14. THE PRIORY (fn. 1) OF STANESGATE (fn. 2)
In the charter of 1121, mentioned above
under Prittlewell, the monastery of St. Mary
Magdalen, Stanesgate, is stated to have been
granted to Lewes Priory by Ralph son of Brien,
who appears as the holder of Stanesgate in Domesday. (fn. 3) It appears again later among the possessions
confirmed to Lewes by Stephen. (fn. 4) Ralph was
also the founder of the Augustinian priory of
Bricett in Suffolk (about 1110), and Stanesgate
was part of its original endowment; so that it
seems probable that Bricett was the earlier
foundation and the grant to the Cluniacs an
afterthought. By a fine (fn. 5) made before Henry II
(about 1163) Bricett released to Lewes all right
in the churches of Steeple and Stanesgate and
70 acres of land in Tillingham, receiving as compensation 30 marks down and 1 mark yearly
at the hands of the monks of Stanesgate. The
date of the foundation of Stanesgate may,
therefore, certainly be put between 1086 and
1121, and probably in the last ten years of this
period. The possessions of the priory were
afterwards confirmed to it by Americ Pecche, the
heir of the founder. (fn. 6)
Not much is known of the origin of these,
although grants by Philip de Boville, Bartholomew de Badlesmere, Gilbert Foliot and Peter
his son, and William Page are recorded. (fn. 7) The
bulk of the tithes of Steeple were confirmed to
the priory by Richard, bishop of London, (fn. 8) soon
after its foundation; and the appropriation of the
church and the possession of the tithes were also
confirmed (about 1210) by William, bishop of
London. The priory shared the advowson of
the vicarage of Steeple with Bicknacre. The
yearly value of the possessions mentioned in the
Taxation of 1291 is only £5 14s. 7½d. Of this
£3 was the portion of the priory in the church
of Steeple, and 9s. the portion in the church of
Messing. The monks had temporalities of 19s. 6d.
in Steeple, 18s. 11½d. in Tillingham, and smaller
sums in Great Totham, Woodham Mortimer,
Maldon and St. Laurence. In two extents, (fn. 9)
however, taken in 18 Edward II, the (gross)
value of the priory is much larger. Early in the
thirteenth century Abbot Adam and the convent
of Colchester released to Stanesgate and Bicknacre
certain tithes in Steeple for a rent of 16s. 8d.
from each house. (fn. 10) Agreements with various
vicars about tithes in Steeple and with Colne
Priory about tithes in Messing are also known. (fn. 11)
A few mentions of Stanesgate are found
among the records of Cluni. In 1259 (fn. 12) the prior
of Lewes was called on to answer for the alienation of the priory. In 1293 (fn. 13) the church was
threatened with ruin, and the prior of Lewes was
ordered to find a suitable remedy to be applied by
the prior of Stanesgate. Apparently there was
no result; for in 1306 (fn. 14) the order was repeated,
and it was stated that the house was 'spiritually
and temporally destroyed.' In an enumeration
of the Cluniac houses in England (about 1450)
it is stated that there ought to be at the priory,
according to some, two monks, or according to
others three, and every day there should be one
mass with chant. (fn. 15)
The priory, being alien, was frequently taken
into the king's hands in the fourteenth century,
and generally let to the priors at farm, the
amount paid by them being only £4 yearly. (fn. 16)
In the year 31 Edward I it was testified before
the treasurer and barons of the Exchequer (fn. 17) that
the priory was so poor that its issues and goods
scarcely sufficed for the prior and monks, and so
the king pardoned to the prior the arrears,
amounting to £20. In an account (fn. 18) rendered by
the keeper of the priory for the period from
8 October to 10 December, 1324, when it was
in the king's hands, an allowance of 3s. weekly
was made to the prior and 1s. 6d. weekly to each
of three monks. The live stock consisted of a palfrey of the prior valued at 20s., six stots worth 30s.,
three oxen worth 30s. and a boar, two sows,
eight pigs and ten piglets, worth together
22s. 6d. The list of goods included such articles
as two chalices, two copes, four sets of vestments,
two missals, etc., and also two cups of 'maser,'
four silver spoons, three brazen pots, etc. In
May, 1373, the priory was made denizen, (fn. 19) and
thenceforward was freed from Cluni and subject
only to Lewes.
Stanesgate was dissolved (fn. 20) by William Burbank, an agent of Wolsey, on 9 February, 1525,
and granted by Wolsey first to Cardinal's College,
Oxford, (fn. 21) and later to his shortlived college at
Ipswich. (fn. 22) In a release (fn. 23) by Lewes it is stated
that it owned the manors of Stanesgate, Tillingham and Great Totham, the advowsons of
the churches of Stanesgate and Steeple, a watermill in Stanesgate and other possessions in Stanesgate, Tillingham, Great and Little Totham,
Steeple, Ramsey, Woodham Mortimer, Tiptree,
Messing, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Tolleshunt Magna
and Maldon. Its spiritualities were valued at
£5 0s. 3d. and its temporalities at £38 8s. 3d.
yearly. (fn. 24) By an inquisition (fn. 25) taken on 8 August,
1525, it was found that there were at the priory at
the time of the suppression a prior and two monks,
and these had been transferred to other places.
The cattle, grain and utensils were valued (fn. 26) at
£39 10s. 0½d.
After Wolsey's fall Stanesgate was granted (fn. 27) on
19 December, 1531, to the Hospital of St. John
of Jerusalem; and on the dissolution of the Hospital it was sold (fn. 28) on 10 March, 1544, to Edmund
Mordaunt, who had licence (fn. 29) on 1 June to
alienate it to Sir Richard Rich.
Priors of Stanesgate
Alexander, (fn. 30) occurs 1176.
Gilbert, (fn. 31) occurs circa 1210.
Alan, (fn. 32) occurs 1254.
William de Petresfeld, (fn. 33) occurs circa 1260.
Theobald. (fn. 34)
Alexander, occurs 1297, (fn. 35) 1303. (fn. 36)
John Darcy, (fn. 37) occurs 1332.
William de Cantuaria, occurs 1374. (fn. 38)
John, occurs 1403, (fn. 38) 1411. (fn. 39)
Thomas Lewys. (fn. 40)
Paul, occurs 1435. (fn. 40)
Thomas Mallyng, occurs 1438. (fn. 40)
Geoffrey Gosselyn, occurs 1440. (fn. 41)
Robert Chamberleyn, occurs 1475. (fn. 38)
John, occurs 1490. (fn. 38)
George Goodharste, occurs 1511. (fn. 38)
Thomas Marshe, the last prior. (fn. 42)