11. THE PRIORY OF ST. LEONARD, STAMFORD
If the priory of St. Leonard, Stamford, was
indeed built upon the site of the monastery
founded by St. Wilfrid in 658, it might claim
to be the most ancient religious house in Lincolnshire, with the exception of Barrow. The
identification is, however, very uncertain, and
is supported only by documents of late date.
The same authority—a manuscript of the
fifteenth century, written under the direction
of a prior of Durham who died in 1446—
states that the house, destroyed in the Danish
invasion, was refounded by William Carileph,
bishop of Durham, with the co-operation of the
Conqueror, in 1082, and by them bestowed upon
the prior and convent of Durham. (fn. 1) The only
thing that can be said with certainty is that it
was from a very short time after the Conquest a
cell of Durham.
The priors of the house were presented by the
prior and convent of Durham, and instituted by
the bishop of Lincoln. (fn. 2) They seem to have
been very frequently changed, and a visitation
of Bishop Alnwick, dated 1440, shows the reason
why. In this year there were only two monks
in the house. The prior, Robert Barton, stated
that the income of the house was so small in
proportion to its liabilities that it was difficult to
make ends meet, and that was why the priors
never wished to stay there. A former prior had
undertaken to pay a pension of £6 a year to
Crowland in exchange for the church of Edenham, and this was now a heavy burden on the
house, and involved the loss of four small
pensions due to it from other churches. The
other brother, John Hexham, simply stated
that they did not get up to mattins, being so
few. (fn. 3)
The prior and convent of Durham continued
to hold the cell until the dissolution. Its value
in 1291 was £28; (fn. 4) in 1534 it was £25 1s.2½d., (fn. 5)
while in the Ministers' Accounts the total given
is only £7 10s. 9½d. (fn. 6)
Priors of St. Leonard's
Walter, (fn. 7) presented 1222
William Elvet, (fn. 8) resigned 1261
Geoffrey de Castro, (fn. 9) presented 1261, died
1262
William of Wearmouth, (fn. 10) presented 1262
John of Burford, (fn. 11) resigned 1272
William of Massam, (fn. 12) presented 1272
Nicholas, (fn. 13) died 1277
William de Rybus, (fn. 14) presented 1277
Peter of Seggefeud, (fn. 15) resigned 1221
Geoffrey of St. Botulf, (fn. 16) presented 1291, resigned 1292
Ingram of Chaton, (fn. 17) presented 1292, resigned
1293
Geoffrey of St. Botulf, (fn. 18) confirmed 1293, died
1302
Robert of Killingworth, (fn. 19) presented 1302
John Fossum, (fn. 20) resigned 1333
Robert de Cambehowe, (fn. 21) presented 1333, resigned 1338
Nicholas of Lusby, (fn. 22) presented 1338, resigned
1346
Robert of Halden (fn. 23) (or Hexham), presented
1346, resigned 1352
John of Langton, (fn. 24) presented 1352, resigned
1354
John de Castro Bernardi, (fn. 25) presented 1354,
resigned 1366
Robert of Claxton, (fn. 26) presented 1366, resign'ed
1373
John of Billesfield, (fn. 27) presented 1373, resigned
1375
John of Hemingburgh, (fn. 28) presented 1375
John Swineshead, (fn. 29) presented 1419
Richard Barton, (fn. 30) S.T.B., presented 1440
John Garrard, (fn. 31) resigned 1443
John Forman, (fn. 32) presented 1443
John Manby, (fn. 33) resigned 1494
William Yondall, (fn. 34) presented 1494, resigned
1496
Robert Beattes, (fn. 35) presented 1496, died 1501
Henry Thewe, (fn. 36) S.T.B., presented 1501
Christopher Wyllie, (fn. 37) died 1530
Stephen Morley, (fn. 38) presented 1530
Richard Whelpdon, (fn. 39) occurs 1534