65. THE PRIORY OF WILMINGTON (fn. 1)
Robert, count of Mortain, proved himself a
munificent benefactor to the abbey founded by
his father at Grestein in Normandy, and not the
least important of his donations was the grant
of the manors of Wilmington and Frog Firle in
Alfriston, which, with two hides in Beddingham
given by his wife the Countess Maud, constituted
the abbey's holding in Sussex at the time of the
Domesday Survey. To this he added a burgage
in Pevensey and forest rights in Ashdown Forest;
his son William gave other lands in Pevensey,
Jevington, Tilton, Heighton, Milton and elsewhere, fishing rights at Langney, and the churches
of Firle, East Dean, and West Dean. Amongst
other benefactors may be noticed Alvred the
count's butler, a Domesday tenant of importance
in several counties and apparently founder of the
house of Montague, who gave tithes at Charlston
in West Dean; Richard son of Haming, who gave
tithes at Exceit, Sherrington, and elsewhere, as did
Roger Marmion at Berwick, and Roger de Fraxineto at Sutton. Alvred's son William gave four
acres near the church of St. Mary of Pevensey
(i.e. Westham), and Hugh de Cahaignes another
four acres in Pevensey, and Richer of Laigle gave
lands and tithes in his lordship of Pevensey. All
these gifts were confirmed to the abbey by
Richard I in 1189. (fn. 2)
There can be little doubt that by the end of
the twelfth century the abbey of Grestein had
some kind of establishment at Wilmington, where
at least one of their monks could reside as bailiff
of their English estates, but there is no evidence
of the existence of a priory here earlier than
1243.
Meanwhile the abbey's possessions in Sussex
continued to increase, and between 1189 and
1315, (fn. 3) when they were again confirmed by the
king, lands and tithes had been obtained in Westham, Willingdon, Natwood, Hailsham, Jevington,
and the neighbouring parishes. The abbot's
temporalities in this diocese in 1291 were worth
£24 15s. (fn. 4) The frequent seizures of the priory
as an alien house during the French wars afford
a certain amount of information as to its value;
the prior of Wilmington, being the proctor of the
abbey in England, was in charge of lands in seven
counties, valued in 1370 at nearly £200, though
at this date almost all the manors outside Sussex
had been granted to 'Tideman de Lynberg' by
the king's licence, and half the manor of Jevington, as well as tithes in many places, had also
passed out of the prior's possession. (fn. 5) In 1337
the prior was ordered to pay the king £50 in
addition to the £20 which he had already paid
to be allowed to have the custody of the priory's
lands at a yearly farm of £170, (fn. 6) and these extra
payments proved so vexatious that in 1342 he
offered to pay £200 yearly instead of £170 if
he might thereby be quit of all other exactions. (fn. 7)
Mention has already been made of the gift of
the churches of Firle, East Dean, and West
Dean. The latter was granted to Richard de
Cumbe and Sybil his wife in 1200 in exchange
for the church of Friston by Robert abbot of
Grestein, (fn. 8) who at about the same time gave the
church of Firle to the bishop of Chichester on
condition that the abbots in future should be
canons holding a prebend in the church of
Chichester. This prebend was constituted by
Bishop Seffrid II out of the churches of Wilmington, Willingdon, and East Dean, (fn. 9) to which
was added Westham, bringing the value up to
55 marks. (fn. 10) The advowson of Hartfield rectory
was obtained from William Filliol in 1318, (fn. 11) and
completed the prior's spiritualities in the diocese
of Sussex.
The history of this alien house previous to its
suppression in 1414 is practically a blank. The
grant of the honour of Pevensey to John of
Gaunt in 1372 included the advowson or patronage of the priory of Wilmington. (fn. 12) When it
was seized by Richard II in 1380 the prior of
the neighbouring convent of Michelham obtained
the custody of it and its possessions, agreeing to
pay a rent of £100 to the king, another 20 marks
to the prior during his lifetime and afterwards
to the king, and to discharge the services, alms,
and works of charity customary. (fn. 13) In 1385,
however, the king bestowed the priory upon Sir
James Berners in discharge of a promised annuity
of £100, and in spite of the prior of Michelham's protest, he was put in possession, and
probably so remained until 1389, when custody
was granted to Sir Edward Dalingregge and
Thomas Wysebech, chaplain—the latter possibly
undertaking the spiritual affairs of the priory—
at a rent of 110 marks, of which 100 marks was
regranted to Sir Edward.
In 1414 Wilmington was suppressed with the
other alien houses, and its possessions granted by
Henry V to the dean and chapter of Chichester
to found a chantry for two priests for the good
of the souls of the king's parents and his servant
Nicholas Mortimer.
Priors of Wilmington
John, occurs 1243 (fn. 14)
Reynold, occurs 1270 (fn. 15)
William, occurs 1299 (fn. 16)
William, occurs 1320 (fn. 17)
William de Blainville, occurs 1338 (fn. 18)
Peter Crispyn, occurs 1341, (fn. 19) 1344 (fn. 20)
William de Banvilla, occurs 1343, (fn. 21) 1345 (fn. 22)
John Pykot, occurs 1352 (fn. 23)
John de Valle, occurs 1371 (fn. 24)
Walter Bristowe, occurs 1400 (fn. 25) -1403 (fn. 26)