64. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF STEYNING
It is rather remarkable that the list of religious
foundations in England drawn up about 1200
by the chronicler Gervase, mentions only three
'decanatus' of secular canons, those namely of
St. Martin's, London, Wells, and this of Steyning.
Yet its claim to notice rests rather with its antiquity than with its size or importance, and its
history is meagre and obscure. The church and
manor of Steyning were granted to the Norman
abbey of Fécamp by Edward the Confessor, taken
from them by Harold (fn. 1) and restored by William
the Conqueror. (fn. 2) According to an inquisition
made in 1290 the church was a royal free chapel
exempt from the jurisdiction alike of the archbishop and of the bishop of Chichester, and had
so been from the time that it was bestowed upon
the abbey of Fécamp 'by King Alfred (sic),' the
abbots having cognizance of matrimonial and
similar cases by their bailiffs. (fn. 3) By 1290, apparently, the college had been dissolved and the
church appropriated to the abbey, but before
that time there were three separate portions,
or prebends, to which when vacant the abbots
appointed clerks at their pleasure, instituting
them through their bailiff without presentation
to any ordinary. (fn. 4) This exemption of the 'canons
and clergy' of Steyning from episcopal jurisdiction had been confirmed at an earlier date, (fn. 5)
apparently about 1230. (fn. 6) Possibly the collegiate
establishment may really have dated back to the
time of King Alfred, as the church of Steyning was
evidently of importance in his time, his father
Ethelwulf being buried there. (fn. 7)
In 1254 there was a dispute between the
priory of Sele and Nicholas de Plumpton and his
fellow canons of Steyning concerning tithes in
the neighbourhood of Steyning, decision (fn. 8) being
given that the tithes belonged to Sele and should
remain 'as in the time of William de Faukeham,
canon of Steyning.' This Nicholas occurs as a
canon of Steyning in 1250, when he was licensed
to hold a cure of souls with his canonry, (fn. 9) and
also in 1252, when he is termed 'provost of the
church.' (fn. 10) During the primacy of Robert Kilwardby (1272-8) the archbishop's commissioners
contrived to enter the church without the knowledge of either the abbot of Fécamp or his bailiff
and held a visitation, but a similar attempt by
the deputies of Archbishop Peckham was foiled
by the abbot's bailiff, whom Peckham excommunicated, (fn. 11) as he did also the prior of the Dominicans of Chichester, who preached at Steyning and
declared his interdict void and of none effect. (fn. 12)
This was in 1283, and, as already noticed, it
seems as if the college had been absorbed between
that date and 1290, after which year no further
reference is found to these canons.
The seal appended to the deed of 1254 is a
pointed oval; three heads in pale, with the sun
and moon on both sides in the field. Legend:—
CAPIT . CANONICORUM . DE . STANINGES