19. THE PRIORY OF LEEDS
The priory of St. Mary and St. Nicholas,
Leeds, was founded by Robert de Crepido Corde
or Crevequer in 1119. (fn. 1) By one charter (fn. 2) he
made a grant of the site for the foundation, and
by another he granted to the canons the advowsons of all the churches of his land, viz. Leeds,
Goudhurst, Lamberhurst, Farleigh, Teston,
Chatham, and Rainham; and charters were also
granted by Daniel his son, Robert his grandson
and several others of the family. Among the
liberties included in the grants were a fair at
Chatham (afterwards surrendered to Edward I),
the right to take hares, rabbits, partridges and
the like in the demesne lands, full power to
dispose of the possessions in times of the vacancy
of the priorship, and the right to elect a prior
without asking licence. The advowson of the
priory passed from the Crevequer family to the
crown in the latter part of the thirteenth
century. (fn. 3) It was granted to Bartholomew de
Badlesmere in 1318, (fn. 4) but afterwards came back
to the crown.
The charters mentioned above and several
others are set out in full in long charters of confirmation by Edward I in 1285 (fn. 5) and Edward III
in 1367. (fn. 6) In addition to lands and rents, Leeds
received a large number of churches, some of
which it secured full possession of, while it had
ultimately to be content with pensions from
others. Henry I granted the church of Chart,
which was appropriated to the priory in 1320. (fn. 7)
Edward I granted the church of Little Peckham,
appropriated in 1387. (fn. 8) Daniel de Crevequer
granted a moiety of the church of Hallaton
(Leicestershire), which the convent afterwards
parted with. (fn. 9) Elias de Crevequer granted the
churches of Thanet (Sarre) and Etchingham;
William son of Hamo the church of Ditton;
John de Bouton, son of Basilia de Bendevill, the
church of (East) Barming; Henry de Bockton
the churches of Boughton Monchelsea, and South
Hanningfield (Essex); William de Morestun
the church of Emley; William de Cusington
the church of Acrise; Simon son of Peter de
Borden the church of Borden, confirmed by John
in 1205; (fn. 10) Ascelina de Wodenesbergh the
church of Woodnesbprough; Hugh, lord of
Bergested, the church of Bearsted; and William
son of Helto the church of Stockbury, which the
convent had licence to appropriate in 1340; (fn. 11)
Hamo son of Richard de Ottringbery granted
the church of Wateringbury; (fn. 12) Eugenia Picot
the churches of Ham and Chillenden; (fn. 13) and
the priory also owned a pension from the church
of Mere worth. (fn. 14) The temporalities were valued
in the Taxation of 1291 at £37 18s. yearly,
lying in Leeds, Rainham, Borden, Orpington,
Tonge, Sheppey, Cranbrook, Woodnesborough,
Boxley, Chart, Langley, Goudhurst, and Lamberhurst. (fn. 15)
Confirmations of early grants were also made
by Edward III in 1328 (fn. 16) and 1335. (fn. 17) Richard II
in 1395 granted to the prior and convent the
advowson of the church of Harrietsham, with
licence for its appropriation; and in 1397 he
granted to them the reversion of the advowson
of the church of Sutton Valence on the death of
Philippa the wife of Richard, earl of Arundel,
with licence for its appropriation for the support
of two canons to celebrate divine service in the
priory for the. king. (fn. 18)
Edward I on 24 May, 1293, made a grant to
the prior and convent of 28 marks yearly from
the issues of the manor of Leeds for the maintenance of four canons in the priory, with one
clerk to serve them, celebrating divine service
daily in the chapel of the castle of Leeds for the
soul of Eleanor, the late queen consort; (fn. 19) and
in 1301 he transferred the charge to the manor
of Bockingfold. (fn. 20) Edward II in 1326 granted
to them the church of Old Romney, an escheat
by the forfeiture of the rebel Bartholomew de
Badlesmere, with licence for its appropriation,
instead of the 28 marks yearly, for the maintenance of the said canons and clerk and an
additional canon to celebrate divine service in
the priory for the soul of Peter de Gavaston; (fn. 21)
but this grant was afterwards cancelled, the prior
and convent receiving licence instead to acquire
lands to the value of £10 yearly. (fn. 22) The chantry
was finally established by Edward III, who in
1341, in consideration of their losses at the siege
of Leeds Castle, granted to them the advowson
of the church of Leatherhead in Surrey with
licence for its appropriation, for the maintenance
of six canons and a clerk to celebrate divine
service daily in the chapel of the castle for the
good estate of the king and his mother Queen
Isabel and for their souls after death and the
souls of his brother John de Eltham, earl of
Cornwall, and Queen Eleanor. (fn. 23) The church
was accordingly appropriated to the priory. (fn. 24) In
1439, in consideration of the chantry, the prior,
who was aged and infirm, received an exemption
for life from being made collector of tenths and
subsidies granted by the clergy of the province
of Canterbury. (fn. 25)
A dispute between the priories of Leeds and
Christchurch, Canterbury, about common of pasture in Harbledown and Blean was settled by
a partition in 1278. (fn. 26) In 1299 a special commission of oyer and terminer was appointed to
settle a complaint by the prior that his servants
had been assaulted and imprisoned at Woodnesborough; (fn. 27) and another in the same year to settle
a complaint by the abbot of St. Albans that the
prior of Leeds and others had assaulted John de
Stopeslee, a monk of St. Albans, at Leeds. (fn. 28) In
1312 the prior complained that his trees in his
wood of Frittenden had been felled, and obtained
the appointment of another commission. (fn. 29)
Corrodies were claimed by the crown in the
priory, William de la Spyneye being sent there
by Edward II in 1317 to receive maintenance
for life. (fn. 30) Edward III in 1329 promised the
prior and convent that the grant of maintenance
for life which they had made at his request to
William de Balsham, cook of Queen Isabel,
should not be taken as a precedent; (fn. 31) but nevertheless on the death of William he sent Joan de
Bureford there for maintenance, (fn. 32) and on her
death William de Scanderwyk. (fn. 33)
In 1318 and 1356 the prior was one of the
visitors of the Augustinian houses in the dioceses
of Canterbury and Rochester; (fn. 34) and in 1353
the priory was visited by the priors of Tonbridge
and St. Gregory, Canterbury. (fn. 35)
Pope Boniface IX, on 29 November, 1398,
granted relaxation of penance to penitents who
at certain times of the year should visit and give
alms to the altar of St. Mary in the priory. (fn. 36)
Pope Martin V, on 25 March, 1425, granted
that the prior and twenty-four canons, to be
named by him, might choose a confessor who
should hear their confessions arid grant them
absolution. (fn. 37)
Edward IV in 1483, in recompense of 20 acres
of land in Leeds and Bromfield which the prior
and convent granted to him for the enlargement of
his park of Leeds, granted that they should be quit
of tenths and subsidies granted by the clergy. (fn. 38)
James Gold well, bishop of Norwich, finding
the convent deep in debt, relieved them; and in
return, on 12 June, 1487, they granted that one
of their canons should celebrate divine service
daily for the soul of the bishop and his parents
at the altar of St. Mary in the south part of their
church. (fn. 39)
Archbishop Winchelsey issued injunctions after
a visitation of the priory on 31 July, 1299, in
which he had found that the ordinances previously made were negligently observed. These
related principally to the proper assembly in
choir, the prohibition of playing with bows
without licence, and the exclusion of women.
J. de Brabourn, a student of medicine, was not
to practise outside the priory or in it without
licence. No corrody was to be granted without
special licence. (fn. 40)
Archbishop Langham made a long visitation
of Leeds on 25 April, 1368, in which several
charges were brought against the prior, Thomas
de Roffa. It was said that he neglected the
house, did not stop the excesses of the cellarer,
made extravagant sales of wood and corrodies,
and intended to resign, and in the meantime to
secure what he could. Other details are given,
but they seem to be of not much importance, as
he was fully excused. Detailed charges were
brought at the same time against the sacrist and
cellarer of drunkenness, playing dice till midnight, &c.; and these were evidently considered
more serious, being adjourned for further consideration. (fn. 41)
Archbishop Warham made a visitation (fn. 42) of
the priory in 1511. Richard Chetham, prior,
said that all was well; John Bredgar, formerly
prior, was now vicar of Marden, and rarely came
to the monastery, but thought that all things
were well; and Thomas Vincent, sub-prior,
said that much had been reformed, but much
still remained to be reformed by the prior and
sub-prior. John Goldstone, professed thirty
years, said that he performed the divine offices in
the parish church of Bilsington, appropriated to
the priory of Bilsington. Thomas Langley said
that the prior had taken away five of the ten
wax lights which used to burn before the image
of St. Mary in her chapel. The prior admitted
William Parys, a Frenchman, to the priory without the consent of the brethren, sent a scholar to
study at the university, and presented chaplains
to benefices without their consent, and did not,
distribute among them what ought to be given
for the souls of the founders. Others gave
evidence that the prior did not punish the
brethren according to rule, but too rigorously and
in an arbitrary manner; did not give his accounts
yearly; did not pay the weekly fees of 12d.,
4d., and 4d. to the brother celebrating high mass
according to the wills of Nicholas Potyn, William
Clerke, and Stephen Norton; sealed with the
common seal without the consent of the seniors;
and did not allow the brethren to have access to
the archbishop for the purpose of securing reforms as Archbishop Bourchier had ordered.
William Parys complained of having been assaulted by the prior. John Fortte, professed of
the priory of Launceston, in the diocese of
Exeter, had been here three years, and asked to
be sent back to Launceston. Thomas Broke, a
canon of Launceston, had been here one year.
John London was vicar of Stockbury. The
archbishop ordered, the correction of all the
points mentioned, and also directed the prior to
pay a teacher to instruct the younger brethren.
Besides the eight canons already named there
were twelve others, making a total of twenty in
addition to the prior.
The oath of acknowledgement of the royal
supremacy was taken on 22 December, 1534,
by Arthur Sentleger, prior, Thomas Egerton,
sub-prior, and eleven other canons. (fn. 43) In the
next year the priory was visited by Dr. Layton,
but no details of the visitation are known, except that he ordered the canons not to go out of
the precincts. Anthony Sentleger mentioned
this when writing to Cromwell to ask that his
brother, the prior, might take recreation with
his hounds, as he had been accustomed for a certain infirmity with which he was troubled. (fn. 44)
The net value of the possessions of the priory
mentioned in the Valor of 1535 was £362 7s. 7d.
yearly, (fn. 45) and it thus escaped the first dissolution.
It appears, however, to have been in a very bad
state, for Thomas, the last prior, writing to
Cromwell on 8 April, 1537, says that his predecessor, Arthur Sentleger, left debts due to the
king of £951 19s. 8¾d., and to his brothers
Anthony and Robert Sentleger and others of
£447 18s;. 4½d.; and asks whether pensions are
to be paid to the last two priors, suggesting that
they should be stayed until the debts be paid. (fn. 46)
The exact end of the house is not known, but it
was surrendered some time in the next two or
three years, and on 18 March, 1540, pensions
were allotted, the prior receiving £60 (afterwards
raised to £80) yearly, and fourteen other canons
benefices or smaller amounts. (fn. 47)
The bulk of the possessions of the priory, including the manors of Ulcombe, Chart Sutton,
Lamberhurst, Marden, Brisshing, Horsmonden,
Maidstone, Chatham, Rodmersham, and Bearsted,
and the rectories and advowsons of the vicarages
of East Sutton, Sutton Valence, Chart Sutton,
Lamberhurst, Goudhurst, Wateringbury, West
Farleigh, Chatham, Stockbury, Woodnesborough,
Bearsted, Boughton Monchelsea, Ashford, Little
Peckham, and Leatherhead, were granted in June,
1541, to the dean and chapter of Rochester. (fn. 48)
The site of the priory was granted on 13 August,
1550, to Anthony Sentleger in fee. (fn. 49)
Priors of Leeds
Alexander (fn. 50)
Robert, (fn. 51) occurs c. 1175
Fulk, occurs 1205, (fn. 52) 1228 (fn. 53)
Roger, occurs 1231 (fn. 54)
William, occurs 1237 (fn. 55)
Nicholas (fn. 56)
Stephen, occurs 1267, 1271 (fn. 57)
John, occurs 1283 (fn. 58)
Adam de Maydenstan, resigned 1299 (fn. 59)
William de Bordenne, elected 1299 (fn. 59)
Robert de Maidenstan, died 1338 (fn. 60)
Thomas, occurs 1347, (fn. 61) 1351 (fn. 62)
Thomas de Roffia, occurs 1368, (fn. 63) died 1380 (fn. 64)
Aymar Odenhelle, elected 1380 (fn. 65)
William de Verdun, occurs 1397 (fn. 65a)
Thomas Sidyngbourne, died 1409 (fn. 66)
John Surynden, elected 1409, (fn. 66) died 1447
John Wittisham, elected 1447, (fn. 67) died 1453 (fn. 68)
Robert Goudeherst, elected 1453 (fn. 69)
John Bredgar, occurs 1487 (fn. 70)
Richard Chetham, occurs 1511, (fn. 63) resigned
1524 (fn. 71)
Thomas Chetham, elected 1524 (fn. 71)
Arthur Sentleger, elected 1528, (fn. 72) resigned
1536 (fn. 73)
Thomas Dey, or Daye, elected 1536, (fn. 73) the
last prior (fn. 74)
The seal (fn. 75) of the pripry (1293) measures
2¾ inches.
Obverse—The Virgin seated crowned on a
throne in a niche with canopy of three arches,
pinnacled and crocketed, with carved sides of
four orders of arched niches, holding on the left
knee the Child between two angels, each with
one wing elevated. In base, under a trefoiled
arch with an arcade at each side, the prior between two monks half-length in prayer to the
right. In the field on the right a triple-towered
castle with a cinquefoiled rose over it, and a
drooping lily flower below it. Legend:—
IGILLUM COMMUNE EC. . . . . . . S.
Reverse.—A niche containing St. Nicholas
seated, lifting up the right hand in benediction
and holding in the left a pastoral staff, between
two clerks standing and each holding a book. In
base, under a trefoiled arcade, three children in a
tub (restored to life by the saint) between two
angels. In the field on the left a wavy sprig
of foliage, with the inscription NICHOLAUS.
Legend:—
. . . E A[NNO] DfI M CC NONOG' TERCIO.