Page:VCH London 1.djvu/574

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A HISTORY OF LONDON lade ; Roger de Wynton, sub-prior ; Roger de Reygate, cellarer (erased) ; Symon de Westmin- ster ; John de Cantuar ; John de Northampton ; John de Wynton, sub-cellarer ; Robert de kancia, cellarer ; Robert de Wells ; and John de Ardenere.^" In May, 13 13, the prior and convent of Southwark obtained licence for the appropriation in mortmain of the church of Newdigate, which was of their advowson.^^ Henry de Cobham, keeper of certain of the late Templars' lands in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, was ordered in October, 1313, to pay to the bishop of Winchester the wages of ^d. a day assigned by the late archbishop of Canterbury and the whole provincial council for the main- tenance of Richard de Grafton, a Templar placed in the priory to do penance.'^ The priory had to maintain other pensioners : thus in April, 131 5, Peter prior of Southwark and his chapter granted to Thomas de Evesham, clerk of the king's chancery, in consideration of his good service to them, a yearly pension of iooj. for life out of their manor of Tadworth ; ^' and in October, 131 9, Hugh de Windsor was sent to the priory for his maintenance, in consideration of his good service to Queen Isabel.^* And again a grant was made by Edward III in February, 1344, at the request of Richard earl of Arundel, who would have to come to London very often to treat of various matters for the king, that he should lodge in the priory, and have the use of suitable houses (chambers) there for him and his household during the king's pleasure. Pardon was granted to the priory and convent of Southwark in 13 14 for having acquired in mortmain, without the late king's licence, various shops and messuages in Southwark, and lands in Mitcham, Chelsham, and Kidbrooke ; " and in January, 1332, a like pardon was granted them for entering without licence from the king's progenitors into 6 marks of rent in London, bequeathed to them by Sabina, late the wife of Philip le Taillour, citizen of London, for daily celebration for the souls of Philip and Sabina.^' The bishops of Winchester not infrequently used the priory church. For instance Bishop Sendale held ordinations there in 1 3 16, 131 7, and 1318 ;'* on 10 March, 1352, John Sheppey '" Cott. MS. Fanst. A. viii, 493. Another list drawn up in 1298 gives a total of twenty-one, but several are erased ; and another of 1 302 (both on fol. 50^) gives nineteen. " Pat. 6 Edw. II, pt. 2, m. 9. " Close, 7 Edw. II, m. 23. " Ibid. 8 Edw. II, m. 9 d. '« Ibid. 13 Edw. II, m. lt,d. " Pat. 18 Edw. Ill, pt. I, m. 48. " Ibid. 7 Edw. II, pt. 2, m. 23. " Ibid. 6 Edw. Ill, pt. I, m. 27. " Sendalis Reg. (Hants Rec. See), passim. was consecrated bishop of Rochester in this church.^' The priory was again burnt or severely damaged by fire in the reign of Richard II. Considerable repairs and rebuilding were at once undertaken.^ The work must have been accom- plished by the beginning of the year 1 390, for on 7 February Bishop Wykeham commissioned his sufiragan, Simon bishop of Achonry, to reconcile the conventual church of St. Mary Overy and the annexed church of St. Mary Magdalen, and to dedicate the altars and grave- yard.^' To this work John Gower, the poet, is said to have been a liberal contributor. Bishop Wykeham again on 12 February, 1391, obtained the services of John bishop of Sodor to reconcile the church of St. Mary Overy, the adjoining parish church of St. Mary Magdalen, and St. Mary's chapel in the conventual farmery, and their respective graveyards, after pollution by bloodshed.^^ The nature of the afiray or accident is not known. The bishop gave notice on 7 January, 1395, of his intention to visit the priory on the Wed- nesday after the conversion of St. Paul,-' and in June, 1397, he commissioned John Elmere the official, William Stude an advocate of the Court of Arches, and John de Ware, to visit it.** The result of this latter visitation was that the newly appointed prior, Kyngeston, was found to be suffering from so serious an infirmity as to be incap.ible of ruling his house, and that the discipline had in consequence become very lax. The custody of the house was therefore com- mitted to the sub-prior and John Stacy, another of the canons, with full power of punishing excesses and delinquencies. They were to call to their aid, if necessary, William Stude and John Ware, the bishop's visiting commissioners. No canon was to leave the house except for some grave cause and with a special letter from the two custodians, under pain of imprisonment. The sub-prior was enjoined to have an account of rents received during the last four years made up for audit, and the bishop also put forth several other practical injunctions for the due manage- ment of the temporalities.^* In March, 1398, Prior Weston was licensed by the bishop to let benefices appropriated to the priory, with a proviso that none of the buildings belonging to these rectories were to be used as taverns or for any illicit or dishonourable trades that might bring discredit on the church. In the following month the bishop visited the priory.^^ In February, 1399, Prior Weston " Stubbs, Reg. Sacr. Angl. 77. '" Stow, Chron. 542, 597. " Winton Epis. Reg. Wykeham, iii, fol. 24 13. " Ibid, iii, fol. 249. " Ibid, iii, fol. 279. " Ibid, iii, fol. 293^. " Ibid, iii, fol. 296-7. "^ Ibid, iii, fol. 30 1 3. 482