26. THE PRIORY OF LETHERINGHAM
There is not much to be learnt about the
small priory of Austin canons at Letheringham,
dedicated to the honour of the Blessed Virgin.
It was a cell of the priory of St. Peter's, Ipswich,
served by three or four canons, over whom was a
prior who was appointed from time to time by the
mother house; but the prior held the office for life,
the appointment being confirmed by the bishop.
William de Bovile, apparently towards the
close of the twelfth century, gave his tithes at
Letheringham to the monastery of St. Peter's,
Ipswich, whereupon they established here a
priory. The Boviles held the manor of Letheringham with the advowson of the priory for
many generations until 1348, when the lordship
and advowson passed to Sir John de Ufford, in
trust, for the use of Margery, daughter and
heiress of Sir John Bovile. Margery married for
her second husband Thomas Wingfield, and
hence the Wingfields held this property until
long after the dissolution. (fn. 1)
The taxation roll of 1291 shows that the total
income of this priory was then £12 11s. 0¼d.,
£8 being the value of the appropriated church of
Charsfield, and the greater part of the remaining
income from temporalities coming from lands at
Letheringham. (fn. 2)
A two-days' fair on the vigil and Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin was granted to the priory
in 1297 to be held at Letheringham. (fn. 3)
John, duke of Norfolk, and Katharine his wife,
gave the advowson of the church of Hoo to this
priory in 1475, and in 1482 the canons obtained
licence to appropriate it. (fn. 4)
The Valor of 1535 gives the total clear annual
value of this priory as £26 18s. 5d.; the temporalities amounted to £7 16s. 9d., and the
spiritualities (including the rectories of Letheringham, Charsfield, and Hoo) to £19 1s. 8d. (fn. 5)
The Suffolk commissioners for appraising the
value of the goods and chattels of the condemned
smaller monasteries visited Letheringham on
24 August, 1536. The whole was valued at
£7 2s. 10d. (fn. 6)
The actual date of the suppression of the house
was 7 February, 1536-7. (fn. 7)
William Basse, the prior, was assigned a pension of £5. (fn. 8)
On 20 October, 1539, a grant was made to
Sir Anthony Wingfield of the site and possessions
of the priory, with the rectories of Letheringham,
Charsfield, and certain tithes in Asketon. (fn. 9)
Priors of Letheringham
Richard de Hecham, (fn. 10) 1307
Richard de Sancto Edmundo, (fn. 11) 1316
William de Bhi Thornham (sic), (fn. 12) 1357
Stephen Capel, (fn. 13) resigned 1399
John Bresete, (fn. 14) 1399
Thomas de Hadley, (fn. 15) 1407
William Woodbridge, (fn. 16) 1420
William Keche, (fn. 17) resigned, 1443
William Noel, (fn. 18) 1443
Robert Kenynghall, (fn. 19) 1462
John May, (fn. 20) 1473
Henry Wortham, (fn. 21) died 1497
Robert Hadley, (fn. 22) 1497
William Basse, (fn. 23) 1506
William Clopton, (fn. 24) 1510
William Basse, (fn. 25) occurs 1535
There is a fine fragment of the oval seal of
this house attached to a charter of 1495; it bears
the Blessed Virgin seated in a carved niche.
Legend:—
. . . LL: CŌE: PORIS: ET: CON . . . . (fn. 26)