Page:St. Botolph's Priory, Colchester (1917).djvu/18

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ST. BOTOLPH'S PRIORY
Hasculph, occurs 1224–1240.

John, occurs 1246–1259.

Simon, occurs 1281.

Richard, occurs 1290–1295.

John de Colum.

Richard le Brom, occurs 1323.

John, occurs 1326–1338.

Thomas Sakkot, died 1361.

John, occurs 1363–1364.

John Neyland, occurs 1374, resigned 1391.

John Okham, 1391–1393.

William Westbrome, 1393, occurs 1412.

William Colchester, occurs 1416.

John Depyng, occurs 1424, resigned 1434.

John, occurs 1437.

Thomas Colman, occurs 1450.

John Wardhous, occurs 1457.

John Flyngaunt, occurs 1462.

John Stampe, occurs 1497.

William, occurs 1514.

William Gooche, died 1527.

Thomas Turner, 1527–1536.

With regard to the dedication of the priory, usually given as St. Julian and St. Botolph, it is interesting to note that in the twelfth-century Hedingham roll it appears as St. Botolph, St. Julian, and St. Denis. The Crowland Chronicle records that Pope Paschal II granted a great Pardon, i.e, powers of absolution, to the priory on the feast of St. Denis and the octave following. These days mark the beginning and end of St. Denis's fair, which was held at Colchester for eight days, and Morant records that "anciently, the Sunday after St. Dennis's day, corruptly called Pardon-Sunday, was accounted the chief day of the fair."

This suggests a connection between the priory's Pardon and the fair, which began near by in Queen Street. The cattle fair was held in "Berye-field," now the meadow of East Hill House, not far to the north of the priory church, till the owner bought off the right to hold it there.

After the Suppression the priory and its possessions were granted on 26 May 1536 to Sir Thomas Audeley, Lord Chancellor. The parishioners, however, retained possession of the church, or at any rate of as much of it as before the Suppression was parochial, and this they continue to hold at the present day. The, rest of the priory site was granted by Sir Thomas