Alien houses: The priory of Dallingfield

117. THE PRIORY OF FIELD DALLING

In 1138 James de Sancto Hylario gave to the abbey of the Holy Trinity, Savigny, in the diocese of Avranches, 10 librates of land with their appurtenances in Field-Dalling (Dallenges), with the consent of Avelina his wife and Peter his brother, for his weal and for the souls of his predecessors and successors. Two years later King Stephen addressed a confirmation charter of this grant to the bishop of Norwich and his officials. (fn. 1) In the reign of Henry II, Roger earl of Clare also confirmed the grant, and it was subsequently ratified by Maud his daughter and heiress. (fn. 2)

In 1147 the abbey of Savigny adopted the Cistercian rule. The monks from Savigny who came to Field Dalling were of that order. Tanner says that Field Dalling was sometimes mentioned as a priory by itself, and sometimes as a parcel of the priory of Long Bennington, Lincoln, which was another cell of Savigny.

The taxation roll of 1291 gives the annual value of the land, rents, mill, and other manorial rights at Field Dalling pertaining to the abbey of Savigny at £21 10s. 3½d.; the abbey also held in Norfolk, as pertaining to the cell of Field Dalling, 18s. 8d.; rents at Norwich, £2 4s. 5¼d.; land and rents at Saxlingham; and 8½d. rents at Hindringham, yielding a total of £24 14s. 1¼d.

An extent or survey of this cell was taken in 1325 by command of Edward II, when the jury returned details of the annual value of the manor, yielding a total of £10 2s. 10½d. (fn. 3)

Upon the dissolution of the alien priories in 1414 Field Dalling Priory was first granted by the crown to Epworth Priory; then to the Spittle-on-the-Street, Lincolnshire; then to the Carthusians of Coventry; and lastly, in 1462, to the Carthusian priory of Mountgrace, Yorkshire. In the last grant ' Fieldallying ' is described as parcel of the alien priory of Long Bennington, lately belonging to the abbot and convent of Savigny. (fn. 4)