HOUSES OF AUGUSTINIAN CANONS
9. THE PRIORY OF HARDHAM (fn. 1)
The origin of the priory of St. Cross (fn. 2) of
Hardham, sometimes called Heringham, is unknown, but it was clearly in existence by about
the middle of the thirteenth century, as in 1263
Milane 'la Recluse,' of Steyning, brought an
action against the prior to recover certain lands
given to the canons by Amfrid de Feringes, who
appears to have formerly made her an allowance
from the issues of the same. (fn. 3) Although defeated in this suit she again brought a similar
action, with equal lack of success, in 1278. (fn. 4) As
the church of St. George of Hardham, which
had been given to the priory of Lewes by Joscelin, nephew of the castellan of Arundel, (fn. 5) was
confirmed to the canons by William, prior of
Lewes, (fn. 6) it seems probable that the house was
founded after 1248, in which year William
Russhelin became prior of Lewes. The original
endowment is also unknown, but must have been
slight, as in 1291 the temporalities of the priory
amounted to only £6 18s. 6d. (fn. 7)
In 1316 William Paynel granted to the canons
his manor of Cokeham in Sompting, 32 acres
of land in Lancing, and a ferry at New Shoreham, on condition that they should support four
secular chaplains to celebrate daily in their church
for the souls of himself and the king. (fn. 8) This
arrangement was found to work very badly, and
in 1332 Maud, daughter of John Paynel and
heiress of the said William, granted that instead of
seculars they might find four regular chaplains
of their own order, to avoid the strife occurring daily between the canons and the secular chaplains on account of the difference
of their rules of life. (fn. 9) The grant of the
manor of Cokeham had carried with it the
patronage of the hospital of St. Anthony in
that place, and in 1352 the prior of Hardham
obtained leave to appropriate the hospital. (fn. 10)
The first reference that we have to the internal history of the priory is in 1299, when
the archbishop visited Hardham and deposed the
prior, Robert de Glottyngs, for misrule and for
incontinence and adultery. (fn. 11) The deposed prior,
here called Robert de Bodeketon, was sent to the
priory of Tortington, his own priory being
ordered to send his clothes and other belongings
thither and to pay the cost of his keep. (fn. 12) He was,
however, a man of influence, in fact the bishop
of Chichester two years earlier had failed to
depose him owing to his powerful friends, (fn. 13) and
he contrived to get himself elected prior of Shulbred some time before October, 1300, when
the archbishop wrote to the bishop of Chichester expressing his astonishment that he had
allowed this to happen. (fn. 14) Again in 1355 a
canon of this house, John de Kent, was
banished to Tortington where he was to be
kept within the precincts for a time 'that he
may refrain from worldly matters and attend to
spiritual;' (fn. 15) he was subsequently allowed to go to
the priory of Reigate and join their community. (fn. 16)
Tortington seems to have remained the customary
place of banishment for disobedient canons of
Hardham, one being sent there in 1478. The
visitation in this latter year showed the house to
be in a bad state alike as regards its fabric and
its inmates. The prior kept bad order, and the
brethren were given to frequenting neighbouring
taverns. (fn. 17) At this time there were six brethren
besides the prior, but in 1380 the whole community numbered only five, (fn. 18) and this was the
case also in 1521, when the only presentment
made was that the house was in bad repair, (fn. 19)
and in 1524, when the prior had to admit
that he had been concerned with certain laymen in stealing the earl of Arundel's deer. (fn. 20)
If the religious did occasionally join part with
poachers they also suffered at their hands, as
for instance in 1345, when Ralph atte Gate
stole 1,100 eels worth 11s. from the prior's
stream called 'the Shire' (fn. 21) ; a less irregular but
more serious loss occurring in 1400, when certain persons by cutting a ditch in connexion
with this same stream so lessened the value of
the prior's fishery that where his predecessors
used to take 2,000 pikerell, 4,000 eels, and 3,000
roach yearly, he could now take only 100 pikerell
and 200 eels. (fn. 22)
In 1527 the community consisted of the
prior, two canons and a novice, (fn. 23) and not long
afterwards, in 1532, there was talk of its being
suppressed, but by Cromwell's ' prudent counsel
and charitable words' the priory continued to
stand and prosper. (fn. 24) It is probably more than a
coincidence that just about the same time the
canons of Hardham granted an annuity to Cromwell. (fn. 25) Its fall, however, was only postponed for
a short time, the monastery being dissolved previous to 1535, as it does not occur in the Valor
of that year, by agreement between the prior
and Sir William Goring, the patron, who obtained a grant of the site and property from
Henry VIII. (fn. 26) The actual date of dissolution
was probably the winter of 1534, at which time
Robert, prior of the house of the Exaltation of
the Holy Cross, sold to Richard Scrase for £680
the manors of 'Heryngham' and Cokeham with
200 messuages, 4,000 acres of land, 300 of
meadows, and 1,000 of pasture and other property in Hardham, Sompting, Pulborough, Petworth, and other parishes. (fn. 27) As there is no
mention in this transaction of the convent it is
possible that the prior was the last surviving
member of the house.
Priors of Hardham
Richard, before 1278 (fn. 28)
Robert, occurs 1278 (fn. 29)
Robert de Glottyngs, deposed 1299 (fn. 30)
Henry, occurs 1306 (fn. 31)
John, occurs 1336 (fn. 32)
John de Kent, occurs 1351 (fn. 33)
John Baron, occurs 1380 (fn. 34)
Stephen, occurs 1402 (fn. 35)
Henry Combe, occurs 1473, (fn. 36) 1478 (fn. 37)
John Haskyn alias Jonson, collated 1507, (fn. 38)
resigned 1514 (fn. 39)
Robert Pryclove, elected 1514, (fn. 40) occurs 1529 (fn. 41)