A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE Burghersh, but its results are not recorded ; probably there was nothing striking to record, as the house was still in much poverty. In 1336 * an apostate nun was received back again and absolved ; three others sought ab- solution at the same time, for having aided and abetted her in her escape. A terrible scandai was revealed by the visitation of 1434, 3 undertaken by a com- mission from Bishop Grey. The prioress of the house, Denise Lewelyck, was accused of having broken her vow of chastity, to the very evil example of her sisters. She was called upon to purge herself of the charge, but preferred to confess it, and submit herselr to the ordinance of the bishop ; and resigned her office in the presence of the assembled convent and the vicar of Kensworth. It was objected against her at the same time that she had not kept the rule, and that she and others had concealed certain things at the visitation ; also that she had allowed one of the sisters to withdraw from the monastery. The house was evidently in a most unsatisfactory con- dition at the time ; and the resignation of Denise was followed by a long interregnum, her successor not being appointed till 1448. 3 No further visitations are recorded. The house was surrendered under the Act of 1 536,* as its income was less than £200 a year, and there may not have been by this time as many as twelve nuns. The exact date of the surrender is not known, but it must have been some time before 10 February 1 537,° when the prioress, Joan Zouche, re- ceived for the first time her pension of 20 marks. The first endowment of the priory con- sisted of the demesne lands, granted by the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's, with another portion of land in the neighbourhood, at a total rent of 9;. annually ; 8 and tithes from Cashio and Watford, Herts, granted by the abbot of St. Alban's. 7 During the lifetime of the first prioress some other small parcels of land in Oxfordshire were acquired ; 8 and during the thirteenth century the tithes of Sundon, Streatley, Higham Gobion and 1 Line. Epis. Reg., Memo. Burghersh, 353d. a Ibid. Memo. Grey, 89, 149. 3 Ibid. Inst. Alnwick, i86d.
- L.andP. Hen. VIII. x. 1238.
6 Ibid. xiii. (1), 1520. 8 Hist. MSS. Com. ix. 66 ; Dugdale, Mon. iii. 368. 7 Matth. Paris, Gesta Abbatum (Rolls Series), i.95. 8 Cott. Ch. xi. 36, xxi. 5 : it was land at Deddington, leased by Christine, and alienated by the next prioress Isabel for 30 marks of silver. Buckby, Northants. 9 At the dissolution the Crown bailiff found the house possessed of the manors of Burcester, Oxon ; Livesey ; and Stokesby, Norfolk ; with parcels of lands in Herts, Hunts, Northants, Cambs ; and the tithes of Sundon, Streatley, Watford (Herts), Kingsbury, Coleshill, Bickenhill and three chapels besides in Warwickshire; besides pen- sions from Higham Gobion, Buckby (North- ants), Bushey (Herts), Eversden Parva (Cambs) and Pakinton, amounting altogether to £155 5 j. lO^d}" This is in excess of the amount given in the Valor Ecc/esiasticus, which is only £114 16s. id. Prioresses of Markyate Christine, 11 prioress 1145 Isabel l2 Joan, 13 occurs 1212, 1238 Agnes Gobion, 14 occurs 1259, died I2 74 Isabel Gobion, 15 elected 1274, resigned 1280 Alice de Basseville, 18 elected 1280, died 1284 Lora de Kantia," elected 1284, died 1291 Maud of Luton, 18 elected 1291 Bennet or Benedicta of Whitacre, 19 elected 1332 Joan Power, 30 died 1349 Alice Spigurnel, elected 1349 21 Isabel of Ashby, 22 resigned 1350 Joan of Stanbridge, 23 elected 1350 Sibyl Attelburgh," died 1406 Elizabeth Benington, 25 elected 1406 Denise Lewelyck, 28 occurs 143 1, resigned H34 (14 April 1433) • The Line. Epis. Reg. shows these churches in the gift of the priory from the first. 10 Dugdale, Mon. iii. 368. " Cott. Ch. xi. 36, etc. " Ibid. xxi. 5 (undated). is Joan, 1212, is in Dugdale, Mon. iii. 368 ; and Joan de Fyret occurs 1238 in Line. Epis. Reg. " Matth. Paris, Gesta Abbatum (Rolls Series), i. 387 ; and Line. Epis. Reg., Rolls of Gravesend. " Ibid. 18 Ibid. Inst. Sutton. »» Ibid, (called Loretta in the next institution). is Ibid. 96. i» Ibid. Memo. Burghersh, 242d.
- > Ibid. Inst. Gynwell, 379.
« Ibid. » Ibid. 384.
- > Ibid. These changes in 1349-50 are probably
due to the great pestilence. m Ibid. Inst. Repingdon, 290. 25 Ibid. 288. Margaret Fawkeswell was elected on the death of Sibyl Attclburgh, but not insti- tuted (ibid.) 2" Ibid. Memo. Grey, 89, 149. 360
