10. THE PRIORY OF HASTINGS (fn. 1)
The Austin priory of the Holy Trinity of
Hastings was founded, according to Leland, (fn. 2) by
Sir Walter Bricet in the time of Richard I; the
authority for this statement does not appear, and
while the date seems fairly correct, Walter de
Scotney seems more likely to have been the
founder. Whether he was the founder or not
Walter de Scotney certainly gave the canons the
churches of Crowhurst and Ticehurst, his gift
being ratified by Henry count of Eu, and subsequently confirmed by Walter's son Peter deScotney,
who stipulated that the priests for these churches
should be chosen, and if necessary deprived, by
the lord of Crowhurst and the canons acting in
common. (fn. 3) Peter also confirmed to them certain
lands and the tithe of all his salt. (fn. 4) These two
churches were confirmed to the priory by Bishop
Seffrid II (1180-1204), and again, with the
addition of those of Dallington, Ashburnham,
and St. Michael of Hastings, by Ralph Neville
in 1237 (fn. 5) ; but Crowhurst not long afterwards
came into the hands of the canons of the collegiate church of St. Mary in the Castle of
Hastings, the priory retaining only a pension of
4 marks. The temporal endowments of the
house were small, amounting only to £8 13s. 4d.
in 1291. (fn. 6) Licence was obtained in 1334 to
acquire lands to the value of 100s., (fn. 7) but the encroaching sea devoured their profits more rapidly
than benefactors replaced them, and in a petition
for leave to acquire lands to the amount of £15
about this period—possibly preceding the licence
given—the prior states that owing to the inundations three churches in Hastings, formerly
worth £100, are now not worth 20s. (fn. 8) The
three churches were no doubt St. Michael,
St. Peter, and St. Margaret, (fn. 9) but their original
value appears to be much exaggerated. The sea
continued to encroach until at last the priory itself
was in danger of being swept away, and Sir John
Pelham in 1413 gave them a site at Warbleton
to which Henry IV licensed them to remove; (fn. 10)
the king further gave them a grant for twenty
years of the manor of Monkencourt in Withyham, late belonging to the alien priory of
Mortain. (fn. 11) After their settlement at Warbleton
the canons were called by the title of 'the New
Priory of Hastings.'
In 1229 Gilbert of Laigle, lord of Pevensey,
wishing to found a house of religion, bestowed
lands at Michelham and elsewhere upon the
prior of Hastings to that intent; (fn. 12) the resulting
priory of Michelham does not, however, seem
to have been in any sense a cell of that of
Hastings.
Archbishop Peckham visited the priory in
1283, when the canons, disregarding their oaths,
kept back matters of importance, probably
through fear of the prior; but afterwards two
of them confessed, or rather denounced, serious
irregularities. The prior was not legitimate and
was a man of little learning; he did not sleep
with the others, came rarely to chapter, and did
not take his place with his brethren in the church.
He kept all the property of the house in his own
hands, took the side of his servants against the
canons, and oppressed the men of the neighbourhood. Further, he had made sub-prior one John
de Wepham, who stirred up strife in the house
and even drove two of his brethren out of it,
and was, moreover, known to have property and
business dealings on his own account. (fn. 13) Also the
prior wandered about the country with a single
attendant and ruled neither himself nor his
brethren rightly. (fn. 14) The archdeacon of Lewes
was ordered to inquire into the case, but the
result is not known. In 1300 the prior, John,
possibly the same whose conduct has just been
considered, was accused of dilapidation and other
offences and, evidently fearing deprivation, resigned at once without awaiting an inquiry. His
rule had so exasperated all the canons that the
archbishop feared his continuing to dwell in the
priory would lead to much unseemly strife; he,
therefore, desired that the prior might be sent
back as a simple canon to the priory of Michelham, from which he had been taken originally. (fn. 15)
In 1352 certain poor tenants of Ticehurst
brought an action against the prior of Hastings
for withdrawing an annual payment of 40s.
made in alms. He claimed that the alms had
only been given of goodwill in time past and
were not obligatory, as the priory held of the
gift of Walter de Scotney in frankalmoign;
against this the crown lawyers asserted that longcontinued custom was binding, but the final
decision is not given. (fn. 16)
When prior John Hassok resigned in 1402
Richard Weston, canon of Michelham, was
elected in his place, (fn. 17) and himself resigned in
1413, retiring to his former house, where he was
granted food, attendance and other necessaries for
the remainder of his life. (fn. 18) There were at this
time only three canons besides the prior, (fn. 19) but in
October, 1441, there were five. At this time
the house was in debt to the extent of 20 marks,
and the prior was ordered to keep the annual
expenses below £40; (fn. 20) the result was satisfactory, as by the following January the debts
were reduced to 10 marks, with good prospect of
their soon being completely cancelled. (fn. 21) At the
visitation in January, 1442, only three canons
beside the prior are mentioned; probably two
others were acting as incumbents of Ashburnham and Dallington, as was the case in 1478.
At this latter date there were considerable defects
in the fabric of the church, and it was noted
that one of the canons, Thomas Grene, vicar of
Dallington, had possession of two cups, which he
said were security for 40s. lent by him to the
prior. (fn. 22) The visitation in 1521 showed nothing
wrong except that the prior did not render
account, (fn. 23) and that of 1527 returned 'all well.' (fn. 24)
The whole tour of visitation of 1527, however,
which was held not by the bishop but by his
commissary, shows marks of having been performed with less than the usual amount of care,
and it seems possible that some offences may have
escaped notice, as the certificate of the county
commissioners in 1536, which bears every
evidence of being reliable, enters under the New
Priory of Hastings, 'Religious parsons iiij, whereof preests iij, Novises j; incont[inent] iiij.'
This certificate further mentions that the house
was 'holy in ruyne.' (fn. 25) The clear value of the
house was only £51 9s. 5½d. in 1535, and had
decreased the following year by £4 owing to incursions of the sea. (fn. 26) The movables fetched only
£88 5s. 10¾d., including £33 6s. 8d. for the
bells, £24 4s. 10¾d. for 128 oz. of silver. (fn. 27)
Thomas Harmer, the last prior, surrendered on a
pension of £6. (fn. 28)
Priors of Hastings
Jonas (fn. 29)
Nicholas, c. 1233 (fn. 30)
Alexander, occurs 1280 (fn. 31) -90 (fn. 32)
John, resigned 1300 (fn. 33)
John Longe (fn. 34)
Philip, before 1344 (fn. 35)
William de Dene, occurs 1352 (fn. 36)
John Hassok, resigned 1402 (fn. 37)
Richard Weston, elected 1402, (fn. 38) resigned
1414 (fn. 39)
Stephen Lewes, occurs 1441 (fn. 40)
John Smyth, occurs 1478, (fn. 40) died c. 1492 (fn. 42)
Thomas Harmer, occurs 1527, (fn. 42) last prior
The circular twelfth-century seal shows the
priory church, with cruciform ground-plan, central tower, thatched roof, and round-headed windows. (fn. 43)
✠ SI . . . . . . . . . . ASTINGS . . .