HOUSES OF THE GILBERTINE ORDER
63. THE PRIORY OF ELLERTON ON SPALDING MOOR
Early in the 13th century (fn. 1) William Fitz Peter
granted to God, Blessed Mary and the order
of Sempringham land in Ellerton, and other
property in the neighbourhood, for founding a
priory of canons of the order, and for the entertaining (ad pascendum ibidem) thirteen poor persons. (fn. 2)
About the middle of the century Peter, the son
of Peter de Mauley, confirmed to the canons
all that they had of his fee, including ' totum
situm abbathiae in Elretona,' with the church
of the same vill.
Alan of Wilton (fn. 3) gave to God, Blessed Mary,
and St. Lawrence, and for the sustenance of
the canons and thirteen poor folk, 12 acres
in Hpwm (Holme-on-the-Wolds) and other
lands, &c., including 12 skeps of salt from his salt
works in West Coatham. In this charter first
occurs the additional invocation of St. Lawrence.
Alan de Wilton (fn. 4) also gave 6 bovates of land
in Habton for a light at the altar of St. Lawrence in the canons' church, and for the maintenance of a chaplain to celebrate at that altar.
In April 1387 (fn. 5) it was agreed that German
Hay, then patron, and his successors, lords of
the manor of Aughton, should nominate eight
of the poor supported by the convent, in addition
to one who had previously been in the patron's
nomination, and the prior and convent were to
celebrate the obits of German Hay and Alice
his wife, the prior, if possible, officiating in
person. The indenture does not reveal any
grant, other than a general confirmation of his
ancestors' gifts, as a reason for these concessions.
A good many other possessions were granted
to the prior and convent, and, as usual, are set
out in alphabetical order by Burton. (fn. 6)
Archbishop Romanus, in 1286, (fn. 7) wrote to the
master of the order of Sempringham to receive
a canon of Ellerton who had left his house. In
1417 (fn. 8) there is a record of the appointment of
John Zuesflet, canon of Ellerton, as temporal
custos of their church of Aughton. Otherwise
the history of Ellerton is almost a blank till the
time of the Dissolution. In 1380-1 there were
four canons besides the prior. In 1526 (fn. 9) the
clear annual revenue was returned at £63.
Tanner says that there were nine religious in
the house, (fn. 10) but there was the same number at
the surrender as in 1380-1, (fn. 11) which looks as if
that were the normal strength of the establishment. Possibly he has included the poor who
were maintained in the house, and whose
number may have dwindled considerably.
The house was surrendered on 11 December
1538 (fn. 12) by John Golding, prior, and four canons.
Golding had only become prior that year, (fn. 13) and
there is some mystery as to the fate of his predecessor, Prior James Lowrance. The convent
of Watton had elected him their prior in 1536.
They had done this under compulsion, Robert
Holgate the actual prior being still alive. Lowrance, it is said, 'would never take it upon him,
nor did they (Watton) receive him for such
indeed, but wanted him (Lowrance) to bear
the name (of Prior of Watton) only, for fear of
the commons.' He continued Prior of Ellerton
till early in 1538, and then disappears from
view; possibly he died a natural death as his
name is absent from the list of pensions. John
Golding first occurs as prior about a month
before the Dissolution. (fn. 14) He alone of the
members of the house of Ellerton was alive in
6 Edward VI, (fn. 15) when he was fifty-three years
of age; his pension was £13 6s. 8d.
Priors of Ellerton on Spalding Moor
John, occurs 1219, (fn. 16) 1230 (fn. 17)
Ivo, occurs 1240 (fn. 18)
Geoffrey, occurs 1246, (fn. 19) 1248 (fn. 20)
Henry, occurs 1252, (fn. 21) 1269 (fn. 22)
Adam de Scarborough, occurs 1282 (fn. 23)
Robert, occurs 1294 (fn. 24)
Ralph, occurs 1305 (fn. 25)
Alan, (fn. 26) occurs 1335, (fn. 27) 1336 (fn. 28)
William, occurs 1348, (fn. 29) 1371 (fn. 30)
John Barnby, occurs 1436, (fn. 31) 1437 (fn. 32)
Thomas Finche, occurs 1437, (fn. 33) 1438 (fn. 34)
Giles, occurs? 1439 (fn. 35)
Henry Bell, occurs 1497, (fn. 36) 1506-7 (fn. 37)
Robert, occurs 1531, (fn. 38) 1533 (fn. 39)
James Lowrance, occurs 1534 to 1538 (fn. 40)
John Golding, occurs 7 Nov. 1538, (fn. 41) surrendered the house 11 Dec. 1538 (fn. 42)