HOUSE OF CLUNIAC MONKS
14. THE PRIORY OF MONK'S HORTON (fn. 1)
The priory of St. John the Evangelist,
Horton, was founded as a cell to the priory of
Lewes in Sussex, probably early in the reign of
Stephen, by Robert de Vere, son of Bernard de
Vere and constable of England, and his wife
Adelina the daughter of Hugh de Montfort.
The founders granted to the priory the manors
of Horton and Tinton (fn. 2) and the churches of
Brabourne in Kent, Purleigh in Essex, and
Stanstead in Suffolk, with various lands and
liberties; and decreed that the prior should pay a
mark of silver yearly to Lewes as recognition of
the authority of the latter house, but might
receive whom he chose as novices. Their heir
Henry of Essex, constable of England, confirmed
the grants and made others. Pope Lucius II
granted a bull of confirmation on 11 May, 1144;
and Stephen and Henry II confirmed the lands
and liberties of the priory by charters. The
latter mentions a long list of benefactors by
name.
The temporalities of the priory in the diocese
of Canterbury were valued at £65 10s. yearly in
the Taxation of 1291. Licence for the appropriation of the church of Purleigh was granted
in 1337 (fn. 3) and confirmed in 1401, (fn. 4) but seems
never to have taken effect. The priory seems
to have parted with its right in the church of
Stanstead at an early date.
Horton is mentioned several times in the
Cluniac records. In the visitation of England
in 1275-6 the visitors were at Horton on Thursday before the feast of St. Lucy. (fn. 5) They found
eleven monks there, or two below the proper
number, and they proposed to make the
deficiency good. The mass of St. Mary was
not celebrated, and this was ordered to be done
daily. The Gospel was to be read by a deacon
daily at high mass, as the house was conventual,
and there was to be regular reading at dinner in
the refectory. The seal of the convent was
to be kept by three, and not by two as it had
been. They appointed a third for hearing confessions in addition to the prior and sub-prior.
Regulations as to boots were made; and the
prior and convent were ordered not to eat meat
before seculars. The house owed 80½ marks,
but everything else was in order.
In 1279 the visitors found thirteen monks at
Horton, and the house was in an excellent state.
The prior, who was English, had newly roofed
the church and extended the cloister. (fn. 6)
In 1314 the visitors complained that they
were irreverently received and their expenses not
paid. The prior disobeyed their command to
send a monk to Prittlewell, and when cited to
the general chapter to answer for this did
not come. The prior of Lewes was ordered to
send him to Cluni before Michaelmas to receive
punishment. The sacrist had not rents enough
properly to supply lights and other ornaments for
the church or provide for the sick, and the prior
of Lewes was ordered to go to Horton and see
that this was amended. (fn. 7)
In an enumeration of the Cluniac houses of
England (about 1450) it is said that there should
be at Horton according to some eight monks,
and according to others thirteen. There should
be there three masses, the greater and second of
St. Mary and the third for the dead. (fn. 8)
Horton, being a Cluniac house, was treated as
alien and frequently taken into the king's hands
during the war with France. In 1295 the
prior was allowed to remain in his priory, notwithstanding the order that aliens should be
removed from the coast, as it was testified that
he was not French. (fn. 9) In the account (fn. 10) of the
keeper of the priory for the time when it was
taken into the king's hands in 1325 its stock and
expenses are set out in detail. Wages of 3s.
weekly were allowed to the prior, and 1s. 6d. to
each of seven monks. In 1338 (fn. 11) the prior
paid 40 marks yearly to the king for the
custody of the priory during the war; but in
1339 (fn. 12) he was permitted to hold it without
rendering any farm as an alien, as he had shown
that he was an Englishman, and neither he nor
his predecessors had been bound to pay any tax
to any religious house beyond the seas. This
favour was probably merely due to the fact that
this particular prior was the son of the earl of
Surrey, for in 1341 the priory was again treated
as alien. (fn. 13) In 1373, however, Lewes and its
cells were finally made denizen. (fn. 14)
In the Valor of 1535 the possessions of the
priory, including the parsonage of Brabourne
and the manors of Horton and Tinton, were
valued (fn. 15) at £111 16s. 7d. yearly; but deductions of £16 4s. 5d. in fees and rents
brought the net income down to £95 12s. 2d.
The priory was accordingly dissolved under the
Act of 1536, the prior receiving a pension of
£15 yearly. (fn. 16)
The site of the priory was leased (fn. 17) to Richard
Tate of Stockbury on 22 May, 1537; and on
25 April, 1538, it was granted to him in fee. (fn. 18)
Priors Of Horton
William, (fn. 19) occurs 1144
Adam, (fn. 20) occurs 1227
Peter de Aldinge, (fn. 21) occurs 1258, 1264
William, (fn. 22) occurs 1272, 1278
Geoffrey (fn. 22a)
Hugh, (fn. 22b) occurs 1282
James, occurs 1297, (fn. 23) 1302 (fn. 24)
Conon, resigned 1320 (fn. 25)
John, occurs 1324 (fn. 26)
James, occurs 1310, (fn. 26a) 1327 (fn. 27)
John, occurs 1331 (fn. 28)
William de Warenna, (fn. 29) occurs 1336, 1339
Hugh Falouns, (fn. 30) occurs 1345, 1348
Peter de Tenoleo, occurs 1363 (fn. 31)
Peter de Whitsand (fn. 32) or Huissant, (fn. 33) occurs
1370, (fn. 34) 1384, 1401
John Pepynbury, occurs 1416 (fn. 34a)
James Holbech, occurs 1438 (fn. 35)
William Wynchelse, occurs 1445 (fn. 36)
Richard Keter, occurs 1477 (fn. 37)
Richard Brysleye (fn. 38) or Gloucester, (fn. 39) the last
prior