By the Rev. Chr. Wordsworth. 529 



secular priests lived in common," says Mr. Page (Surtees Soc, xci., 

 p. ix.). 



From the time of King Edward I. (and, it is said, even in the 

 reign of King John) Kings of England had frequently seized, for 

 a longer or shorter period, the property of Alien Priories which 

 Normans had granted to religious houses across the sea. It seemed 

 only just, when England was at war with France, that revenues 

 should not be sent into France, nor, e.g., at Ogbourne, monks 

 supported, who were necessarily in communication with Bee, or 

 some other great house across the Channel, and who might be 

 tempted to act as spies. There were alien priories, also, at Ave- 

 bury, Charlton, Clatford, Corsham, Stratton St. Margaret's, and 

 Upavon. Amesbury, at one time (cir. 1180), was subject to 

 Fontevrault. 



The step of bringing the alien priories to an end by finally con- 

 fiscating their possessions was taken by King Henry V. in 1414, 

 and King Henry VI. carried out his father's design by applying a 

 great part of the property to founding Eton College and King's 

 College, Cambridge. Fotheringay had already been endowed by 

 King Henry V., and William of Wykeham had been permitted by 

 King Kichard II. to purchase in 1389 — 94 and acquire and hold in 

 mortmain, lands in England from three alien monasteries in France, 2 

 and from the Hospital of Mont St. Bernard, in Savoy. The monks, 

 whose tenure was already obviously precarious, made good bargains 

 from the beneficent Founder of the two St. Mary Winton 

 Colleges in Winchester and Oxford. 



Dr. Gasquet tells us how other founders, Bishop Waynflete, 

 King Henry VI., Bishop Alcock, Henry VII., and Bishop Fisher, 

 acquired monastic property for their foundations, or exercised 

 authority for the suppression of religious houses, and led the way 



1 The alien Priory of Stratton St. Margaret's, which pertained to Tiron 

 Abbey, was given to King's College, Cambridge, about 1470. 



2 With the property which Wykeham acquired from the monastery of 

 Tiron or Turon in la Beauce (S.W. of Chartres) was included two virgates 

 of land at South Marston, in Highworth, and Stanton Fitzwarren, and the 

 manors of Manningford Bruce, All Cannings, and Stanton Fitzherbert. 

 Annals of Winchester College, T. F. Kirby, pp. 24-5. 



VOL. XXXVI. — NO. CXIV. 2 N 



