42. THE PRIORY OF WOLSTON
The small alien priory of Wolfricheston or
Wolston, pertaining to the Benedictine abbey of
St. Pierre-sur-Dive, in the diocese of Sées, was
founded soon after the Conquest. The diligence
of Dugdale failed to find any exact account of
its foundation; (fn. 1) but the original archives of the
abbey have been searched by Mr. Round with
the result that Hubert Boldran is established as
the founder. Between the years 1086 and 1194,
with the consent of his wife Aeliz, he gave to
God and St. Mary of St. Pierre-sur-Dive the
church of Wolston in free alms for ever, together
with all its privileges and appurtenances, and two
hides of land quit of all secular dues, with rights
of common in plain and wood, in meadow and
pasture. He also gave them the church of
St. Peter of 'Ledleford' (Church Lawford),
with its tithes and a hide of land. (fn. 2)
In 1226 the abbot and convent of St. Pierresur-Dive granted the church (rectory) of Wolston
to the prior and convent of Tutbury for a payment of £10 a year. (fn. 3) But the patronage of
the vicarage of Wolston remained in the monks'
hands. The proctor of St. Pierre presented to
the vicarage in 1300; the prior of Wolston, in
1317; and the king by reason of his holding
the alien priory during the war, in 1357.
Edward II, in consideration of a certain rent
to be paid into the Exchequer, suffered the prior
of Wolston to have custody of his cell during
the king's pleasure whilst the war should last.
When Edward III came to the throne this prior,
in conjunction with many other superiors of
alien houses, craved restitution of lands, goods,
chattels, and advowsons, together with pardon
for arrears of rent due to his predecessor. The
prayer was for the time granted. (fn. 4)
The priory was, however, ere long again in
the hands of the crown. Edward III, on
3 August, 1337, suffered the prior to retain
charge of this alien house, but he was to pay
annually to the crown £15, and 5 marks
additional for the custody. On 28 August the
sheriff of Warwickshire was directed to obtain
these sums from the prior, or on refusal to distrain on the priory's goods and chattels and arrest
the prior. (fn. 5)
Shortly afterwards, the rent due to the crown
being in arrear, the king committed the custody
of the priory to Roger de Gray and Henry
Arderne. The prior humbly asked for a sufficient maintenance, and the sum of 3s. a week
was assigned to him. As there was no request
nor grant for any allowance for a fellow monk,
it may be assumed that the prior was then the
only religious occupant of this cell. (fn. 6)
Some time before 1357 a new arrangement
had been made, and the then prior of Wolston
again had the custody on paying £20 yearly to
the Exchequer; but being in that year in difficulties, Edward III agreed to lessen the rent by
10 marks a year for three years. (fn. 7)
An extent of the priory's property in 1380
gave the annual value as £28 9s.; out of which
the prior paid 60s. to the vicar of Wolston, to
be used in alms; 7s. for procuration, and half a
mark as an annual pension to the prior of Kenilworth. (fn. 8)
An inquisition of 1388 returned the value at a
much higher rate, namely £43 0s. 5d.; but this
total included the value of the grain and goods
then at the priory (£8 8s. 4d.), in addition to the
annual value of the tithes, lands, and rents. The
jury found that the hall, stable, grange, and barn
had become much dilapidated, whilst Nicholas
Cheryton, a monk of Westminster, farmed the
rectory, and that it would cost £10 to make
them good. (fn. 9)
On 10 December, 1394, the abbot and convent of St. Pierre-sur-Dive concluded a sale of
this priory and its possessions (including the advowsons of Wolston and Lawford, Warwickshire,
Potterspury, Northamptonshire, and 'Homton
Ozehell,' Leicestershire) to the newly established
house of Carthusians at Coventry, for the sum of
2,400 francs in good gold of French coin. In
this covenant the abbey set forth that by reason
of the wars and distance of the place they had
not received any benefit from this cell for fifty
years; that their charges in sending over always
exceeded their profit; and that even if there was
abiding peace between France and England the
profits would only admit of their sending over
one religious person to reside at the priory. (fn. 10)