26. THE ABBEY OF WALTHAM HOLY CROSS (fn. 1)
The story of the foundation and early history
of Waltham is told in the manuscript (fn. 2)
De Inventione Sanctœ Crucis Nostrœ written by one of the
canons in the twelfth century. A miraculous
cross was discovered through a vision at Montacute in Somersetshire, and a wealthy landowner
named Tovi or Tofig built a church for its reception at Waltham. He appointed two priests
to the church and gave endowments for their
maintenance. On his death his son succeeded
to part of his possessions but lost others, including
Waltham, which King Edward the Confessor
granted to Harold son of Godwin.
Harold determined to enlarge the foundation
of Tofig, and he did so in a notable manner.
The fashion of the time was all in favour of
monastic establishments, but with a wider view
he resolved to found a college of secular canons.
He rebuilt the church and confirmed and increased its endowments. To the two priests
placed there by Tofig he added ten others, and
over these twelve appointed a dean, Wlwin by
name. A Teuton named Athelard, a native of
Liège and a student of Utrecht, who is said to
have been sent by the emperor to cure Harold
of paralysis and to have done so by the help of a
miracle from the Waltham cross, assisted him in
the settlement of the laws, institutes, and customs
of the college and presided over the education of
the canons. In this he was afterwards succeeded
by his son Peter.
The church was solemnly dedicated in the
presence of King Edward by Cynesige, archbishop of York, most probably on 3 May, 1060.
It was endowed by Harold with Northland in
Waltham and seventeen manors, Passelow in
High Ongar, South Weald, Upminster, Walkfares in Boreham, Debden and Alderton in
Loughton, Woodford, Nazing, Netteswell and
Loughton in Essex, Lambeth in Surrey, Brickendon, Wormley and Hitchin in Hertfordshire,
Millow and Arlesey in Bedfordshire, and West
Waltham in Berkshire 5 and the king in 1062
granted a long charter confirming these to the
college and adding liberties.
Four of the manors, Weald, Passelow, Arlesey
and West Waltham, were allotted to the dean
and one to each of the canons. Each canon had
also fifteen acres of land in Northland assigned
to him and 40s. yearly for dress from the shroudlands of the college, lying in Nazing, Walkfares
and Loughton, and 40s. yearly from the offerings
and tithes. The victuals were provided out of
the prebendal estates, each of which was charged
with this burden for a certain time. Each canon
had a daily allowance of three loaves, six bowls
of beer and six dishes of meat, besides pittances
of game and poultry at the various festivals. At
Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide and the two
festivals of the Cross wine and mead were distributed. Provision was evidently made for each
canon to maintain an establishment of several
persons, and it would seem probable that they
were on much the same footing as canons of a
cathedral church at the present day.
Harold was killed in the battle of Hastings in
1066, and his body is said to have been recovered
and buried at Waltham, though this has been
disputed. (fn. 3) The canons do not appear to have
been disturbed by William the Conqueror, but
he despoiled them of part of their lands, and later
William II carried off to Caen a quantity of
their most valuable goods. Their Essex possessions mentioned in the Domesday Survey have
already been given; (fn. 4) and it is probable that
they also retained Netteswell, which is completely
omitted. Their lands in Surrey, however, were
granted to the count of Mortain and those in
Bedfordshire with Waltham in Berkshire to the
bishop of Durham; and Hitchin in Hertfordshire also no longer belonged to them. Out of
the three hides of Northland in Waltham the
canons only retained half a hide, the remainder
being in the possession of the bishop of Durham,
and Geoffrey de Mandeville got half a hide in
South Weald. The Bedfordshire and Berkshire
estates afterwards came back to the canons.
Henry I granted Waltham to his queen, Maud,
and she gave the mills there to them in exchange
for the site on which she founded the priory of
Holy Trinity, Aldgate, in 1108. She also
granted to them the two and a half hides in
Northland which Walcher, bishop of Durham,
had taken away from them and two fairs on the
feasts of the Holy Cross. Waltham belonged
later to several other queens of England, and
afterwards the canons held it at farm by grant of
King John, after whose death they were ordered
to pay the rent in future to Isabel the queenmother, (fn. 5) and in 1281 they paid the rent of
£57 10s. 8d. yearly to Queen Eleanor.
The college is mentioned a few times in the
twelfth century. In 1144 Geoffrey de Mandeville was at feud with William de Albini and
burned the town, including the canons' houses;
although the abbey chronicle bears witness that
he took care lest the church should be burnt
and also that he was much grieved at the burning
of the canons' houses, but was unable to save
them as they adjoined the other houses. (fn. 6) It is
with not unnatural satisfaction that the chronicler
afterwards notes that Geoffrey received his death
wound at the very time when the intervention of
the Holy Cross, whom he had thus injured and
refused to recompense, was being implored. (fn. 7)
About the same time Henry of Blois, bishop of
Winchester, held the deanery and confirmed the
parish of Waltham and Epping to the commons
of the college. Dean Guy Rufus was sent as
one of the king's ambassadors (fn. 8) to the pope at
Sens in 1164. He quarrelled with archbishop
Thomas Becket in 1168, and in 1174 he was
suspended (fn. 9) in his absence by Richard, archbishop
of Canterbury. These events may have helped
to bring about his acquiescence in the change
which followed.
In 1177 Harold's foundation was completely
overthrown by Henry II. The story of this is
told in more or less detail by most of the chroniclers. (fn. 10) The king had vowed to build an abbey
of canons regular in honour of Thomas Becket,
the murdered archbishop of Canterbury, for the
remission of his own sins; and obtained licence
from the papal legate to remove the secular
canons from Waltham and place regulars there;
thinking no doubt this would be cheaper than
founding a new house. Excuse was found in the
alleged immorality of the secular canons; but
there is no doubt that this charge rested on
nothing more than the fact that some of them
were married, and was due to monastic jealousy.
One writer goes so far as to say that the virtue
of the foundation of a house of regulars was
doubled by the expulsion of the seculars. (fn. 11)
Dean Guy surrendered his deanery to the
king in the council held at Northampton in
January, and a few days later the archbishop of
Canterbury and the bishops of Ely and London
were sent to Waltham to receive his formal resignation. They directed the canons to go to
the king to receive an exchange for their prebends, and drew up in writing a rental of the
possessions of the church. The king went to
Waltham on 11 June and was there met by the
bishops of Rochester, London, Norwich and
Durham, who with the authority of Pope Alexander formally introduced the canons regular.
These had been chosen by the king, six from
Cirencester, six from Oseney and four from St.
Osyth's; and he appointed from their number a
prior, a cellarer, a sub-prior, a sacrist and other
ministers. The prior was Ralph, one of the
canons of Cirencester. (fn. 12) The dean and almost
all of the secular canons were present and received
compensation, the dean getting a manor and the
others the value of their prebends. Those who
wished it were allowed to retain their prebends
for life. The new house, at first a priory, was
converted into an abbey in 1184, when the king
went to Waltham and appointed (fn. 13) Walter de
Gant, a canon of Oseney, as the first abbot.
Considerable sums were contributed by the king (fn. 14)
towards the rebuilding of the church, which
went on for half a century. Mention is made in
1229 (fn. 15) of a ship laden with marble for the abbot.
The church was re-dedicated (fn. 16) on 30 September,
1242, by William, bishop of Norwich, in the
presence of other bishops and prelates.
Four large registers or chartularies of Waltham
are preserved (fn. 17) at the British Museum, and in
these its possessions can be studied in detail.
Henry II granted to the canons regular a long
charter, (fn. 18) in which he confirmed to them the
possession of the old foundation by name, added
Sewardstone and Epping, and granted various
liberties. Richard I on 18 September, 1198,
granted a similar charter, (fn. 18) in which he added the
right of free election of the abbot at each vacancy.
By another charter (fn. 19) he granted to them quittance of assarts over a large area of their lands.
Henry III on 30 March, 1253, granted to them
two fairs at Waltham at the feasts of the Invention and Exaltation of the Cross, a market and
fair at Epping, a market and fair at Takeley,
free warren in various lands in Essex and seven
other counties, and other liberties. (fn. 20) Edward III
required the convent to grant sustenance for life to
Agnes de Wygeton, but undertook that this should
not be made a precedent; (fn. 21) and Richard II on
8 December, 1385, in consideration of their
celebrating anniversaries of Richard I, the king's
father, and the king himself after his death,
granted (fn. 22) that they should not be charged with
any corrody except at the creation of an abbot,
notwithstanding the possession which the king or
his progenitors have had of a corrody held successively by David Onhond, Nicholas Wyght,
John Kent, Roger Loggore, and Edmund Fauconer, the present holder, whose right during his
life was reserved; and on 14 May, 1393, he
granted that no lord or great person except the
king and queen should be lodged in the abbey. (fn. 23)
Many other grants and confirmations are recorded. (fn. 24)
Waltham was always a royal free chapel and
exempt from episcopal control. Its privileges
were confirmed by Pope Alexander III, and
many of his successors. (fn. 25) Clement III in 1188
granted among other things that in time of any
interdict on the land they might celebrate mass
suppressa voce. (fn. 26) Innocent III in 1199 authorized them to refuse undue exactions by archdeacons. Innocent IV in 1249 granted indulgence
against provisions of pensions or benefices. (fn. 27)
Urban IV in 1262 gave permission to the abbot
to absolve members of the monastery from sentences
of suspension, interdict or excommunication; and
forbade the abbot and convent to pledge their
goods to creditors. (fn. 28)
By a charter of Richard I, dated 1 December,
1189, (fn. 29) the churches of Old and New Windsor (fn. 30)
and All Saints, Hertford, were assigned to the
hospitality of the abbey, and those of Arlesey
and Nazing to the clothing of the canons.
William, bishop of London, on 11 July, 1218, (fn. 31)
confirmed grants made to them of the churches
of Alphamstone and Lambourne and ordered that
they should have the presentations to both
churches, and should receive 40s. yearly from
each for the use of the poor maintained in a
hospital built in their court. The churches of
Epping, Woodford, Netteswell and Loughton
were devoted to the use of the sacristy. They
also owned the rectories or advowsons of the
church of South Weald and the chapel of
St. Nicholas, Stanford le Hope, in Essex, and the
churches of Babraham and Shudy Camps in
Cambridgeshire, Wormley in Hertfordshire,
Croxby, Leverton and Wrangle in Lincolnshire,
Guestwick, Guist and Seaming in Norfolk, and
Caterham in Surrey. Edward III on 20 February, 1365, granted to them a third of the
manor of Great Parndon with a third of the
advowson of the church as compensation for
tithes from land in Windsor which had been
imparked. (fn. 32) The possessions of the abbey in the
diocese of London are omitted from the Taxation of 1291, but it appears from one of the
registers that these amounted (fn. 33) in 1266 to
£21 17s. 3d., lying in Waltham, Sewardstone,
Nazing, Epping, Stansted, Netteswell, Passelow, Boreham, Stanway, London, Takeley,
Stanford, Thorndon, Weald, Upminster, Loughton, Woodford and Wormley. The grant by
John de Tany of the manor of Theydon Bois
was confirmed by the king in 1297. (fn. 34) The
abbot and convent had licence (fn. 35) on 12 March,
1350, to exchange their manors of Boreham,
Shudy Camps and Horseheath, for the manors of
Copped Hall and Shingle Hall; and on 6 October, 1387, they had licence to acquire the manor
of Cullings in Cheshunt. (fn. 36) John Sunday, parson
of St. Mary Woolchurch, London, left to the
abbot and convent nine shops and some other
tenements, all said to be ruinous, in Soaperslane
and Needlerslane, in the parish of St. Antoninus
in London, but as the said John was not a freeman of the city, and also as the abbey had not
obtained licence to hold this property, the tenements were seized into the king's hand (fn. 36) and
granted away in 1401. (fn. 37)
The abbey had numerous privileges (fn. 38) in Waltham Forest. Richard I and Henry III granted
that the canons might enclose the park called
Harold's Park and hunt all beasts that they might
find therein, and also that they might take the
hare, fox, and cat in Essex and at West Waltham in Berkshire, and that their dogs should
not be lawed anywhere in the forests. (fn. 39) The
right of hunting, however, would seem afterwards to have lapsed, for Richard II on 10 January, 1378, in consideration of his having dwelt
for some time in the abbey in his nonage, (fn. 40)
granted for life to the abbot that he might (fn. 41)
hunt the fox and other vermin in the forest
of Essex and also hunt two deer each year. (fn. 41)
On 30 April, 1379, he granted to him, also
for life, three bucks and six does yearly in the
forest. (fn. 42) In 1383 the abbot and convent had
licence to acquire the forestership of the hundred
of Waltham. (fn. 43) They had licence in 1229 to
enclose their woods of Nazing and Epping; (fn. 44)
and in 1257, 1286, 1332 and 1380 to increase
their parks. (fn. 45)
Fuller in his history of Waltham gives a long
account of a dispute between the abbot and the
townspeople about the right of pasturage over
Waltham Marsh. In the first year of Abbot
Simon the men of Waltham came into the
marsh, which the abbot and convent had
formerly enjoyed as several to themselves, killed
four mares, and drove away the rest. The abbot
took no notice for the time; but on Thursday
before Easter in the next year some of them
went to him and desired him to remove his
mares and colts from the marsh. He deferred
his answer until the Tuesday following, and
then told them that he was going into Lincolnshire and that they must wait until his return.
They reviled him, drove out the mares and
colts, drowning three and wounding ten more,
and beat the keepers. On the return of the
abbot they desired a love-day and offered damages,
but next day went to the king and complained
that the abbot would disinherit them. The abbot
excommunicated them, whereupon they impleaded him in the King's Bench, but finally lost
their case. This story is only the version of the
canons, and so comes from a notoriously untrustworthy source. In 1512 it was found by
inquisition that the tenants and inhabitants of
the manor of Waltham had common of pasture
in the marsh.
About the same time there was another dispute between the abbey and Peter of Savoy
concerning the boundary between Waltham and
Cheshunt, (fn. 46) which was settled but broke out again
and was still undetermined at the dissolution.
The abbot of Westminster complained in 1279
that his mill and tenements in Amwell in Hertfordshire had been flooded and damaged by the
raising of sluices belonging to the abbot of Waltham at Amwell and Stansted. A commission
was appointed (fn. 47) to settle the dispute, and the
abbot of Waltham was required to repair the
damage to the mill. (fn. 48) Arbitrators were sent (fn. 49) in
1283 to see whether this had been properly done.
Edward III granted (fn. 50) £40 in aid of the repair
of the abbey church in 1336, and in 1342
allowed the abbot to cut £200 worth of timber
in Waltham Forest, the abbey being depressed by
debts and misfortunes. (fn. 51) In 1366 the abbot and
convent had licence to crenellate their belfry,
which was ruinous. (fn. 52)
The abbey appears to have been severely visited
by the plague in the fourteenth century, for
Pope Gregory XI on 18 September, 1373, on
account of the scarcity of priests in the monastery through that cause, granted (fn. 53) a faculty to
Abbot Nicholas to dispense twelve of the canons,
aged twenty, to be ordained priests.
The abbey was threatened (fn. 54) at the time of the
insurrection of the peasants in 1381; and in
1410 (fn. 55) it was attacked and forcibly entered. In
1423 (fn. 56) the bondsmen of the manors of Waltham,
Nazing, Epping and Loughton refused to perform their accustomed services.
Waltham, on account of its size, royal patronage and proximity to London, was one of the
most important houses in England; certainly
the most important of those of the Augustinian
order. It is frequently mentioned in chronicles
and records. The abbot was mitred, with a seat
in Parliament. In 1214 (fn. 57) Abbot Nicholas, sent
by the papal legate, deposed the abbot of Westminster; and in 1219 (fn. 58) the abbot was a judge
delegate in the disputed election to Ely. The abbot
was one of those appointed by Henry III in 1252 (fn. 59)
to keep the feast of St. Edward in his absence. In
1258 (fn. 60) he was requested by the king to become
surety for a large sum of money, and the story
of his answer to the king's messenger and secret
communication with the abbot of St. Albans is
told in detail by Matthew Paris. In 1281 (fn. 61) the
abbot was one of those who appealed against the
summons by Archbishop Peckham of all abbots,
whether exempt or not, to a provincial council
at Lambeth. In 1287 (fn. 62) he was in attendance on
the king in Gascony. The body of Edward I
was brought (fn. 63) on 4 August, 1307, to Waltham,
where it remained for a short time until its final
removal to Westminster. Abbot Thomas presided (fn. 64) at the chapter of the Augustinian order
held at Oseney in 1353. Abbot Nicholas was
one of the council appointed (fn. 65) on 19 November,
1386, to inquire into the governance of the realm;
and in 1389 he was president of the English
Augustinians. (fn. 66) In 1406 (fn. 67) the abbot was one of
those who subscribed the act settling the succession to the crown. Later the abbots appear regularly on the commissions of the peace. The
abbot was one of those who officiated at the
funeral (fn. 68) of Queen Jane Seymour in November,
1537.
On 1 November, 1531, the abbot and convent
granted (fn. 69) to Henry VIII the manor of Stansted
Abbot and various lands in Stansted in Hertfordshire and Roydon in Essex; and in return
the king on 1 January, 1532, granted (fn. 70) to them
the priory of Blackmore and various possessions
lately belonging to it, and also the manor of
Wormingford, lately belonging to Wix Priory,
and the churches of Blackmore, Margaretting
and Wormingford in Essex, and Hormead in
Hertfordshire. A further exchange of lands with
the king was made (fn. 71) in 1534, the abbey surrendering lands in Copped Hall for lands in Waltham
and Fyfield. The possibility of St. Bartholomew's Priory being appropriated to Waltham is
mentioned (fn. 72) about the same time, but this never
happened.
The net value of the abbey is given in the
Valor as £900 4s. 3d., the gross value (fn. 73) being
£1,079 2s. 1d. yearly. It was thus the richest
house in Essex. But though the most important
of the English Augustinian houses it was not
quite the richest, being surpassed by Cirencester,
Merton, Leicester and Plympton. No event of
any importance occurred in connexion with the
dissolution. The abbot appears to have paid the
usual bribes to Cromwell, as much as £50
being received (fn. 74) from him in 1535. Waltham
managed to outlast every other abbey in England, and it was not until 23 March, 1540, that
it was formally surrendered (fn. 75) by Robert, abbot,
Thomas Waryn, Robert Wodleff, Robert Reed,
William Lelle, Thomas Hawkyns, George Sollys,
Edmund Sander, Robert Parkar, Edward Story,
Hugh Yonge, Humphrey Martyn, Miles Garrard,
John Noris, John Sander, John Homstyd, Robert
Hull and Edmund Freke. The last three of these
were at Leighs and Martyn was at Dunmow in
1534, all, apparently, having been transferred to
Waltham after the dissolution of their priories.
On the day after the surrender pensions (fn. 76) were
awarded; the abbot receiving the large amount
of £200 yearly in lands and other possessions, and
the prior, chaunter, sub-prior, sexton and other
canons sums varying from £20 to £5 yearly.
The abbot had a grant (fn. 77) for life accordingly, on
6 May, of the manors of Woodford, Theydon
Bois, Netteswell, Passelow, Stanford le Hope,
Wormingford, Stanway, Cullings and Arlesey,
and the rectories and advowsons of the
churches of Wormingford and Arlesey 5 besides
other lands which had belonged to St. Bartholomew's Priory.
In the original scheme (fn. 78) for the establishment
of new bishoprics at the dissolution it was intended that Waltham should be raised to the
position of a cathedral, but this was never done.
Its possessions were dispersed after the surrender.
The demesne lands of the monastery were
leased (fn. 79) to Anthony Denny on 12 April, 1541,
He was made keeper (fn. 80) of the site on 9 January,
1542; and on 28 June, 1547, this was granted (fn. 81)
to him in fee.
An extensive inventory (fn. 82) was taken of the
goods of the abbey. Most of the vestry stuff is
marked as given to the parish church of Waltham
and other poor churches round. The church and
household plate was mostly reserved for the
king, and Sir John Williams, master of the
jewels, received 1,169 ounces to his use on
18 March, 1541; but part of the household
plate was given to the abbot and part sold to
Denny. Part of the goods were received by the
abbot, Denny and others, and rewards of a
year's wages were given to a large number of
servants.
The following is a list of the heads of the
house. Waltham being a royal foundation, the
elections of the abbots are recorded on the
Patent Rolls in the reign of Henry III and
later. The abbots elect were originally confirmed by the pope, but in consideration of the
danger and expense of the journey to Rome Pope
Boniface IX granted (fn. 83) on 28 January, 1399,
that they should be true abbots without further
confirmation, and also that they might be blessed
by any bishop. In compensation for first-fruits
and other dues the abbot and convent were to
pay to the papal collector thirty gold florins every
Michaelmas
Deans (fn. 84) of Waltham.
Wlwin, the first dean, was appointed about
1060.
Paschal was dean, probably the next.
Walter, occurs about 1108.
Geoffrey, (fn. 85) occurs before 1118.
Ernulf, occurs about 1140.
Henry of Blois, bishop of Winchester, was
dean about 1144.
Richard, occurs about 1160.
Guy Rufus, occurs in 1164. He resigned
in 1177.
Priors of Waltham
Ralph, appointed 1177. (fn. 86)
Abbots of Waltham
Walter de Gant, the first abbot, appointed
1184, (fn. 86) died 1201. (fn. 87)
Richard, occurs 1203, (fn. 88) 1211 (fn. 89) (?).
Nicholas, occurs 1214. (fn. 90)
Richard, occurs 1218, (fn. 91) died 1230. (fn. 92)
Henry, elected 1230, (fn. 93) died 1248. (fn. 94)
Simon de Saham, elected 1248. (fn. 95)
Adam de Wiz, elected 1264. (fn. 96)
Richard de Harewes, Heregeus or Herghes,
elected 1270, (fn. 97) died 1273. (fn. 98)
Reginald de Maidenheth, elected 1274. (fn. 99)
Robert de Elenton, elected 1289, (fn. 100) died
1302. (fn. 101)
John de Badburgham, elected 1302, (fn. 102) died
1307. (fn. 103)
Richard de Hertford, elected 1308, (fn. 104) died
1345. (fn. 105)
Thomas de Wolmersty, elected 1345, (fn. 106)
died 1371. (fn. 107)
Nicholas Morys, elected 1371, (fn. 108) died 1389. (fn. 109)
William Neel, elected 1389, (fn. 110) died 1400. (fn. 111)
William Harleton, elected 1400, (fn. 112) died
1420. (fn. 113)
William de Hertford, elected 1420. (fn. 114)
John Lucas, resigned 1474. (fn. 115)
Thomas Edward, elected 1474, (fn. 116) died
1497. (fn. 117)
Gervase Rose, elected 1497, (fn. 118) died 1500. (fn. 119)
Alan Rede, elected 1500, (fn. 120) died 1507. (fn. 121)
John Shernbroke, elected 1507, (fn. 122) resigned
1514. (fn. 123)
John Malyn, elected 1514, (fn. 124) resigned 1526. (fn. 125)
Robert Fuller, elected 1526, (fn. 126) the last
abbot. (fn. 127)
The seal of the abbey attached to the deed of
surrender (fn. 128) is of dark brown wax, circular in shape,
with a diameter of rather less than 3½ in. The
obverse contains a pointed oval bordered with open
tracery and foliage with a cross within a circular
panel on each side. In the oval is the cross of
Waltham upon a mount, upheld by two angels
with expanded wings; and round it is the legend—
HOC [EST] SIGILL' ECCLESIE SANCTE CRUCIS
DE WALTHAM
The reverse also shows upon a circular field a
pointed oval, here placed between two shields
supported by lions passant guardant, that on
the left displaying the arms of England, and
that on the right those of the abbey — on a
cross engrailed five crosses crosslet fitchées.
The oval is filled by three intaglio gems, (1) in
the centre, two covered Byzantine busts facing
each other, probably Tovi and Harold, (2) at
the top, a man and a dolphin, and (3) at
the base, a tiger passant. Around it is the
legend—
HOC CARTE FEDUS CUM TOVI FIRMAT HAROLD[US].