3. THE PRIORY OF HATFIELD PEVEREL (fn. 1)
Ingelrica, the wife of Ranulph Peverel, (fn. 2) is said
to have founded here in the time of William II
a college of secular canons dedicated to St. Mary
Magdalen, and to have passed the remainder of
her days here until her decease about the end of
the century. In the reign of Henry I her son
William Peverel converted the foundation into a
priory of Benedictines, dedicated to the Virgin
Mary and subordinated to the abbey of St. Alban
in Hertfordshire. He confirmed all that had
previously belonged to the house, and granted in
addition his own mansion and houses for the
habitation of the monks as well as other possessions. (fn. 3)
The advowson of the priory accordingly belonged to the abbey. Humphrey de Bohun,
earl of Hereford and Essex, claimed (fn. 4) it in the
eyre at Chelmsford in 1285 under a charter of
William Peverel, though without evidence of
seisin, and for a payment of 50 marks withdrew
his claim.
On 16 March, 1231, the greater part of the
priory was destroyed (fn. 5) by fire, only the presbytery,
with the vestments, chalices and books, and the
barns and granary being saved. The church,
tower and offices and all the utensils perished,
the bells and other metal objects being melted.
On the occasion of the abbot's visitation in
1230 great complaints were made against the
prior, Alexander de Burgo, (fn. 6) and finding them
justified the abbot removed him from office. (fn. 7) In
1254 the prior William de Huntendune and
another monk of St. Albans were sent to Rome
to defeat the insolence of certain bishops who
wished to make a visitation of the abbey, contrary to its privileges. (fn. 8) About 1278 the abbot
fearing that Archbishop Peckham in the course of
visiting his province would find the church of
Hatfield Peverel to be without a vicar and would
appoint one, caused the prior, Adam de Wynchecombe, to appoint John de Sevenhamtone as the
first vicar of that church. (fn. 9) A later prior, William
Eversdon, was one of the six monks of St.
Albans who joined the crusade under the bishop
of Norwich in 1383; he died in Flanders, and
the others all returned broken in health. (fn. 10)
On the occasion of the resignation of Prior
Thomas Roose in 1478 an inventory of the
valuable effects of the priory was taken. (fn. 11) In the
church were four chalices, two gilt and two
white, also two silver phials, a silver pax and a
silver thurible. In the prior's chamber were two
dozen silver spoons, a mazer cup with new
mounting of silver gilt, a long standing piece of
plate silver gilt with a gilt cover, two other pieces
of silver of 'chasework,' one with a cover and
the other without, a plain piece without a cover,
a 'notte' (a cup made of a cocoa-nut) with a
gilt cover, a silver gilt star. In the buttery
were seven silver spoons, a silver salt cellar with
cover, four mazer cups with silver gilt mounting, and a plain piece of silver, without a cover,
for daily use.
The priory owned the rectories of Hatfield
Peverel and Little Waltham in Essex, and Acton
and Assington in Suffolk. In the reign of
Edward I Sir Andrew de Nevile brought a suit
against the abbot and prior for the advowson of
the church of Assington, but finally released all
right in it to them by charter in May, 1290.
Besides these the priory also had tithes in Debden, Bradwell juxta Mare, Witham, and other
places. A dispute with the parson of Debden about
tithes was submitted to the bishop, who on 30
March, 1341, decreed that the parson should pay
to the prior and convent a yearly rent of 6 marks.
This was confirmed by Humphrey de Bohun,
earl of Hereford and Essex, patron of the
church, on 24 December, 1346. (fn. 12) A dispute
with Beeleigh Abbey about tithes in Ulting was
settled on 24 April, 1510, by an agreement (fn. 13)
by which Hatfield retained the tithes from the
lands of Mugdon Hall, Spilmans and Chandlers
and from nine acres of meadow across the
river in Little Baddow, surrendering others to
Beeleigh.
In July, 1281, the prior had licence (fn. 14) to cut
down three acres of wood for shingles and timber
for the repair of the houses of the priory and
other purposes.
In the Taxation of 1291 the temporalities of
the priory amounted to only £3 12s. 5d. yearly;
of which £1 3s. 10d. came from Great Totham,
and the remainder from Hatfield Peverel, Ulting,
London, Woodham Walter, Woodham Mortimer, Terling, Maldon, Debden, Bradwell juxta
Mare, Tolleshunt Tregoz and Goldhanger.
Hugh de Everisdone, abbot of St. Albans, and
Peter de Maydenford, prior of Hatfield Peverel,
and the monks of Hatfield Peverel granted on the
morrow of St. Faith, 1317, to Thomas Ultyng
a chantry in the new chapel of St. Mary the
Virgin built by him in the form of an aisle
within their church of Hatfield Peverel, so that
one of their monks should celebrate divine service
daily for the souls of him and Maud his wife and
his ancestors, and granted to them all participations in benefits and orisons, and to him and his
heirs, tenants of the manor of Ulting, new cloth
suitable for two monks of the Benedictine rule
worth half a mark, and half a mark for spices
to be distributed by the sub-prior among all the
monks except the prior. For this Thomas gave
them a mark yearly rent. His kinswoman and
heiress Sara, daughter and heiress of Nicholas de
Ultyng, in her widowhood granted on SS. Philip
and James, 1393, to Abbot Thomas and John,
then prior, and the monks that they might
celebrate at any altar they liked. (fn. 15)
It appears from a rental (fn. 16) of the priory that its
spiritualities were valued at the dissolution at
£46 5s. 4d. yearly. The temporalities were
valued at £37 14s. 3d., the principal part being
the manor of Hatfield Peverel, while other possessions lay in Witham, Ulting, Woodham
Mortimer, Great Totham, Tolleshunt D'Arcy,
Terling, Boreham, Little Baddow, West Ham,
Debden, Bradwell juxta Mare and Acton. From
this total of £83 19s. 7d. deductions were made
amounting to £23 4s. 7½d. including £10 yearly
to the vicar of Hatfield Peverel, 12d. weekly in
food and drink to the poor for the soul of the
founder, and 20s. on Maundy Thursday, and
40s. on the anniversary of the founder, payments
to the archdeacon of Colchester and the abbot of
St. Albans, rents and fees; so that the net income was £60 14s. 11½d. This being below
the limit fixed by Parliament, the priory was
dissolved in 1536. An inventory (fn. 17) was taken
on 8 June of the goods in the various chambers
and buildings, these amounting to £39 18s. 11d.,
besides cattle valued at £21 11s. 6d., and corn
valued at £4. The debts due to the house
reached the large sum of £93 6s. 8d
The king on 25 February, 1538, granted
the priory and all its possessions to Giles Legh in
fee. (fn. 18)
Priors Of Hatfield Peverel (fn. 19)
Matthew, (fn. 20) occurs 1197, 1199, 1206.
Alexander de Burgo, (fn. 21) deposed 1231.
Richard de Brantefeld, appointed 1231, (fn. 22)
died 1239. (fn. 23)
William de Huntendune, occurs 1254. (fn. 21)
Adam (fn. 24) de Wynchecombe, occurs circa 1280. (fn. 21)
Luke de Bovindon, (fn. 25) occurs circa 1309.
Peter de Maydenford, occurs 1317. (fn. 26)
William de Norton, occurs 1351. (fn. 27)
William Trent. (fn. 28)
Ralph Whichchirche. (fn. 29)
William Eversdon, occurs 1383. (fn. 30)
John Mustoun, occurs 1396. (fn. 31)
John Bebsede, occurs 1401. (fn. 32)
William, occurs 1437. (fn. 33)
John, occurs 1439. (fn. 34)
Gregory Wynwyk, occurs 1452. (fn. 35)
John Thorntone, occurs 1465, (fn. 36) 1468, (fn. 37)
1474, (fn. 38) 1476. (fn. 39)
Thomas Roose, removed 1478. (fn. 40)
John Wolman, appointed 1478. (fn. 41)
Richard Stendon, occurs 1527. (fn. 42)
Robert Blackeney, occurs 1536. (fn. 43)
Richard Stevenage. (fn. 44)