14. THE PRIORY OF ARBURY
The Austin priory of Arbury (Erdbury or
Ordbury), in the parish of Chilvers Coton, dedicated to the honour of the Blessed Virgin, was
founded early in the reign of Henry II by Ralph
de Sudley. The original endowment consisted
of the church of Chilvers Coton, with two virgates of land that belonged to it; six other
virgates of land, a wood, and other possessions in
the same parish; lands and a meadow at Sulingfen; the church of Dassett, and 200 acres and
other possessions in that parish; and a hide of
land at Radway. The canons were also granted
timber for building purposes, and wood for fuel,
and pannage throughout the founder's demesne
lands. (fn. 1) Another early benefaction was the
church of Weston under Wetherley, but the
donor's name is not known. (fn. 2)
In 1291 the temporalities of the house
amounted to £14 14s. 1d. (fn. 3)
There are two charters of Roger, bishop of
Coventry and Lichfield at the Bodleian, dated
July, 1390, at Bishop's Itchington, relative to the
composition by the prior and convent of Arbury
for the appropriation of the church of Chilvers
Coton. (fn. 4)
John de Sudley, in 1318, granted the priory
two messuages, one toft, 8 acres of land, 7 acres
of meadow, and 7s. 8d. in rents in his lordship
of Dàssett and Chilvers Coton. (fn. 5) In 1341 Sir
Thomas de Astley obtained licence to alienate to
the canons a messuage and 36 acres of land in
Wolvey to sustain a chaplain to be found by
them to celebrate daily mass in the priory church
for the good estate of Thomas, Elizabeth his
wife, and Alice and Andrew de Astley, and for
their souls after death. (fn. 6)
In 1413 the priory made considerable purchases of lands in Nuneaton, Attleborough,
Chilvers Coton, &c., and the reversion of the
manor of Stockingford from the canons of
Leicester, after the death of Hugh de Silburn. (fn. 7)
In 1444 the priory obtained licence from
Henry VI for the alienation of other property
to them up to the value of 100 marks a year,
and in the following year acquired the appropriation of the church of Westleigh in Lancashire. (fn. 8)
In 1235 Pope Gregory IX commissioned the
prior of Dunstable and certain colleagues to
visit the regular churches of the diocese of
Coventry. At this visitation one scandal was
brought to light. At Arbury the visitors found
only five canons in the priory of Arbury; they
were leading a dissolute life with one Hugh as
their prior, without rule, under cloak of the
Arroasian order. Thereupon the pope advised
the bishop of Coventry, Alexander de Stavenby,
to establish there the rule of St. Augustine.
To this the bishop consented, and took the
necessary action, which was confirmed by the
pope in January, 1236, in a letter addressed
direct to the prior and canons of Arbury. (fn. 9)
Alexander de Stavenby's first step was to write
to the abbot of Darley, near Derby, desiring
him to send some of his convent to Arbury
for a time, to instruct and guide them in the
true Austin rule. (fn. 10)
In 1322 the prior reported himself to the
bishop as insufficiens ad regimen, and wished to
resign; whereupon the diocesan appointed Ralph
de Holbeche to hold an inquiry. (fn. 11)
Later in the same year the bishop addressed a
mandate to the official of the archdeacon of
Coventry, or to the dean of Arden, to inquire
into the validity of the election of John de
Borebach, prior elect, before confirming it.
The appointment was duly confirmed in October. (fn. 12)
Bishop Northburgh visited the deanery of
Stoneleigh in 1334, when he found the prior of
Arbury, as rector of Weston, at issue with the
vicar; he adjusted their rights by a new ordination of the vicarage. (fn. 13)
In December, 1336, Bishop Stretton forwarded
to the prior and convent certain decrees consequent on a visitation of the previous June. In
consequence of the admission of the prior that
he had sold timber, and had also appointed
officials of the house without the consent of the
brethren, it was ordered that all business should
henceforth be considered and decided in chapter.
The prior and other administrators were ordered
to make at least an annual return of their accounts
to the whole convent; the common seal was to
be kept in a chest with three locks; the food in
the infirmary was to be of suitable quality; the
prior was exhorted to watch over his brethren
and to set them a good example; and the decrees
were to be read in chapter the day after their
receipt. (fn. 14)
The Valor of 1535 (fn. 15) returned the clear annual
value of the priory at £94 6s. 1d. The house
distributed in alms yearly £3 17s.
The commissioners of 1536 certified the
annual value as £100 5s. 5¼d. They reported
that there were six religious with the prior, of
whom five were priests and one a novice professed: 'all of good conversation and lyvyng and
desier yf the house be suppressed to be sent to
some other howse of ther Religion.' There
were twenty-six dependants, namely nine yeomen,
five hinds, two dairy-women, two corrodians by
convent seal, six impotent persons and children
'fownd of almes,' and two persons having fees
extraordinary. The bells, lead, and buildings were
worth £125 12s. 8¼d. and the house was in good
repair. The stocks, stores, and movable goods
were worth £74 17s. 11d., and there were 177
acres of wood, worth £46 18s. 8d. The debts
of the house were £50 18s. 11d. (fn. 16)
George Gifford, a busy agent of Cromwell in
the Midlands and one of these Warwickshire
visitors, wrote to his master from Henwood
Nunnery on 3 August, 1536, reporting that they
had surveyed the Warwickshire houses of Polesworth, Maxstoke, and Arbury. As to Arbury,
he stated that the land was set at 16d. an acre,
and the pasture was mostly heath or very dry
grass, howbeit there was a fair house and well
watered. He added the significant statement
that they had surveyed all the houses within the
limits of their commission, and he had seen none
other, but that they were promised to such as he
thought his suit would not prevail against. (fn. 17) On
the 23rd of the same month Gifford wrote again
begging that Arbury might be assigned to him. (fn. 18)
But his pleadings were in vain, for Arbury on its
suppression was granted amid an abundance of
other church property to Charles Brandon, duke
of Suffolk. (fn. 19) His co-heiress Margaret, wife of
John Kersby, sold it to Sir Edmund Anderson,
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, temp.
Elizabeth. He totally demolished the church
and conventual buildings, erecting from the
material a 'very fair structure in a quadrangular
form.' The prior obtained an annuity of 20
marks. (fn. 20)
Priors of Arbury
Adam, occurs 1203 (fn. 21)
Albin, c. 1228 (fn. 22)
Hugh, occurs 1235 (fn. 23)
Simon Corbet, occurs 1282 (fn. 24)
William de Bloxham, 1315 (fn. 25) -22 (fn. 26)
John de Borebach, appointed 1322 (fn. 27)
John de Southam, appointed 1329 (fn. 28)
Robert de Merston, resigned 1379 (fn. 29)
William de Hulles, appointed 1379 (fn. 29)
John Wykeley, occurs 1417 (fn. 30)
William Cotton, appointed 1439 (fn. 31)
William Woodcock, resigned 1456 (fn. 32)
John Bromley, appointed 1456 (fn. 33)
Richard Hawford, died 1477 (fn. 34)
John Wright, appointed 1477 (fn. 34)
Thomas Hey, occurs 1480, (fn. 35) died 1484 (fn. 36)
William Cokkes, appointed 1484 (fn. 36)
Thomas Dawkins, appointed 1507 (fn. 37)
William Clement, appointed 1512 (fn. 38)
Thomas Dygle, occurs 1535 (fn. 39)