9. THE PRIORY OF IVYCHURCH
The priory of Ivychurch, or Ederose (Monasterium Ederosum), dedicated to the Blessed Mary,
lay in the hundred and parish of Alderbury, 'adjoyning', as Aubrey described it, 'to Clarendon
Park pale, a delicate grove of elms, with a noble
prospect to Salisbury and over the country north
and west'. (fn. 1) A small minster, a dependent chapel
of Alderbury church, stood on the site before the
foundation of the priory. Both church and minster were granted by Henry I to Bishop Roger of
Salisbury between 1110 and 1122. (fn. 2) After Roger's
fall from power in 1139 King Stephen restored
and confirmed the gift of the church to Salisbury. (fn. 3)
His charter does not mention Monasterium Ederosum and this omission may imply that the king had
retained it with the intention of founding a priory
there. No foundation charter is known and the
earliest evidence comes from the Hundred Rolls
for 1274. The jurors of the hundred of Alderbury
then named King Stephen as founder. (fn. 4) The
priory was certainly a royal foundation, and the
fact that it is mentioned in the first pipe roll of
Henry II confirms the jurors' evidence. In this
pipe roll the Sheriff of Wiltshire accounted for
32s. 6d. paid for the half-year in liveries to Ralph
'prior of Ederose chapel'. (fn. 5) This title suggests that
the minster itself had become the priory church,
a suggestion which is borne out by the plan of
the priory. The 12th-century cloister was on the
north side of the church and ran out 12 ft. beyond
the west wall of the nave. Probably this cloister
was built on to the minster church, with the
intention that the latter should be rebuilt on a
larger scale. But this was not done and the church
remained small (43 by 16 ft.). With the site the
priory church also inherited the status and function of parish church for the inhabitants of
Clarendon Forest. These it retained until the
Dissolution. (fn. 6)
From 1155 until the reign of Henry VIII
every king gave the priory a royal alms of 1½d. a
day. This sum, paid by the sheriffs of Wiltshire,
amounted to 45s. 7½d. a year, although until 1219
the odd halfpenny was omitted. From 1178 an
additional daily penny, or 30s. 5d. annually, was
paid to the canons of Ivychurch 'who minister in
the king's chapel of Clarendon'. From the reign
of Edward III to that of Henry VI the total was
increased to 100s., but thereafter reverted to
76s. 0½d. The need of such service in the palace
chapel of All Saints may have been one of the
original causes of the foundation of the priory.
When a new chapel was built in 1236 in the
palace, 'near the king's great chambers', Henry III
granted a further sum of 50s. for another chaplain
to serve there. This payment was discontinued in
the later pipe rolls, perhaps because Clarendon had
ceased to be a regular royal residence. (fn. 7)
The spiritual and temporal endowments of
Ivychurch were never of great value, and in later
years they were insufficient, but from its foundation the priory enjoyed the use of land and privileges within the forest and park of Clarendon,
granted by its royal patrons. King Stephen is said
to have given the site of the priory and ½ carucate
in Clarendon Forest to be held in chief, in pure
and perpetual alms. (fn. 8) Henry III was the next king
who is known to have been a benefactor of Ivychurch. He gave two oaks from the forest of
'Panchet' (a part of Clarendon) for repairs to the
priory in 1225, and oaks from Clarendon in 1254,
1270, and 1271, as well as many grants of dead
wood for fuel. (fn. 9) In 1237 he ordered the bailiff of
Clarendon not to vex, or permit others to vex, the
priory in its enjoyment of herbage and pasture in
the forest. (fn. 10) In 1248 he granted the right to agist
20 pigs with their young, quit of pannage, in the
years in which the forest was agisted, provided
that they were ringed so that they could not dig. (fn. 11)
The priory already enjoyed rights of pasture in the
forest in 1252, when it was given more land to
serve as pasture for its plough beasts. (fn. 12) It had a
croft of 60 acres called Sandcroft, (fn. 13) and in 1237
an area called 'Filethicroft', with rights of assarting and inclosing it, both gifts of Henry III. (fn. 14) On
two occasions the same king pardoned the priory
for infringement of his forest rights. The first
offence was the assarting of 7½ acres of forest land
at Pitton, without royal licence, after the land had
been granted to the priory by Robert de Stodlegh.
The fine of £53 17s. 4d. was remitted in 1246
and the king gave more land in the same place for
the celebration of the obit of his mother, Isabel,
in the priory church. (fn. 15) On the second occasion, in
1255, the priory was pardoned for having received
a gift of 1 acre of land at Pitton from James de
Pitton, or Puton, a bailiff of the forest, who had
held it of the king in serjeanty. The land was confirmed to the priory 'forever quit of waste and
regard'. When a regard of Clarendon Forest was
held in 1263 it was presented that the Prior of
Ivychurch held 7 acres of old assart, sown once
with wheat and once with oats, and 5 acres of new.
He came and showed the king's warrant, whereby
he was acquitted. (fn. 16)
Edward I increased the endowment of Ivychurch in Clarendon Forest, and Edward II in
1314 granted 112 acres of waste for cultivation.
The priory was given power to inclose the area
by dyke and hedge, with free entry and exit for
all the beasts belonging to the monastery from and
to the nearest highway. A rent of 56s. a year to
cover all service was demanded by the Crown. (fn. 17)
The priory also suffered the loss of certain assarts
by Edward's policy of imparking a large area of
Clarendon Forest. Some return was made by his
grant in March 1317 of the right of pasture for
40 oxen and cows in Clarendon Park. (fn. 18) Another
gift of Edward II was 100s. a year from the issues
of Clarendon manor in aid 'of finding a light
burning forever in the monastery'. (fn. 19) But the
keepers of the manor found it impossible to meet
such a charge and after some years of friction the
prior made a formal complaint to the king and
council in 1331. Edward III had already heard
in 1330 from Giles de Beauchamp, keeper of
Clarendon Forest, that he was prevented from
raising more than £4 for Ivychurch because so
much of the park had been inclosed. The matter
was settled by an order for the money to be paid
out of rents in Chippenham and Rowden. (fn. 20) This
appears to be the last royal gift of property in
Clarendon Forest or Park of which there is any
known record. The total amount was considerable. By 1473 Ivychurch held at least 740 acres
of pasture and wood in the forest and park. (fn. 21)
There were limitations to the enjoyment of
such an endowment, because none of it could be
converted into ready money, and the other endowments of the priory in temporal and spiritual
possessions were mostly small in value. In 1291
Ivychurch had in temporal income £3 16s. in
Laverstock, £1 4s. in Shrewton, 13s. 4d. in Salisbury, 16s. in Barford St. Martin, 6s. in Downton,
and 2s. in Grimstead. (fn. 22) It also had a mill at Mumworth, in Laverstock, worth 10s. 4d. in 1250, but
not included in the Taxation of I291. (fn. 23) The
revenue from spiritualities in 1291 was much
higher. The church of Tilshead was wholly
appropriated to Ivychurch, and with its vicarage
was worth £16 13s. 4d. (fn. 24) It had a portion of £2
in Alderbury church and in Winterslow church,
and in Caundel Haddon, now Stourton Caundle
(Dors.), it had either a portion or a pension of
£3 6s. 8d. (fn. 25) This last church was worth only £1
more in total value, so that it was mainly appropriated to Ivychurch. But the sub-dean of Salisbury was the rector or proprietor and he claimed
the mortuary dues and also had a pension in the
church. Friction between the two parties was
inevitable, but after many years of dispute an
agreement was arranged in 1474 by Bishop Richard Beauchamp. The sub-dean renounced to Ivychurch his proprietary and rectorial rights. The
bishop then declared the church wholly appropriated to Ivychurch and the prior and canons
agreed to pay a yearly pension of 26s. 8d. to the
sub-dean. (fn. 26)
Among the earliest endowments of Ivychurch
was a bequest from Bishop Jocelin of Salisbury
of a portion of certain commons, for which he
gave funds to the Chapter of Salisbury between
1155 and 1160. The income was derived from
Alton Pancras church (Dors.). In return the
canons of the priory were bound to say prayers for
his soul and celebrate his obit. In July 1214 the
Dean and Chapter of Salisbury agreed with the
prior and canons to pay 8 marks yearly instead of
the commons, and continued to do so until the
Dissolution. In 1406 it was granted to Nicholas
Caperon, clerk, for the term of his life because he
had given such good and laudable service to the
prior and canons. (fn. 27) Another legacy of 50 ewes and
1,000 cows (fn. 28) was given in 1225 by the will of
William Longespée, Earl of Salisbury. In 1267
by the will of Robert de Careville, Canon and
Treasurer of Salisbury, Ivychurch received 40s. (fn. 29)
In the 14th century there were many grants
of land of considerable value. The insufficiency
of the early endowment of the priory may have
stimulated the flow of gifts. The most important
acquisition was the grant of the manor of Whaddon
in Alderbury, with the advowson of the church,
given in 1328 by Master Robert de Bluntesdon,
Canon of Salisbury. The value of the manor was
£7 12s. a year, which was covered by a royal licence
of 1320, allowing Ivychurch to acquire lands in
mortmain worth £10. (fn. 30) The church, which was
worth £5 yearly, was eventually abandoned as
a parish church and Ivychurch took its place.
Presentations to it had ceased by the end of the
13th century, but according to the evidence given
at an episcopal visitation of 1394 the priors of
Ivychurch were obliged to say mass three times
a week in Whaddon church. The duty had been
neglected and Prior Roger Virgo was called to
account for his negligence. (fn. 31) Two other grants
of property in Whaddon were made by Robert
de Bluntesdon. One was of 1½ virgate and 2 messuages, worth £1 15s. 4d. yearly. The prior took
seisin before an inquisition into the value of the
property had been returned to Chancery. For this
misdemeanour the house was fined 20s. in 1334.
The king also ordered that some of the income
should be devoted to the sustenance of a canon to
celebrate daily in the priory church 'for the good
estate of the king in life, for his soul after death,
and for the souls of his progenitors and the faithful
departed'. (fn. 32) The second gift was of 4 carucates
worth 16 marks. For this the priory was to find
three canon chaplains to celebrate daily for the
souls of Robert and his parents. (fn. 33) During the rule
of Prior Virgo, 1374-1404, when discipline was
slack and income was wasted by his extravagance,
this daily celebration was not kept up because there
were too few canons. At one period there were
only five and by 1399 the number had fallen to
two besides the prior. (fn. 34) Richard II in 1397 deprived Ivychurch of Robert's lands because his
condition was not being fulfilled and committed
the custody of them to two royal ministers who
accounted at the exchequer for the issues. On the
accession of Henry IV the prior complained of
the great loss he suffered by the retention of the
property, but there was no immediate restoration
because he made no effort to find the three
necessary canons. (fn. 35)
There were several other small grants of lands
in Whaddon. In 1340 John de Tropynell gave
½ acre of arable lying in 'la Westfeld' in a certain
culture called 'Shortdene' which had land belonging to Ivychurch on each side of it. (fn. 36) In 1392
Bernard Brocas, knight, Arnold Brocas, and John
Chytherne, clerks, granted 2 messuages, a toft
called 'Northokerye', and 11 acres of land in
Whaddon, 4 messuages and 2 acres of land in
Shaftesbury (Dors.), 2 acres of arable, 3 of meadow,
and 12s. 8d. yearly rent in Alderbury, and 1 messuage and 16 acres of land in Farley near the
church. (fn. 37) Since 1341 the priory had enjoyed by
gift from the Crown the right of free warren in
all its demesnes in Whaddon and Alderbury. (fn. 38)
Thus the manor of Whaddon became the richest
temporal endowment of Ivychurch at the Dissolution. The demesne and pasture for 700 sheep were
farmed in 1535 for a rent of £14. (fn. 39)
Robert de Hungerford was another benefactor
who granted to the priory in 1334 2 messuages
in Salisbury, 5 acres of land in 'Muleford' and
Laverstock, 52s. in rents in Quidhampton and
Bemerton, and 20s. in rents in Ugford and
Rushall. The priory was to find, in return, a
chaplain for a daily celebration after morning mass
in Salisbury Cathedral for the souls of the donor
and of Walter Hervy, late archdeacon of Salisbury,
and of their ancestors. (fn. 40) This chantry was maintained until the Dissolution. The yearly cost of
26s. 8d. was charged in 1535 upon the rents from
Quidhampton. (fn. 41) Robert also granted to Ivychurch
in 1321 the advowson of the church of Blunsdon
St. Andrew, but there is some doubt as to whether
the priory ever effectively enjoyed this gift. (fn. 42) In
1349 William Randolf settled on the priory the
reversion of I messuage in Salisbury, 4 messuages,
1 mill, 250 acres of arable, 20 acres of meadow,
and 40s. of rent in Laverstock, Ford in Laverstock, and Alderbury, worth in all 100s, a year. (fn. 43)
Ivychurch was to find a chaplain to celebrate daily
for the souls of William and his wife Agnes. Ten
acres and a messuage in Bulkington were given by
Henry Thomas in 1331 and another 10 there by
John Gille for a chaplain to perform daily celebration in St. Mary's, Bulkington, for the souls of the
donors. (fn. 44) Henry Russel and Robert de Hechelhampton granted to Ivychurch in 1341 a messuage
and 4½ virgates of land in Winterslow. (fn. 45)
The Black Death gravely affected the community of Ivychurch. The prior and twelve canons
died, one only being left, James de Groundewell.
He informed Edward III of what had happened
and, as no election of a prior could take place, the
king appointed James to that office. (fn. 46) The General
Chapter of Austin Canons, which met at Northampton in 1350, deferred from 1349 because of
the plague, heard from the official visitors that no
religious life then flourished at Ivychurch. It was
decided to send suitable canons there to restore
religion, and to any other religious house in similar
circumstances. (fn. 47) The canons were to stay as long
as it was expedient, and the bishop was to be informed so that the restoration might be effective.
Some of the canons sent to Ivychurch do not
appear to have been suitable for any religious
house, and from this time the decline of the priory
both in its spiritual and economic life undoubtedly
began. The new prior, James de Groundewell,
had resigned by 1 April 1350; his successor John
de Langeford resigned in 1357. (fn. 48) Neither was fit
to be prior. James and another canon, John de
Groundewell, with their fellow canons Peter Rossall, Robert Turent, Robert Gowyne, John de
Salisbury, and the prior himself, John de Langeford, assisted by two lay brothers and other disreputable persons, broke into the property of Joan,
widow of John de Grymsted, knight, at West
Grimstead in 1356. They carried off her goods,
assaulted her servants at Alderbury, and stole some
of her bondmen. (fn. 49) In 1358 a royal mandate to all
sheriffs, mayors, bailiffs, and other ministers gave
powers to arrest John de Langeford, late prior,
Peter Sele, and John de Salisbury, who, having left
the monastery without licence, were now vagabonds in secular habit, and to deliver them to Prior
Roger de Chiselden for suitable chastisement. (fn. 50)
There are other indications of the worldliness of
the canons at this time. One, Thomas, was caught
hunting a buck with greyhounds in Clarendon
Forest in 1370, and was known to have hunted the
royal conies both within and without the forest.
Twice he was attached by the king's foresters and
each time rescued by his own servant. The Prior
of Ivychurch, John Bromley, was also guilty of
having given him and his dog shelter. A royal
pardon was granted to both prior and canon. (fn. 51)
Again, in 1379 a royal pardon was granted to Prior
Virgo for having allowed his servant with the
prior's harriers to chase a hare and kill a buck in
Clarendon Park. (fn. 52)
Under the rule of Prior Virgo, 1374-1404,
and of his successor John Morton, 1405-12, the
economic difficulties of the priory became serious. (fn. 53)
In 1394, at the visitation of Bishop Waltham, it
was shown that Roger Virgo's sister, Eleanor, lived
in the priory, was fed and clothed of its revenues,
and often disturbed the house by her quarrels with
the brothers. (fn. 54) The number of pensions, annuities,
and corrodies, and indiscreet farming of manors
greatly increased, and in some cases led to the
permanent loss of endowments. In fact there was
scarcely sufficient revenue left by 1412 to sustain
the canons in the necessities of life, even though
their numbers had fallen as low as two in 1399. (fn. 55)
Prior Rowde, soon after his election in 1412,
appealed for royal protection, to prevent the dispersal of the canons which he feared might happen
because of the poverty of the house. The Crown
granted protection in May 1412, and committed
the keeping of all the issues and profits from the
possessions of Ivychurch to Robert, Bishop of
Salisbury, and Edmund, Duke of York. (fn. 56) They
were to disburse to the prior and canons a sum
necessary for their maintenance, and the rest of
the income was to be applied to the discharge of
the debts of the house. The royal protection was
renewed by Henry V, who also in December 1419
ordered an inquisition to be held upon the reported
detention of its lands, rents, services, rights, and
other possessions. (fn. 57) But these measures do not
appear to have solved the problems. In June 1423
Henry VI, considering the continued poverty and
the poor endowments of Ivychurch from its earliest
history, granted to the priory the possessions and
advowson of the church of Upavon and of its
dependent chapel of Charlton. Upavon had been
an alien priory of the abbey of St. Wandrille
(Seine-Inférieure), and formed one of the prebends
of Salisbury Cathedral. (fn. 58) Thus the Prior of Ivychurch became the holder of a prebendal stall in
Salisbury, in place of and with the agreement of
the Abbot of St. Wandrille. In 1535 he discharged
his duties through a vicar, Cuthbert Burdon, who
received a pension of 40s. for serving in the choir
of Salisbury Cathedral. (fn. 59) By the charter of 1423
the possessions of Upavon Priory were incorporated, annexed, and united to Ivychurch, provided
that the accustomed dues were paid to the Crown
and to Salisbury Cathedral, and a daily mass celebrated in the priory for the souls of the king and
of Catherine, his mother. The Abbot and Convent
of St. Wandrille quitclaimed their whole right, and
by royal licence made the grant in mortmain. (fn. 60) In
the Valor of 1535 the Upavon prebend is valued
at £24 10s. 10d. and the chapel of Charlton at
£11, the two forming the wealthiest spiritual endowment of the priory. (fn. 61) But Henry's gift was
really an exchange, and Ivychurch had to surrender to the Crown all its rights of pasture for
40 oxen, kine, and 20 pigs in Clarendon Park, as
well as its prescriptive right to send a daily 'stikker'
to collect wood for fuel. (fn. 62) The enjoyment of the
new endowment of Upavon was disturbed by the
Crown resuming possession of it in 1456 for a
term of 20 years, for some unknown reason, and
in 1459 it was granted to Eton College. (fn. 63) But this
was hot permanent, and in 1461 Edward IV confirmed Upavon to Ivychurch on the same terms as
in the original settlement, with the additional surrender of the land called 'Felethicroft' or 'Feleschcroftis'. (fn. 64) At Michaelmas 1463 the prebend was,
however, still in the hand of the Crown. (fn. 65) Finally,
by a clause in the Act of Resumption of 1473
Ivychurch recovered the advowson and patronage
of Upavon church 'with the free chapel of Charlton annexed'. In return the prior and convent 'by
their comune assent and by their dede and seale
under their Convent Seale' granted the Crown
740 acres of pasture and wood in the park and
forest of Clarendon as well as the pasture, originally
surrendered, for 40 oxen and 20 pigs with their
issue. (fn. 66) The Crown appears to have benefited again
by additional land surrendered. But at the Dissolution the priory still had some 112 acres in
'great woods and underwoods', which were valued
at £136 4s. 2d. (fn. 67) It is clear that Ivychurch did not
immediately profit from Henry VI's gift of Upavon. A royal commission was appointed in 1433,
with power to hold inquisitions in Wiltshire and
Dorset as to the persons reported to have been
intruding upon divers lands belonging to the
priory. (fn. 68) The lands are described as being in the
king's possession, and so the Crown must still have
held the priory in its special protection. Again in
November 1447 the Archbishop of Canterbury,
the bishops of Winchester and of Chichester, Edmund, Marquess of Dorset, and William de la
Pole, Marquess of Suffolk, with others, were
appointed to keep all the possessions of Ivychurch,
releasing to the prior and canons only sufficient for
their sustenance and reserving the rest for the relief
of the house. All pensions, annuities, corrodies,
and farms, with which burdens the priory had
become overcharged 'for lack of good governance
and the carelessness of late priors', were to cease
for ten years. (fn. 69) Some recovery must have resulted
from these measures, although as late as 1515 a
licence was granted to the prior and convent to
acquire lands in mortmain to the annual value of
£10, which may indicate a financial need. (fn. 70) But
the chantry certificate of 1536 shows a greatly
improved economic and spiritual condition. There
were then no debts, and £14 10s. was owing to
the house. It had a fair quantity of stores and
jewels, comprising £54 19s. 2d. in jewels and
plate, £28 9s. 8d. in ornaments, £11 in stuffs, and
£89 2s. 2d. in stocks and stores. The number of
canon priests with the prior was five, and one
novice, by report all of honest conversation, but
only one of these desired to remain in religion.
Besides the brethren in the house at the Dissolution there were 4 household officers, 4 waiting
servants, 5 children for the church, and 3 'hinds'.
The church, mansion, and outhouses were reported as in very good condition 'with moch newe
buylding of stone and breke. Lead and belles none
but only upon the church and in the stepall of the
parish'. (fn. 71)
The gross value of the spiritual and temporal
possessions of Ivychurch in 1535 was £141 9s. 11d.,
the temporal in gross being £69 11s. 3½d. The net
total was £123 8s. 9½d. and the net temporal
£59 0s. 1½d. (fn. 72) The priory therefore suffered dissolution by the Act of Parliament of 1536. (fn. 73) The
exact date of its surrender is not known, but it was
early in 1536. The last prior, Richard Page,
elected 1493, was more distinguished than some
of his predecessors. (fn. 74) He had been appointed by the
general chapter of Austin Canons, held at Leicester
in 1518, one of the two official visitors for the
dioceses of Salisbury and Winchester. (fn. 75) He was
friendly with Lord and Lady Lisle, and from a
letter of his to Lady Lisle of August 1533, thanking her for wine and requesting some venison from
Clarendon Park from Lord Lisle, he implies his
need of friendship with wise men in good authority. (fn. 76) Another letter of Richard Page to Thomas
Cromwell, of 18 November 1535, shows how
anxious the prior was to be on cordial terms with
him, no doubt realizing by then the imminence of
dissolution. Cromwell was asked to nominate the
bearer of the letter, William Grene, to the office of
high steward of Ivychurch Priory, which had long
been without one, 'not for want of applicants but
from our desire that you should take pains therein'. (fn. 77) William Grene was appointed under-steward
at a fee of 40s. a year and Cromwell himself became high steward at the same fee. (fn. 78) Already in
February 1536 John Tregonwell was asking for
the farm of Ivychurch Priory, among other religious houses, promising Cromwell consideration
and reward for his kindness if the favour were
granted. (fn. 79) But from 26 March 1537 Robert
Seymour, king's servant, was granted a 21 years'
lease of the site of the priory, with most of its
manors and lands, and a life-grant of the same in
September 1539. (fn. 80) In lieu of a pension Prior Page
was granted in 1537 the rectory and prebend of
Upavon. (fn. 81) In May 1544 John Barwicke, steward
of the Wiltshire property of the Earl of Hertford,
bought for £513 16s. 3d. the reversion of the site
and of the lands of the priory which had been
granted to Robert Seymour. (fn. 82) The priory buildings came eventually into the hands of Henry,
Earl of Pembroke, who converted them into a
dwelling house. Here Sir Philip Sidney is said to
have written much of his Arcadia. (fn. 83) During the
Civil War Ivychurch house was held by the royalists, and in 1644 the young Sir Anthony Ashley
Cooper, then commander-in-chief of the parliamentary forces in Dorset, reported to the Governor
of Poole that the enemy from Ivychurch made
perpetual inroads 'into the eastern part of our
country, and bring the northern part of Wiltshire
into contribution to them'. (fn. 84) Much of the priory
building, including the original 12th-century
cloisters, remained until 1888, when it was pulled
down. In the Green Dragon Inn at Alderbury,
until a few years ago, there was a very finely
moulded chimney-piece said to have come from
the priory, and some of the handsome woodwork
now part of the structure of the inn may also have
come from there. Some of the capitals and coupled
columns of the cloister may be seen in a fountain
near the inn. The whole of the lower east wall of
the frater was covered with a painting of the Last
Supper, probably of the 13th century. A farmhouse
with many sculptured stones in its walls now
occupies part of the site, and two sculptured figures
stand outside against the end wall of the house.
West of the house are the few ruins of the church,
which have recently been described in detail, (fn. 85)
There is no record of when it ceased to be the
parish church for Clarendon and Whaddon, but
neither Ivychurch nor Whaddon was included in
the survey of church goods of 1548. (fn. 86)
All the priors of Ivychurch whose elections are
known were chosen from the canons of the. priory,
except Thomas Griffin, canon of Osney (Oxon.),
and Robert Stokys, canon of Southwark. One of
the early 13th-century priors, perhaps William de
Calne, was appointed by Popes Honorius III and
Gregory IX to act as a papal commissary with
others to hear causes of appeal in England in 1227
and 1229. (fn. 87) There are detailed accounts of the
elections of Priors William de Calne, 1303, John
Chiveley, 1428, Robert Franke, 1452, Edward
Thacham, 1464, and Richard Page, 1493, in the
registers of the bishops of Salisbury.
When William de Calne was presented as priorelect to Bishop Simon de Ghent at Potterne in
1303, he was moved to resign 'purely, simply and
absolutely'. In spite of this the bishop, considering
his merits, confirmed the election, and William
accepted office. (fn. 88) John Chiveley was elected
unanimously per viam spiritus sancti and public
announcement was made in the church of St.
Thomas at Salisbury on 1 April 1428. As was
usual, the Archdeacon of Wiltshire was asked to
install him. (fn. 89) The act of confirmation of the
election of Robert Franke gives many details
of the election which took place in the priory chapter house on 3 October 1452. There were present
only three canon-priests, and one acolyte, John
Philipe. All except Robert Franke with one accord
chose him as prior. The Bishop of Salisbury was
then informed and he confirmed the election on
10 October. (fn. 90) The election of Edward Thacham
took place on 13 May 1464 with similar procedure. By this time John Philipe had become subprior, and with him there were three other canons,
John Galeway, Edward Thacham, and Richard
Ovyngham. The sub-prior was unanimously
chosen to elect, and to assist him with counsel
were John Stretton, resident canon of Salisbury,
and Robert Stokys, the last prior, who had just
resigned Ivychurch because of his election as
Prior of Breamore (Hants). To these three the
chapter gave full power to deliberate in the western
end of the chapter house until noon and to come
to some agreement. Thus Edward Thacham was
elected. (fn. 91) After his death on 21 February 1493
the new election took place on 4 March, those
present being James Keving, sub-prior, Simon
Bartlot, the cellarer, John Thacham, and Richard
Page, priests and canons. After hearing an exposition by Master Laurence Cokkes, Doctor of
Laws, the electors without hesitation acclaimed
Richard Page as prior. He was carried to the High
Altar as the Te Deum was sung, and between 1
and 2 p.m. Cokkes announced the election to
clergy and people in the conventual church. Twice
Page was asked for his consent and given an interval for deliberation, and at the second asking,
between 2 and 3 p.m. in the south aisle of the
church he gave his consent in a formal written
deed. (fn. 92)
In 1455 Prior Franke was elected by the burgesses of Salisbury alderman of the 'Mede' because
he was seised of 2 messuages and a freehold in
right of his church, held of the bishop by fealty,
rent, and the service of being alderman or provost
of the city. The prior refused to serve and secured
from Chancery three writs of discharge, in spite
of which he was 'dayly amersed grevously'. His
resignation from the office of prior in 1456 released him, but he submitted his successor, Robert
Stokys, to the bishop 'to do and fulfyll all constytucions and ordynances as his olde predecessores hath
done afore hym'. (fn. 93)
Priors of Ivychurch
Nicholas, occurs 1214. (fn. 94)
Thomas, occurs 1221. (fn. 95)
William de Calne, occurs from 1234 to 1245. (fn. 96)
Thomas Griffin, elected 1247. (fn. 97)
Henry de Boteham, elected 1250, died 1281. (fn. 98)
Richard de Katerington, elected 1281, died
1303. (fn. 99)
William de Calne, elected 1303, resigned 1347. (fn. 100)
Stephen de Mordon, elected 1347, died of
plague 1348-9. (fn. 101)
James de Groundewell, appointed 1349, resigned by 1 Apr. 1350. (fn. 102)
John de Langeford, elected 1350, resigned
1357. (fn. 103)
Roger de Chuselden, elected 1357. (fn. 104)
Priory void 14 Oct. 1361. (fn. 105)
John Bromleye, provided by Bp. of Salisbury,
1361, died before 17 May 1374. (fn. 106)
Roger Virgo, elected 1374, died 1404. (fn. 107)
Richard Compton, elected 1404, died 1405. (fn. 108)
John Morton, elected 1405, resigned 1412. (fn. 109)
Walter Rowde, elected 1412, died 1428. (fn. 110)
John Chiveley, elected 1428, died 1452. (fn. 111)
Robert Franke, elected 1452, resigned 1456. (fn. 112)
Robert Stokys, elected 1456, resigned 1467. (fn. 113)
Edward Thacham, elected 1467, died 1493. (fn. 114)
Richard Page, elected 1493, died as 'Prior of
Uphaven' 1540. (fn. 115)
The fragment of a seal (fn. 116) used in 1409-10
shows the Holy Trinity in a canopied niche. It is
a pointed oval about 15/8 in. long. Only the letters
COM of the legend survive.
The seal (fn. 117) of Prior Walter, on a deed of 1412,
is circular and measures 13/16 in. in diameter. On it,
the Virgin with the Child on her lap is seated
within a canopied niche and against a rayed background. The legend is now indecipherable, but
apparently the following letters were formerly
legible:
. . . E MARIA GRACIA
A pointed oval conventual seal (fn. 118) on a deed of
1423 measures about 2½ by 15/8 in. and shows an
irradiated figure of the Virgin within a canopied
niche holding the Child on her right arm. The
legend is:
SIGILLUM COMNE MONASTERII * BEATE : * :
MARIE : DE : EDERO . . .
The seal (fn. 119) of Prior John Chiveley on a deed
of 1432 is round and measures ¾ in. across. Within
a crescent an angel holds a shield charged with a
cross. Only part of the legend survives:
. . . BEATE MARIE