State of the monastery of Bermondsey (Surrey) as found by an inquisition taken before...

State of the monastery of Bermondsey (Surrey) as found by an inquisition taken before Brother Robert de Duffeld, the king's confessor, Brother Philip de Baston, Sir Richard de Rodeneye and Sir Humphrey de Waleden.

The inquisition found that Peter de St. Laurence (Seint Lorenz) had been made prior of Bermondsey with the assent of the convent at SS Simon & Jude nine years last past [28 October 1312], at which time he found the priory had been free from debt apart from 80 marks owed to Sir Ralph de Hengham as arrears on a pension, and that all manors and churches were well stocked except for the manor of Leigham Court (Surrey), which had been leased by his predecessor [Henry] in order to have its houses and church repaired. Thereafter, the prior had leased out all manors and churches except the manor of Bermondsey (Surrey), worth £100 a year, and the manor of Waddon (Surrey), worth £40, namely: the manors of Preston, Kingweston and Stone (Somerset) to John de Godele for a term of 41 years at £50 a year, paid cash down for two years, although these manors are worth £60; the manor of Upton (Berkshire), worth £20 a year, to Master Geoffrey de Eton for an unknown term, all of which he paid cash down; the manor of Warlingham (Surrey), worth 20 marks a year, to Robert de Kelleseye for life at 12 marks a year, of which he paid three years cash down; the manor of Chalk (Kent), worth £60 a year, to Sir Henry de Cobeham for two years at £60 a year; the manor of Charlton (Kent), worth £40 a year, to Master Roger de la Bere for life, during the first year of which he paid £50 cash down; the manor of Widford (Hertfordshire), worth 20 marks a year, to Sir Geoffrey de Stokes and his wife for their lives at 12 marks a year for an unknown bargain; the manor of Quickbury (in Sheering, Essex), worth £30 a year, to Nicholas de Cowike for an unknown bargain; the manor of Hallingbury (Essex), worth 20 marks a year, to John de St. Laurence for life, for which he paid nothing but instead leased his interest to Master Thomas de Kyningham for £80, confirmed by the prior; the manor of Dulwich (Surrey), worth £12 a year, to Edmund Lambyn of London for a term of two years, all of which he paid cash down; the churches of Cobham and Shorne (Kent), which should be worth £4 a year, have been sold for the year to come cash down; the church of Barking (Kent), which had been leased at farm at the reasonable sum of 17 marks a year but the prior then leased 80 acres of land belonging to it, worth 10 marks a year, to Sir Walter de Huntingfeud for 80 marks for four years, at the end of which the land was to revert to him forever; the church of Bengeo (Hertfordshire), worth 25 marks a year, to Master John de Redeswell for 20 marks a year, which sum was allowed to him by the prior as a pension in the priory; the fruits of Camberwell church (Surrey) for this year, worth £20, have been sold to Stephen de Bekwell; the church of Chelsham with the chapel of Warlingham (Surrey), worth 40 marks a year, has been given to Master Robert de Nortun and Master John de Malmesbury for 80 marks a year for an unknown term. Otherwise, the prior sold thirteen liveries worth £80, while his predecessor sold only one worth 10 marks, and the house is charged with their sustenance as well as with various other charges.

The prior also enfeoffed the bishop of Winchester and his successors with 10 marks of rent in Southwark (Surrey) pertaining to the church of Beddington (Surrey). He leased 40 marcates of rent in Southwark pertaining to Croydon church (Surrey) to the archbishop of Canterbury. During his term as prior the number of monks dropped to 18 from 36 at the time of foundation.

The prior undertook all of this with the counsel of his brother, John de St. Laurence, Master William de Alingeho and Master Janys de Mauntes.

[Endorsed memorandum. On 27 February 1321 in the Exchequer at Westminster Master Walter of Norwich, baron of the Exchequer, delivered to William de Nuttele, clerk to the archbishop of Canterbury, a letter from the archbishop to the prior and convent of Bermondsey concerning the appropriation by them of the church of Croydon, and other letters concerning the assignment of an annual rent of £25 in his manor of Croydon, the exchange of the patronage and glebe, one sealed by the prior and convent, an indenture concerning a rent of £21 15s. 7d. in Southwark granted to the archbishop by the prior and convent, an enfeoffment made by the prior and convent of a hide of land in Southwark to Master John de Redeswell, a letter of attorney for the archbishop to their tenants in Southwark concerning services, and a quitclaim of that hide of land in Southwark made to the prior an convent by Master John de Redeswell.]

Topics

Manors

Pay and pensions

Debt

Farming