2. REDBOURN PRIORY
The cell of St. Amphibalus at Redbourn was
established as the result of the miraculous
discovery of the remains of St. Amphibalus and
his fellow-martyrs in 1178. (fn. 1) St. Alban appeared
at night to an inhabitant of St. Albans called
Robert, and told him that he wished to make
known the burial-place of Amphibalus, who had
converted him to Christianity. Robert rose,
was led by the saint to Redbourn, and shown
the spot where Amphibalus and his companions
lay. After marking the place for future identification, Robert returned with St. Alban, who
disappeared when they arrived at his church.
The story was spread abroad, and in the end
reached Abbot Simon, who sent some monks
with Robert, and set a guard over the ground,
the holiness of which was attested by miracles
of healing. Exploration there was rewarded by
the discovery of several bodies, one of which
was identified as that of St. Amphibalus from
the received account of the manner of his death.
The remains were removed to the abbey, and on
their way were met by a procession of monks
with the shrine of St. Alban, who showed his
joy by wonderful signs.
The foundation by the Abbot of St. Albans
of the cell on the portion of Redbourn Heath
which included the grave of St. Amphibalus
and the chapel of St. James (fn. 2) is left unnoticed,
possibly because it was regarded as part of the
events just recorded, (fn. 3) but the house existed in
the time of Simon's successor, Warin (1183-95),
who used it as a health resort for the convent of
St. Albans. (fn. 4) The priory and monks were
plundered unmercifully by the soldiers of Louis
of France on 1 May 1217. (fn. 5) One of the treasures,
however, a silver-gilt cross containing a piece of
the holy cross, was soon recovered. The man
who, unknown to his fellows, had stolen it was
seized with a fit after leaving the priory, and
became so violent that his comrades had to bind
his hands and take him thus to Flamstead
Church, which they meant to raid. At the
entrance the cross fell from his bosom, and was
picked up by the parish priest, who inquired
what it was. The robbers, recognizing that
their companion's seizure was a punishment for
sacrilege, were terrified and begged the priest
to take the cross back at once to the monks. It
was possibly to compensate for losses then sustained that Abbot William de Trumpington
(1214-35) gave to the house a beautiful psalter
and ordinal and two gilded shrines. (fn. 6) For the
safety of the shrines and the relics in them he
appointed a monk with a colleague to relieve
him to guard them continually. During the
time of this abbot the conventual church was
consecrated by John Bishop of Ardfert. (fn. 7)
The regulations made by Abbot Roger in 1275
with regard to monks who died at Redbourn (fn. 8)
show that there was no cemetery here. The
cell was, as in Abbot Warin's day, a place where
the monks could have a brief relief from strict
discipline.
The constitutions of Abbot Richard de
Wallingford (1326-35) for Redbourn (fn. 9) aimed
chiefly at preventing too great relaxation of the
rule. The three monks taking their turn there
were to remain a month, and were neither to
go nor return on foot; a brother at Redbourn
who by permission came to St. Albans must be
accompanied by his prior; the brothers were
to go to matins, say together the canonical
hours, and hear the mass of the day, and those
who were priests must not omit for four days to
celebrate mass; constant transgressors of these
rules were to have their stay shortened; they
were to take the air together in places removed
from public concourse and return in good time
for dinner; they were forbidden to visit
neighbouring houses and friends or go beyond
the boundaries without the prior's leave, and to
go on foot a mile beyond the priory, or stay the
night anywhere without the abbot's permission;
they must not eat before the common meal or
sup in time of regular fast without leave of the
prior, who was to be very careful how he gave
it; their food was to be served daily from the
kitchen of the abbey as for monks at St. Albans;
the prior and brothers were not to keep huntingdogs, hunt, look on at the sport, or leap over
the hedges of their neighbours; they must not
bring into the house persons of doubtful reputation to eat or talk with them, or have intercourse with such outside.
The arrangement about food did not work
at all well: hot dishes sent from the abbey
were naturally not very palatable when they
reached Redbourn, about 3 miles off, and
when sold at St. Albans fetched little; so
that the monks at Redbourn were reduced to
all kinds of shifts for their maintenance. (fn. 10)
This state of things was ended by Abbot
Thomas de la Mare (fn. 11) (1349-96), and the sum
of 5s. a week was given in lieu of food. (fn. 12)
He also simplified the matter of the convent's
supply of fuel, ordaining that they should
have sixteen cartloads of wood at Michaelmas
instead of the two logs a day from 1 November
to 2 February allowed them by his predecessor,
Michael de Mentmore. (fn. 13) Abbot Thomas did
much for the priory, giving vestments, plate,
furniture and books, (fn. 14) rebuilding the chapel of
St. James, (fn. 15) which had been burned down many
years before, (fn. 16) and among other improvements
to the buildings (fn. 17) constructing a house (fn. 18) which
he could use both as a wardrobe and study when
he visited Redbourn. He was very fond of the
place and frequently stayed there, though he
was careful that his presence should not cause
constraint or be burdensome in any way to the
convent. (fn. 19)
It was no doubt through his endeavours that
Thomas de Beauchamp Earl of Warwick in
1383 renounced his claim to Redbourn Health. (fn. 20)
The dispute on the point had for years (fn. 21) caused
the priory great inconvenience, for the Flamstead men, relying on their lord's support, had
kept up a continual feud with the convent; on
one occasion they had seized the cart with the
monks' provisions and taken it to Flamstead,
and the prior had been so frightened lest his
food supply might be cut off that he had bought
another less public approach to the priory. (fn. 22)
The stone walls round the outer court were
repaired by Abbot John Wheathampstead
(1420-40), who also gave £7 to the fabric of the
kitchen (fn. 23) and contributed to decorate the chapel
and improve the altar. (fn. 24) From the regulations,
however, which he would have introduced in
1439, (fn. 25) internal amendment seems to have been
what the house most needed. Sometimes there
were only two monks there, sometimes the place
was left empty. Wheathampstead ordered
that with the prior they must number at least
four, and they were to remain their appointed
time without interruption unless recalled by
their superior; they were to go to the chapel
every day and say together the canonical
service; at festivals mass and vespers were to
be sung, (fn. 26) and to help in the singing two clerks (fn. 27)
were to be added to the house, due provision
being made for the expense of the increased
convent (fn. 28) ; St. Amphibalus was to be commemorated at Redbourn as at the abbey; the
brothers were each to celebrate mass daily, and
that they might be the readier for their duty
they were to go to bed earlier (fn. 29) and abstain
from late potations, superfluous repasts, from
roaming about and excessive recreation; they
were to avoid doubtful places while on their
way to the priory and were to bring nobody
into the house from whom scandal might easily
arise. The abbot, moreover, exhorted them to
employ their leisure time there in reading,
learning, or other useful employment to prevent
idleness. These rules in essentials differed very
little from Richard de Wallingford's, yet they
were so strongly opposed by a section of the
convent at St. Albans as encroachments on their
liberty and novelties that the abbot had to let
the matter drop. (fn. 30)
Beyond the mention of the prior in 1492 (fn. 31)
nothing more is heard of the house until 1535,
when apparently it was already abandoned. (fn. 32)
The priory received small gifts from time to
time from secular persons, (fn. 33) but as far as can
be seen practically all its resources were derived
directly or indirectly from the abbey. The
tithes of Winslow, co. Bucks., of old belonging
to the almoner, were assigned by Abbot Thomas
de la Mare to Redbourn, (fn. 34) which appears to have
held also the manor of Beamonds. (fn. 35) The place
was said to be worth £9 2s. a year in 1535, (fn. 36) but
it is impossible to say what was then meant by
the priory.
Priors of Redbourn
Gilbert de Sisseverne (fn. 37)
Vincent, died January 1248-9 (fn. 38)
Geoffrey de St. Albans, occurs November
1290 (fn. 39)
Richard de Hatford, occurs January 1302,
deposed soon afterwards (fn. 40)
J. Woderove, occurs before 1383 (fn. 41)
William de Flamstead, occurs 1380 (fn. 42)
William Wylum, occurs October 1396 (fn. 43) and
December 1401 (fn. 44)
Hugh Legat, resigned 1427 (fn. 45)
William Bryth, appointed 1427 (fn. 46)
Richard Myssendene, appointed 11 November
1428 (fn. 47)
Thomas Westwode, occurs 16 January 1452 (fn. 48)
and 25 February 1465 (fn. 49)
Thomas Albon, occurs 5 August 1476, (fn. 50) 30 June
1480 (fn. 51) and June 1492 (fn. 52)