury. The 

 prior and canons were severally examined. 

 John Gisbourne, then prior, said that divine 

 services were suitably ordered, the house was 

 not in debt, and the seal was kept under 

 three keys, of which one was in the custody 

 of the prior, and the others of the sub-prior 

 and precentor respectively. William Sand- 



1 Winton. Epis. Reg., Wykeham, ii. f. 82d. 



2 Ibid. f. 236. 



» Pat. 2 Hen. VI. pt. iii, m. 24. 

 « Ibid. 16 Edw. IV. pt. ii, m. 13. 



wyche, sub-prior, Robert Doo, precentor, and 

 tlie master of the chapel of the Blessed Virgin, 

 with fifteen of the canons, all testified omne 

 bene. William Smyth, sub-deacon, thought 

 that the master of the novices was not suffi- 

 ciently strict in correcting them, and Canon 

 John Marshall stated that there was not due 

 provision made for the sick in the infirmary.^ 

 In July 1 5 13 a licence to alienate in mort- 

 main to the priory of Merton 24 acres of 

 meadow and 1 1 6 acies of pasture in Corn- 

 burgh was obtained by John Norton and 

 John Baker, clerk.* 



The Falor of 1535 estimated the clear 

 annual value of this wealthy foundation at 

 £()(>o lbs. bd. 



Dr. Legh, as Cromwell's agent, visited 

 Merton, which owing to some mistake he 

 termed an abbey, in September 1535 and 

 dismissed two canons. Writing to Crom- 

 well he said he would have dismissed ten 

 more, but waited to know his pleasure, as 

 then there would only have been eight left.'' 

 The reason for this dismissal he does not 

 state. 



Three years later, on 13 April 1538, the 

 priory was surrendered by John Ramsey, 

 prior, John Debnam, sub-prior, and thirteen 

 other inmates, among whom is entered John 

 Page, scholar of Oxford, to Richard Layton 

 and Edward Carne.^ On the day of the 

 surrender Layton wrote to Cromwell to the 

 effect that there were at ' Merton Abbey ' 

 18 fat oxen, whereof Sir Nicholas Carew 

 desired part, 40 fat sheep, 200 quarters of 

 malt and ^30 in ling and haberdyne. 

 Cromwell was to certify him by the bearer 

 if he wanted any of these things reserved for 

 his own household.' Rich pickings for those 

 who would divide the spoil ! On 9 May 

 pensions were assigned to the dispossessed 

 canons. To the prior was granted a pension 

 of 200 marks, to the sub-prior and another 

 ;^8, to Thomas Paynell ;^io, and £i> 13/. 4^. 

 each to eleven of the others. Cromwell 

 signed the pension list, and added a note to 

 the effect that he had promised a house and 

 garden in Trinity Lane, London, to the 

 prior for life.'" The fabric of the church and 

 conventual buildings were at once pulled 

 down, and the materials used in the building 

 of Nonsuch Palace. 



5 Canterbury Sede Vacante Register. 

 « L. and P. Hen. VIII. i. 4335. 

 ' Ibid. ix. 472. 



s Deeds of Surrender, No. 152. 

 9 L. and P. Hen. VIII. xiii. (l), 783-5. 

 »» Ibid. xii. I, 963. The name Bowie or BowUe 

 was an alias of Ramsey. 



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