THE RELIGIOUS HOUSES OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
INTRODUCTION
The Religious Houses of Buckingshamshire, though fairly numer- ous, were for the most part small and insignificant : only three of them indeed fell outside the range of the first Act of Suppression in 1534. Not one of them was built before the Conquest, nor is record preserved of any religious foundation at all in the county before the end of the eleventh century. The Cluniac priory of Tickford was probably the earliest, and that was not in existence before the compilation of the Domesday Survey. The next in order of foundation seems to have been the abbey of Missenden, which followed the Arrouasian form of the Augustinian rule ; its earliest charter is dated 1133. Nutley Abbey, of the same order, was probably founded about the same time, the Cistercian abbey of Biddlesden in 1147, five small Benedictine prioriesat Luffield, Bradwell, Ankerwick, Ivinghoe and Little Marlowand the Premonstratensian abbey of Lavendon in the course of the twelfth century. As many as six Reli- gious Houses of different orders were founded during the thirteenth century in this county: Medmenham (Cistercian) in 1204; Snelshall (Benedictine) about 1219; Chetwode (Augustinian) in 1245; Raven- stone (Augustinian) in 1255 ; Burnham (Augustinian nuns) in 1266 ; and Ashridge (Bonhommes) as late as 1283. There were no friars in the county till the Earl of Ormond established a house of Minorites at Aylesbury in 1387. A Commandery of Knights Hospitallers was founded at Hogshaw some time during the reign of Henry II. and there was a small Preceptory of Knights Templars at Bulstrode. Two alien priories at Wing and Newton Longville make up a total of twenty- one Religious Houses in all. Besides these there were at least twelve hospitals, all dating from the twelfth or early thirteenth centuries : two at Buckingham, two at Aylesbury, two at Newport Pagnel, three at High Wycombe, and three more at Ludgershall, Stony Stratford, and Wendover. Doubtless there were others besides of which no record has yet been found : it seems probable that all large towns had one or two, during the thirteenth century at any rate.
The chief interest of the Buckinghamshire houses lies in the contribution which they make towards the study of the smaller monas-
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