36. THE PRIORY OF TORKSEY
The priory of St. Leonard at Torksey was
founded some time during the reign of Henry II
and possibly by the king himself. (fn. 1) John de
Balliol was patron of the house in the thirteenth
century, (fn. 2) but in 1344 the advowson was granted
by the king to John Darcy and his successors in
tail male. (fn. 3)
The prior was accused in 1275 of having set
up a court for himself at Torksey, to the prejudice of the king's court there; and appropriated to his house the assize of bread and ale,
and enclosed more than 2 feet of the king's highway. (fn. 4) The priory was probably a small one, and
had but few canons from the first. (fn. 5) They
pleaded poverty in 1319, and were allowed to
appropriate the church of St. Peter in consequence. (fn. 6) In 1323 the prior was accused of
burning houses in Wold Newton and committing
divers robberies and trespasses there; (fn. 7) and in
1342 his house was said to be 'greatly wasted by
misrule'; (fn. 8) it was after an inquiry made at this
time that the advowson was granted to John
Darcy.
The prior signed the acknowledgement of
supremacy in 1534 with five canons. At the
dissolution (fn. 9) before Michaelmas, 1536, he received
a pension of £5, and the canons the usual 20s. (fn. 10)
Except the notice of 'misrule' in 1342 nothing
is known of the internal condition of the house (fn. 11)
until 1440. In this year Bishop Alnwick held
a visitation. No faults in morals were discovered,
but it was complained that the prior 'began much
building but finished nothing'; and the canons
were not regular in attending choir. One
brother, John Gowsell, though learned in the
mason's craft, objected to having to superintend
or assist in the repairs of the church and priory.
The bishop in his injunctions simply ordered
that the brethren were not to eat or drink in
Torksey unless they were serving its parish
churches, and then only with respectable people. (fn. 12)
In 1444, however, he deposed the prior for
alienation of goods and mismanagement, which
was bringing the house almost to ruin. (fn. 13)
In 1519 Bishop Atwater found everything in
a satisfactory condition. The canons rose regularly to mattins, though at a somewhat late hour
—six a.m.; they were not, however, able to sing
any office except the 'Lady Mass' and vespers;
all the other hours were said submissa voce, except on double feasts. (fn. 14) It was a very poor little
house at this time, and had neither cloister nor
dormitory: an order had been given in the
general chapter of the previous year that these
should be provided, (fn. 15) but it is uncertain whether
this was ever carried out.
The endowment seems to have consisted of
498 acres of land in Torksey, with 500 tofts and
the three churches of that vill, and also the church
of North Restur of the gift of Stephen son of
Herbert Chamberlain. (fn. 16) In 1291 the temporalities of the prior were taxed at £24 14s. 4d. (fn. 17) In
1534 the clear revenue of the house was only
£13 1s. 4d. (fn. 18) The total in the Ministers'
Accounts is £26 10s. 6d., including the churches
of St. Mary and St. Peter Torksey. (fn. 19)
Priors of Torksey
John, (fn. 20) occurs 1234
Joel, (fn. 21) resigned 1290
William of Rasen, (fn. 22) elected 1290, resigned
1295
Geoffrey of Bekering, (fn. 23) elected 1295, deposed
1296
William of Rasen, (fn. 24) elected 1296, resigned
1316
Robert de Sandale, (fn. 25) elected 1316, occurs
1323
Henry of Thornborough, (fn. 26) resigned 1332
Henry of Buckingham, (fn. 27) elected 1332
Henry of Croyland, (fn. 28) resigned 1347
John Poignant, (fn. 29) elected 1347, occurs 1348
Robert of Willingham, (fn. 30) occurs 1353
Thomas Saxelby, (fn. 31) elected 1366, resigned
1374
John of St. Botho, (fn. 32) elected 1374
Roger Pacy, (fn. 33) resigned 1416
William Cottingham, (fn. 34) elected 1416, resigned
1417
Richard Ellay, (fn. 35) elected 1417, deposed 1444
Alan Dean, (fn. 36) resigned 1472
William Sutton, (fn. 37) elected 1472
Thomas Cawode, (fn. 38) elected 1486
John Coyell, (fn. 39) last prior, occurs 1534