11. THE PRIORY OF PINLEY
The small priory of Cistercian nuns at Pinley,
dedicated to the honour of the Blessed Virgin,
was founded temp. Henry I by Robert de Pillarton, who endowed it with all his lands in Pinley.
This grant was confirmed to the nuns of Pinley
by three successive bishops of Worcester, Simon
(1125-51), John of Pageham (1151-58), and
Alfred (1158-64). (fn. 1)
Among their early benefactors, named by
Dugdale, (fn. 2) were William Mareschal, who gave
them half a virgate of land at Pinley; Ernald
de Bois, one carucate at Shrewley; Robert de
Tayden, a carucate in the same parish; Waleran, earl of Warwick, the tithe corn of Walton
Mauduit, and some parcels of land in Claverdon;
Walter D'Eiville, the tithe of his mill at Walton
D'Eiville; William de Freynuse, a meadow in
Rowington; and William de Curley, several
parcels of land in Langley. Earl Waleran
granted the nuns a further 2 marks of rent from
Claverdon so long as they should have the upbringing of his daughter Gundrada and his niece
Isabel, whom he had entrusted to their care. (fn. 3)
The nuns of Pinley were visited by Bishop
Giffard on 13 November, 1269, when Lucy de
Sapy was prioress. The bishop again visited
this nunnery on 9 August, 1284, and preached
from the text 'Audi filia et vide et inclina aurem
tuam' (Psa. xliv. 12). In October the bishop
wrote to the prioress granting them dispensation
to use linen rochets so that they were not girded
over them.
On 31 January, 1290, the nuns were once
more visited by the bishop, who on this occasion
preached to them from 'Oleum effusum nomen
tuum' (Cant. i. 3). There is record of another
visitation by Giffard in 1300. (fn. 4)
On 10 November, 1301, pardon was granted
to the prioress and nuns of Pinley, in consideration of a fine paid into the Exchequer, for having
acquired in mortmain a rent of 13 quarters of
corn and 14 quarters of barley, from Peter de
Montfort (who died in 1286), out of the manor
of Whitchurch, without due licence, with leave
to retain it. (fn. 5) Thurstan de Montfort, who died
in 1216, granted the nunnery the tithe of all the
victuals for his house, namely bread, beer, fish,
and flesh, and whatsoever was dressed in his
kitchen. His son, Peter de Montfort, who was
slain at the battle of Evesham (1265), obtained
the patronage of the priory from Roger de Pillarton, which was confirmed by Bishop Cantilupe. The tithe of victuals was confirmed by
Peter son of Peter de Montfort, but exchanged in
1277 for the definite yearly supply of wheat and
barley. (fn. 6)
Philip le Lou and Margaret his wife obtained
licence in 1310 to bestow on the prioress and
nuns of Pinley the advowson and rectory of the
church of Whatcote. (fn. 7) But though the licence
was obtained, the intending donors changed their
mind, and the bequest was never made. In the
next reign Thomas Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, obtained a like licence for giving the nuns
a moiety of the church of Moreton Morrell,
but the transference was never made. (fn. 8)
Dugdale mentions three indulgences granting
pardon of penance for a certain number of days
to those penitents who should assist, out of their
temporal substance, the nuns of Pinley. The
first was granted by Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, in 1195, for ten days; the second by
Bishop Cantilupe of Worcester, in 1253, for
twenty days; and the third by Simon de Wauton, bishop of Norwich, in 1260, for twenty
days.
The prioress and convent obtained licence in
1328 to acquire land and rent in mortmain to
the annual value of £10. (fn. 9)
The various visitations made by the priors of
Worcester or their commissaries to this house
during the vacancy of the see in the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries have already been cited. (fn. 10)
In no one instance did the visitors notice anything requiring amendment. But in 1350 the
episcopal mandate was directed to the prioress
and sisters, ordering the removal of certain seculars from their house within ten days, through
whose presence they were being defamed. (fn. 11)
The Taxatio of 1291 gave the annual value
of the temporalities of this little priory as
£3 10s. 4d.; namely £2 6s. 4d. in the deanery
of Warwick, and £1 4s. in the deanery of
Guthlaxton, in the diocese of Lincoln. The
Valor of 1535, when Margaret Wigston was
prioress, puts the annual value at £27 13s. 4d.,
but £8 of this amount was reserved for hospitality.
The commissioners of 1536 gave the clear
annual value of 'The Priorie of Pynneley White
Nunnes of the order of Seynt Bardnard and Seynt
Benets Rule,' as £25 5s. 5d. There were four
professed religious with the prioress, 'of good
conversation and lyvyng by reporte, and one
desyryng "Capacite."' There were eight dependants, namely three hinds, four women servants, and one corrodian. The lead and bells
were merely worth 13s. 4d. 'The house in
metely good Reparation and most parte of ytt
old.' The stocks and stores and goods were
worth £22 14s. 2d. There were no woods
except upon the demesnes and copyholds, and a
waste or common called Pinley. The debts
were £14 12s. 7d. (fn. 12)
The prioress, Margaret Wigston, was assigned
the small pension of £4, but nothing seems to
have been granted to her three sisters. (fn. 13)
The site and demesne lands were sold by
Henry VIII in October, 1544, to William
Wigston for £342 11s. (fn. 14)
Prioresses of Pinley
Lucy de Sapy, elected 1269 (fn. 15)
Helewysia de Langley, elected 1321, (fn. 16) resigned 1324-5
Elizabeth de Lotrynton, elected 1324-5 (fn. 17)
Amice de Hynton, elected 1342, (fn. 18) resigned
1352
Maud le Bret, elected 1352, (fn. 19) resigned 1358
Amice de Hynton, elected 1358, (fn. 20) resigned
1363
Emma de Chadderton, elected 1363 (fn. 21)
Joan Hilwene, elected 1365 (fn. 22)
Alice Myntyng, elected 1426 (fn. 23)
Margaret Wigston, occurs 1535-6 (fn. 24)