on Sunday, the 5th of October, 1339, the invaders seized the town of Southampton, while the inhabitants were at church, plundered, and almost totally destroyed it by fire. "In consideration of the damages and grievances," thus states the grant, "which the prior and convent have sustained by burnings and destructions committed in their manors, possessions, and benefices near the sea, by his foreign enemies hostilely invading those places; and, in consideration also of the heavy charges which they have sustained, and do daily sustain, by the resort of himself, his nobles, and others, to the priory, on their passage towards parts beyond the sea," Edward granted to them the lands of Crowker and Farlyngton, with right of free warren, and the advowson of the church of Farlyngton, which had come into his hands, as an escheat, by the forfeiture of the celebrated Hugh le Despencer, his father's unhappy favourite, and were then held for life by John de Montgomery.
In this reign also the priory was enriched by the bounty of that greatest of founders and benefactors, William of Wykeham; he founded in it five chantries, for the prosperous state of King Edward III., for the souls of John and Sibil, the founder's father and mother, for the soul of the same king, and for his own after death, and for all the faithful departed. To perform the service of these chantries, he constituted live canonries, in addition to the number already existing in the priory. He endowed them with the manors of Burhunt, Herberd, and Herbelyn, which he had purchased for £400, of Luke de Ponynges and Isabel his wife; having obtained the king's licence for their alienation.
The manor of Herbelyn was held of the king in capite, on condition of finding a man armed with an haketon, hauberk, bacinet, iron gloves, and lance, to keep guard at the east gate of the castle of Portchester in time of war, for fifteen days.
William of Wykeham was consecrated bishop of Winchester October 10, 1367. His statutes for these chantries are dated October 3, 1369. The priory of Suthwyk was therefore, in all probability, the first place in his diocese which partook of the liberality of that munificent prelate. There must have been some reason why he should have selected this church so early in his episcopate for such a mark of favour. From the records of the priory we learn a fact, which I believe has hitherto escaped notice, and which becomes highly
