8. THE PRIORY OF POUGHLEY
A charter of inspection and confirmation of
the year 1330 gives an authoritative account of
the origin of Poughley Priory. It was founded
by Ralph de Chaddleworth, about the year 1160,
who endowed it with the site of a hermitage
called 'Clenfordemere' or 'Ellenfordemere,'
with an adjacent wood, and with the church of
Chaddleworth, including the chapel of Wulney
(Wolley) and all its appurtenances. At the same
time or shortly afterwards the priory received, from
Thomas de Mazuy, the land that he held at
West Batterton, Wilts; from Roger de Curridge, his lands at Curridge; from Nicholas de
Hedinton, his lands at Peasemore; from Lambert
de Faringdon, his lands at Faringdon; and from
Hugh de Bathonia, his lands at 'Werdeham,'
and his meadow at Colthrop. The same confirmation charter also briefly recites a number of
later small donations, chiefly of plots of land in
Berkshire. (fn. 27)
This priory, erected on the site of the old
hermitage and dedicated to the honour of
St. Margaret, was assigned to canons regular
of the order of St. Augustine.
Pope Alexander in 1182 granted to the
newly-founded house entire exemption from tithes,
and further ordered by his apostolic authority
both the bishop of Salisbury and the archdeacon
of Berkshire and their officials not to impose
any new charges of any kind on the priory. In
this bull of papal protection the house is described as the priory of St. Margaret of
'Elenfordesmer.' (fn. 28)
Pope Alexander IV granted two bulls to this
house in September, 1256. By the first of these,
dated 22 September, the privilege was conferred
of celebrating the divine offices in a low tone
(voce supressa), and with closed doors and without
ringing of bells, during interdicts. By the second,
dated five days later, the priory was taken, in
general terms, under apostolic protection. (fn. 29)
The taxation roll of Pope Nicholas in 1291
names a pension of 2s. 6d. due to this priory from
the church of West Hendred. Under the head
of temporalities the annual sum of £14 19s. 4d.
was due from lands in Belton, Lambourn, Peasemore, Speen, and Marcham, all in the archdeaconry of Berkshire, and also 9s. out of the
Wiltshire deanery of Marlborough.
A forty days' indulgence was granted by the
bishop on 12 April, 1313, to all who gave assistance to the convent of Poughley, for a grievous
fire had destroyed their granaries and mills, and
other buildings in which their goods were stored. (fn. 30)
A commission was issued in February, 1428, to
inquire into the complaint made by John Dyke,
who stated that he had a crown grant, under a
yearly rent, of a messuage, lands, meadows, and a
moiety of the water of Lambourn in the lordship
of Speen, and that the prior of Poughley had
recently built a mill across the water, wherethrough the water could not keep its right course,
but had flooded its banks and the king's lands and
meadows. (fn. 31)
In January, 1469, the pope granted to Prior
Thomas Sutton of Poughley, the annual income
of whose priory was stated not to exceed £50,
dispensation to hold with the priory, for the term
of his natural life, some other ecclesiastical benefice, usually held by a secular priest, whether it
should be a rectory or vicarage, provided he was
duly presented and instituted. (fn. 32)
Prior William Mordon died on 5 October,
1521; whereupon a congè d'èlire was at once obtained from the prioress and convent of Amesbury,
its patrons. William Gerves, sacrist and president, together with Nicholas Dyleys and Thomas
Goodere, brethren, met on 7 October, appointed
the morrow for the election, and sent letters to
the absent brethren. On 8 October, mass of the
Holy Ghost having been sung in the quire, Gerves,
Dyleys, and Goodere entered the chapter-house.
They appointed Master Richard Arche, LL.B., to
be their counsellor, director, and scribe, whereof
Master Thomas Dan and William Symson, rector
of East Shefford, were witnesses. The licence
of the prioress and other documents having been
read, Arche expounded the constitution of the
General Council touching an election. Then
the president and chapter referred the nomination
of the prior to Edmund, bishop of Salisbury, their
ordinary, made out an instrument accordingly, and
appointed Thomas Yonge, LL.B., and Thomas
Dan, M.A., their proctors to notify this to the
bishop. Thereupon the bishop collated John
Devynyshe, canon of Bradstock, to the priorship.
The appointment was notified to the chapter on
14 March by Master Arche, the Te Deum was
sung, the elect led to the altar, and the election
published to the clergy and people. After dinner,
Yonge, at the request of the chapter, went to
the elect, who was in an upper chamber of the
priory, and obtained his formal assent to the election, licence having been procured from the
prior of Bradstock. He was pronounced to be a
fit person, of good fame, a priest of the order of
St. Augustine, of lawful age, legitimate, grave
and learned. (fn. 33)
This small priory was amongst the first group
of religious houses for the incorporation of which
Cardinal Wolsey obtained the pope's bull and
the king's licence, in 1524, for the use of
his college in Oxford. On 4 January, 1525,
Wolsey's commission was issued to Sir William
Gascoigne, William Burbank, LL.D., and Thomas
Cromwell, gentlemen, to make survey of the
monastery of Poughley and its possessions. The
dissolution of the monastery was formally accomplished on 14 February in that year, John Somers
being prior, the spiritualities being declared of
the annual value of £10 and the temporalities
£61 11s. 7d. (fn. 34)
The inquisitions taken at the time of its suppression showed that the priory then held the
churches of Chaddleworth and Kingston, the
manors of West Batterton (Wilts.), Peasemore,
Curridge, and Bagnor, and messuages, lands, and
tenements in thirty-two Berkshire parishes. (fn. 35)
In January, 1527, Edward Fetyplace, treasurer
to the duke of Suffolk, wrote to Cromwell, upbraiding him with breaking his word as to granting
him the site of Poughley, on the faith of which
he had given Cromwell 40s. at the time of its
dissolution, and yet the lease had been granted to
another man. This letter is of particular interest,
as showing that the house of the dissolved priory
was for a time occupied by scholars of Wolsey's
great college then in course of erection. Fetyplace
complains that he had bought of Cromwell certain implements belonging to the house, of which
he left there the well bucket and rope, and a
brass pan set in the wall to brew with, which
said implements the scholars of the Cardinal's
College 'have perused and worn in the time of
their lying there,' but the bursar refuses to pay
for them. (fn. 36)
In February, 1529, Fetyplace wrote again to
Cromwell desiring his interest that he might be
assured of more years in the farm of Poughley.
From this letter it is evident that Cromwell had
been recently visiting the dismantled priory, as
Fetyplace records a visit to Poughley, on 'the
Thursday after our departing,' of one John Edden
who came with a cart to carry off such stuff as
was appointed to go to Wolsey's College at
Oxford; the bedding was in Fetyplace's chamber,
which was locked, but Edden 'with great oaths
and with levers brak up the doors.' (fn. 37)
Certain 'wages' or pensions were being paid
in 1530 by Wolsey to the dispossessed canons and
monks of the dissolved houses. An entry was
made that year of 'wages of 3 canons at Poughley,
40s.' The same year goods were sold at Poughley
that realized £29, and the bells were valued at
£33 6s. 8d. (fn. 38)
Priors of Poughley
Jerome, occurs 1182 (fn. 39)
William, occurs 1236 (fn. 40)
Robert, thirteenth century (fn. 41)
Yvo, resigned 1313 (fn. 42)
John de Lamborne, elected 1313 (fn. 43)
Ralph de Pesmere, 1348
Geoffrey, occurs 1350 (fn. 44)
William Marlborough, resigned 1442 (fn. 45)
John Helme, alias Hungerford, elected 1442 (fn. 46)
Thomas Sutton, occurs 1469 (fn. 47) -1474 (fn. 48)
Thomas Ware, resigned 1497 (fn. 49)
William Nordon, elected 1497, (fn. 50) died 1521
John Devynyshe, appointed 1521 (fn. 51)
John Somers, surrendered 1524 (fn. 52)
The common seal of this priory (1244) bears
St. Margaret trampling on a dragon, with a triplethonged scourge in the right hand, and a book in
the left. Legend:—
SIGILL': SBE MARGAR . . . : CLENFORDE . . .
The reverse has the small counterseal of Prior
William, representing the prior in his habit holding
a book. Legend:—
SIGILL': WILL'MI: PRIORIS: DE: POCCHELEG