37. THE PRIORY OF ELSHAM
The priory of Elsham was at first intended to
be a hospital for the poor, in charge of one or
two canons of the order of St. Augustine. It
was founded by Beatrice d'Amundeville, and her
sons Walter, William, and Elias increased its
endowment before 1166. (fn. 1) Early in the next
century Jocelyn d'Amundeville, son of Elias,
confirmed the gifts of his predecessors to
the priors and canons, and from this time
forward there is no mention of the hospital. (fn. 2)
Near the end of the twelfth century the
knights hospitallers laid claim to the endowments
of the canons of Elsham, and obtained letters
from Pope Alexander III to secure it to themselves, by the help of Jocelyn d'Amundeville;
but he afterwards repented of his share in
the transaction, and wrote to a subsequent
pope to explain the true rights of the case.
He gave the canons at this time the confirmation charter above mentioned, and promised that they should never be subject to the
jurisdiction of another house of religion. (fn. 3)
Little more than this is known of the history
of the house. The prior, Thomas Kerver,
signed the acknowledgement of supremacy
in 1534, (fn. 4) and his successor surrendered the
house under the first Act of Suppression before Michaelmas, 1536. The prior received a
pension of £10; the six canons their arrears
of wages and 20s. apiece, except the one
who was a novice, to whom only 10s. was
given. (fn. 5)
A visitation report dated 1440 shows that the
standard of life in the monastery at that time was
distinctly low. The prior complained (not much
to his own credit) that the canons were unlearned, and that they ate and drank largely, to
the great expense of the monastery: the rule was
altogether ill-kept. Two chapels appropriate to
the monastery were not sufficiently served. The
canon who did the work of a cellarer complained
of the daintiness of the brethren, and one in particular drank too much and then became insolent
and difficult to handle.
The bishop remarked that as the brethren
seemed to be neither docile nor well instructed,
the prior had better find someone to instruct
them in the rule. The brethren, for their
part, must be diligent and obedient and content with their food and clothing. Anyone
guilty of drunkenness must fast on the Wednesday and Friday following—first on bread
and beer, then (in the case of a second offence)
on bread and water; and this penance might
be continued for a month or more as the case
might ask. (fn. 6)
The house probably recovered somewhat with
change of rulers. In a general chapter of the
order, held at Leicester, the priors of Elsham and
Kyme were appointed masters of the ceremonies
for the great procession to the church of
St. Martin, and the prior of Elsham was further
constituted one of the visitors for the archdeaconries of Leicester, Lincoln, and Stowe. (fn. 7)
In 1535 Bishop Longlands wrote to Cromwell to
suggest a new prior for Elsham in terms which
do not imply that he had any fault to find. (fn. 8)
The original endowment by the Amundevilles
included the vill and church of Elsham, and the
churches of Kingerby, Kirkby (cum Osgodby),
Snartford, Winthorpe, with a mill and smaller
parcels of land. (fn. 9) The temporalities of the prior
in 1291 were taxed at £39 14s. 10½d. (fn. 10) In 1303
he held one-third of a knight's fee in Elsham; (fn. 11)
in 1346 a small fraction also in Scottlethorpe. (fn. 12)
In 1534 the clear revenue of the priory amounted
to £70 0s. 8d., including the rectories of Kirkby,
Kingerby, Ulceby, Elsham, and certain payments
from the churches of Winthorpe and Croxton. (fn. 13)
The bells and lead of the monastery were only
worth £91 17s. 6d.; it was probably not a very
large place.
Priors of Elsham
William Clement, (fn. 14) occurs 1208
Henry, (fn. 15) occurs 1218
William Elerop, (fn. 16) elected 1229
William of Barton, (fn. 17) occurs 1295, died 1303
Robert Newsham, (fn. 18) elected 1303
Stephen of Keelsby, (fn. 19) died 1332
Richard of Thornton, (fn. 20) elected 1332, died
1339
John of Torksey, (fn. 21) elected 1339
Ralf of Crossholm, (fn. 22) elected 1340, resigned
1343
William of Grimsby, (fn. 23) elected 1343
Alexander Disney, (fn. 24) elected 1347, resigned
1352
Simon of Duffield, (fn. 25) elected 1352
Richard Ouresby, (fn. 26) died 1412
John Cowyck, (fn. 27) elected 1412
William Clifton, (fn. 28) occurs 1440
Robert Parke, (fn. 29) occurs 1522
Thomas Kerver, (fn. 30) occurs 1529 until 1534
John Baxter, (fn. 31) last prior, elected 1535
The common seal with counterseal of Prior
William de Barton (fn. 32) is of the thirteenth century.
The obverse is pointed oval representing the
Virgin crowned and with a nimbus, the Child
on her knee, in the right hand a sceptre, fleur-delizé.
✠ . . . . . . . . . . . . RIE DE ELLESHAM
The reverse is a smaller pointed oval counterseal
showing the Virgin sitting in a canopied niche,
crowned, holding the Child. In base the prior,
half-length to the left in prayer.
S . WILL'I . DE . BARTONA PRIOR' · D . . . . .
N and A are conjoined.
The thirteenth-century pointed oval seal of
Prior Robert (fn. 33) represents the Virgin seated with
the Child, in a carved niche. In base, below a
trefoiled arch, the prior half-length to the right
praying.
S' ROB'TI P[R]IOR[I]S BĒ . . . .