MONASTIC GARDENING 
15 
fell short. But this “ great garden " under the care of the 
Hortulanus was not by any means the only garden. Many 
other office-holders had gardens too. 
In a plan compiled from the remains and the records of 
Bicester Priory the relative positions of the various gardens, the 
Prior’s, Canon’s, Infirmarian’s, and the Sacrist’s, as well as the 
great garden, kitchen-garden, and orchard is shown, and this 
quantity of distinct gardens is not in excess of the usual 
number. 1 As a rule the Prior had an enclosure of his own. At 
Melsa there was both “ the garden which is called the Prior’s," 
and “ the garden of the Abbot’s chamber.’’ 2 At the Abbey of 
Haghmon, in Shropshire, the Prior was allotted “ for his recrea¬ 
tions a certain chamber under the dormitory, . . . with the 
garden of old called ‘ Longenores gardine,’ annexed to the 
chamber before-mentioned, together with the dovecote in the 
same.’’ 3 
At Norwich, payments occur to the gardener from the Lord 
Prior for a " parcel of the garden," or small piece reserved for 
his special use. The “ little garden," or “ garden within the 
gates," at Norwich, was let to the cellarer. The Sacristan, the 
Treasurer, the Precentor, and the “ Custos operum," all had 
separate gardens at Abingdon, and paid rent for them to the 
gardinarius. At Winchester, the payment to the gardener, 
“ Roberto Basynge, custodi gardini conventus," occurs in the 
Receiver’s account (a.d. 1334) as well as charges for mowing the 
Almoner’s garden, and besides these the “ custos operum " 
defrayed the expenses of a garden called “ Le Joye." The 
Infirmarian’s garden was usually an important one, as in it 
he grew healing herbs for the sick of the monastery, and for 
convenience this plot was, as a rule, placed near the infirmary 
or hospital. At Westminster, the present little cloister is part 
of the old infirmary, and the ground near it now known as the 
“ College garden " formed part of the old Infirmary garden. 
Fruit-trees were grown in it besides the usual medicinal herbs, 
and there must have been more than enough for their needs, 
as John de Mordon, the Infirmarian, sold 9s. worth of apples 
1 J. C. Blomefield, History of the Deanery of Bicester. 
2 Abbot Burton’s Chronicle of Melsa, vol. iii., p. 242. 
3 Dugdale, Monasticon (new ed.), vol. vi., p. 112. 
