12. THE PRIORY OF CHETWODE
The priory of Chetwode was founded in the
year 1245 by Ralf de Norwich. (fn. 1) A licence
was granted by Bishop Grosstête for its
foundation, and a canon was sent from Thurgarton in Nottinghamshire to be the first
prior. (fn. 2) The endowment was a small one, and
it seems probable that there were never more
than three or four canons. King Henry III.
granted to the priory a carucate of land for
the service of the hermitage or chapel of St.
Werburga in the forest of Brill, and 50s. besides for the service of the royal chapel when
he kept his court at Brill (fn. 3) ; the canons also
served the churches of Chetwode and Barton
Hartshorn. (fn. 4)
During the first year of the existence of the
priory there was a dispute with the founder
concerning the lands which formed the endowment. (fn. 5) A few years later the king's gift
lost almost all its value because the deer in the
royal forest could not be kept out of the
canons' cornfields; but Henry III., with that
generosity which he always displayed towards
the religious, made them a further grant, and
allowed them to enclose their ploughlands. (fn. 6)
This right was disputed in 1313 by a certain
Roger Pymme and other men of the neighbourhood, who claimed part of the land as
common, broke down the enclosure, and fed
their beasts on the grass there. The prior
complained that he had suffered losses
amounting to 40s. in value: but it is not
known whether he recovered anything at this
time. (fn. 7)
The house was reckoned from the first
among royal foundations, and the names of all
its priors may be found on the Patent Rolls.
We may gather from the record of the prior's
death in 1349, that the Great Pestilence
visited this house as well as most of its neighbours during that year. Beyond this and the
few facts mentioned above, it has no history
at all. In 1460 it had become too poor even
to maintain canons enough to serve the appropriate churches, and was annexed with the
king's consent to Nutley Abbey. (fn. 8)
No visitations of this priory are recorded
at Lincoln.
Its original endowment was merely the
demesne land at Chetwode, the king's gift
above mentioned, and the churches of Chetwode and Barton Hartshorn. (fn. 9) In 1284 the
prior held 8½ virgates at Chetwode with the
site of the priory, of Robert de Chetwode. (fn. 10)
There is no mention of the house in the Taxatio.
Priors of Chetwode
Thomas of Hanworth, (fn. 11) first prior, elected
1245, resigned 1261
John of Woodstock, (fn. 12) elected 1261, resigned 1270
William of Dadington, (fn. 13) elected 1270
William of Bricklesworth, (fn. 14) resigned 1304
Roger of Lynham, (fn. 15) elected 1304, resigned
1317
John of Warmington, (fn. 16) elected 1317, died
1328
Robert of Brackley, (fn. 17) elected 1328, died
1337
William of Halton, (fn. 18) elected 1337, died
1349
Henry of Wykeham, (fn. 19) elected 1349, died
1361
John of Westbury, (fn. 20) elected 1361, died 1386
Richard Langton, (fn. 21) elected 1386
Thomas Rede, (fn. 22) elected 1405
Richard Borton, (fn. 23) died 1445
John Humberstone, (fn. 24) elected 1445, died
1458