14. THE PRIORY OF TORTINGTON (fn. 1)
This house of Austin canons was founded in
honour of St. Mary Magdalene before 1200 (fn. 2) by
a certain Hadwissa Corbet, (fn. 3) for whose soul the
canons caused an obit to be celebrated every
month in the cathedral of Chichester, paying
therefor to the dean and chapter 100s. yearly. (fn. 4)
Besides the church of Tortington, obtained from
the abbey of Séez, the canons held those of
Tyneham in Dorset, apparently by gift of the
founder; North Stoke, given by the earl of
Arundel, (fn. 5) who had succeeded to the patronage
of the priory in 1337, and appropriated the same
year (fn. 6) ; 'Medlers,' or Madehurst, obtained from
the priory of Lewes (fn. 7) ; and Islesham (now part
of Climping) (fn. 8) and St. Swithun's, Candlewick
Street, London, both granted by Sir Robert
Aguillon, the latter church being temporarily
seized into the king's hands and re-granted to
them through the earl of Arundel in 1379. (fn. 9)
The total value of their property in 1291 was
just under £30, (fn. 10) a sum which was trebled before
the dissolution came.
In 1331 Henry Tregoze complained that the
prior and two of his canons, with certain others,
had broken his park of Wiggonholt. (fn. 11) Irregularities of an even more serious nature were
alleged against the prior of Tortington in 1376,
when Pope Gregory XI issued a bull stating that
'on account of the evil rule of our beloved son
John Palmere—if indeed he ought to be called
"beloved,"' the priory had fallen into a bad
state and its goods had been wasted; the prior,
'careless not only of property, but also of his own
good fame,' was living dissolutely outside the
monastery, and orders were given for his trial
and deposition if guilty. (fn. 12)
It has already been noticed in the account of
Hardham that Tortington was selected as a place
of banishment for disobedient canons; it was
also chosen in 1376 as the retreat of more
worthy residents, for the earl of Arundel left
commands in his will that lands to the value of
200 marks should be given to the priory to the
intent that any chaplain of the college or chantry
which he desired to found in the castle of
Arundel who should be disabled by illness should
have his sustenance at Tortington. (fn. 13) The scheme
for the foundation of the college being changed
this was never carried out.
The prior of Tortington complained in 1402
that one of his canons had withdrawn himself
and carried off various muniments and jewels of
the house. (fn. 14) The visitation of 1478 (fn. 15) revealed
little seriously wrong, though it was noted that
the brethren were disobedient, a bad example
being set by the sacrist, Ellis Parker, who on
Relic Sunday told the prior that he committed
idolatry in honouring and worshipping relics of
saints and putting them on the high altar, and so
caused unseemly dispute, for which he was duly
penitent. It may be noted that this Ellis Parker
had a reputation outside his own monastery as a
good and religious man, the canons of Michelham
especially requesting that he might come to
them as sub-prior, which office he duly filled,
afterwards becoming prior of Pynham. It was
also mentioned that 'Faith Lucas has the office
called Day, and makes cheese and butter and
comes to the house sometimes; she is, however,
believed to be of good conversation.' The
priory appears to have been vacant in 1521, as
the visitation only names the sub-prior and two
canons (fn. 16) ; from the other visitations it seems that
there were usually five canons besides the prior,
and in 1380 there were seven. (fn. 17) The last visitation in 1527 shows the house in bad repair,
books lacking, and servants incompetent and
unskilled. (fn. 18)
Shortly before the dissolution in June, 1536,
Sir William Goryng wrote to Cromwell (fn. 19) that
he had been to Tortington Priory as ordered,
and had examined a canon, and afterwards 'all
four of them,' the result of which examination
he was sending with 'a copy of the book which
the prior did read as a prophecy.' He adds:—
I have sent you a bill in the prior's hand, sent to Sir
William Bury of Tortington, late prior of Shulbrede,
on 21st June, one day before I received your letter.
It was copied out of a book of one Mayys of Southwark, grocer, the prior's brother. Harry Rynghede,
one of the canons, told me that when the prior was
in the court, by means of my cousin Palmer, he wrote
to the said Harry to burn all such letters as his brother
May had written to him, which he did.
This reads like a case of treasonable correspondence, but no more particulars appear. The
brother referred to was probably Robert May of
Southwark, who by his will of 1536 left '2 ryalles
of golde' to his brother Thomas, prior of
St. Mary Magdalene of Tortington. (fn. 20)
The property of the priory reaching only the
clear annual value of £75 12s. 3½d. in 1535,
and £82 9s. 3½d. in a later valuation, (fn. 21) it fell
with the smaller houses, but the exact date of its
surrender is unknown. The goods of the house,
including five bells and 171 ounces of silver,
fetched £144 12s. 10½d., (fn. 22) from which £10 was
allowed to the five canons. (fn. 23) A pension of £10
was granted to the prior, and a similar amount
to a former prior, who had been living in the
priory since his resignation some years earlier. (fn. 24)
Priors Of Torington
Reyner, occurs 1230-49 (fn. 25)
Matthew, before 1263 (fn. 26)
William de Launcel (?), occurs 1278 (fn. 27)
Walter, occurs 1320, (fn. 28) 1331 (fn. 29)
William, occurs 1361 (fn. 30)
John Palmere, occurs 1376 (fn. 31)
John, occurs 1380 (fn. 32)
Robert atte Lee, occurs 1402 (fn. 33)
Thomas, occurs 1417 (fn. 34)
Robert atte Lee, died 1440 (fn. 35)
John Losecroft, elected 1440 (fn. 36)
John Page, occurs 1478 (fn. 37)
John Gregory, occurs 1524, (fn. 38) 1529
Thomas Maye, occurs 1534, (fn. 39) last prior