15. THE PRIORY OF RANTON
The priory of Ranton was founded about the mid
12th century by Robert fitz Noel of Ellenhall, (fn. 1) whose
father had been granted Ranton in fee by Nicholas
de Stafford. (fn. 2) The foundation charter (fn. 3) refers to the
house as St. Mary des Essarz, an indication that the
house was established on assarted land. Besides the
site Robert fitz Noel gave 8 virgates of land in
'Cuccessone' (perhaps Cooksland in Seighford) and
the mill of Coton Clanford (in Seighford), both free
of secular service, with another virgate in Coton
Clanford held by 'castle service'. The foundation
charter states that the canons of Ranton were living
'under the rule and obedience' of Haughmond
Abbey (Salop.), and this helps to fix the date of
foundation. Ranton must have been founded after
the establishment of the mother-house at Haughmond (between 1130 and 1138) (fn. 4) and by 1166 when
some of the witnesses to the foundation charter were
dead. (fn. 5) The founder subsequently increased the
endowment of his priory by giving the church of
Seighford with its dependent chapels of Ranton,
Ellenhall, and Derrington ('Doddington') and the
church of Grandborough (Warws.). (fn. 6) For some
unknown reason the little Suffolk priory of Bricett
sued Haughmond in the later 12th century for its
daughter-house of Ranton and was paid 40s. to remit
its claim. (fn. 7)
The founder's son, Thomas Noel, added land in
Bridgeford (in Seighford), Ranton, and Coton
Clanford and arranged to be buried in the priory. (fn. 8)
The land in Bridgeford, however, was detained by
his daughter and coheir, Alice, and her husband,
William de Harcourt. Eventually, in her widowhood,
Alice regranted this land to the priory with her own
body for burial and added more land from her
demesne of Seighford. (fn. 9) Richard de Harcourt of
Great Sheepy (Leics.) gave the priory 9 virgates of
land in Great Sheepy with fishing rights and 2s. rent
from his mill there; this property was the priory's
most important temporal estate outside Staffordshire. (fn. 10)
Other benefactions included a virgate of land in
Stockton (in Longford, Salop.) given by Richard de
Stockton in the later 12th century; (fn. 11) a grant in 1221
by Bishop Cornhill of 120 acres of waste land in his
manor of Eccleshall for an annual rent of 6s. 8d.; (fn. 12)
and several grants from successive heads of the
Knightley family in the late 12th and earlier 13th
centuries. The Knightley grants included quarrying
rights in Knightley manor (in Gnosall), right of way
over the family lands between the priory and its
granges, and 'the spring of Witewell'. (fn. 13) Later in the
13th century the priory inscribed in its martyrology
the name of Richard of Flashbrook, a benefactor
and the son of a benefactor; the canons promised to
observe his anniversary like that of one of their own
community and contributed 40s. for the redemption
of his lands under the terms of the Dictum of
Kenilworth of 1266. (fn. 14) By about this time a hospital
of St. Anne had been established within the priory
precincts, and Richard of Flashbrook was among its
benefactors. (fn. 15) Between at least 1255 and 1290 the
priory was much involved in protracted disputes
with the Doyly family, lords of Ranton, (fn. 16) over 'lands,
rights of pasture, and various injuries'. Part of the
trouble may have been due to the inevitable
obscurities of title following clearance of waste in
the area, but other matters in dispute included the
private chapel of the Doyly family and the evidently
extensive watercourses which connected with the
priory's mills and fishponds. (fn. 17) By 1291 the priory
had acquired a temporal estate in Grandborough
parish which was distinct from the appropriated
church. (fn. 18)
The priory may have had fairly widespread
commercial interests in the later 13th century.
During this period the burgesses of Stafford admitted the canons to all the 'liberties and free
customs' of the borough, (fn. 19) while the priory was
given a house 'in the new market of Newcastleunder-Lyme'. (fn. 20) A burgage and land in Newport
(Salop.) were also acquired, some of the property
having formerly belonged to William Randolf, a
prominent merchant of the town. (fn. 21) The acquisitions
in Newport, which lies on the road from central
Staffordshire to Wales, may have been connected
with the priory's development of commercial
interests in Wales. About this time Griffith ap
Gwenwynwyn (d. 1286), lord of Southern Powys,
gave the priory quittance of tolls in his markets, a
grant which was confirmed by his son Owen (d.
1293). (fn. 22)
The most important development in the early
history of the house was its emancipation from
Haughmond. The priory's observance of 'the rule of
Haughmond' is mentioned in a charter of Archbishop Baldwin (1184-90). (fn. 23) A charter of Archbishop
Hubert (1193-1205) notes that Ranton was subject
to Haughmond. (fn. 24) This latter charter may have been
occasioned by some friction between Ranton and
the mother-house, and an undated agreement
between the houses (fn. 25) perhaps belongs to the
following years. The canons of Ranton were
evidently held to be canons of the mother-house,
for they were to participate in the election of abbots
of Haughmond. The abbot was to visit Ranton at
least once a year. The canons of Ranton, however,
were empowered to admit new members to their
community, though all were to profess obedience to
the Abbot of Haughmond. When the priorate of
Ranton fell vacant, the canons were to present one
of their brethren and another from Haughmond to
the abbot, who was to make the final choice. This
settlement was clearly a compromise. It suggests
that Ranton was larger than most cells of the order
in this country but that it was by no means independent. A further dispute between Ranton and
Haughmond occurred, and the matter was referred
to papal delegates who in turn referred it to the
bishop and his advisers. A final settlement was
reached in 1247. Ranton was to have complete
independence from Haughmond in all matters
spiritual and temporal, but a 'customary payment'
of 100s. was to be made to Haughmond each year. (fn. 26)
It is not clear how these events affected the rights
of the Harcourt family who in 1209 possessed what
was described as the advowson of Ranton. (fn. 27) The
family, however, evidently exercised the right of
confirming elections throughout the rest of the
priory's history. (fn. 28)
The Taxation of 1291 gives Ranton's total income
as £59 14s. The temporal income was £26 7s. 4d.;
all the property from which this was derived lay
within the county except for estates at Great Sheepy
and Grandborough. (fn. 29) Spiritual property was worth
£33 6s. 8d. which derived from the appropriated
churches of Grandborough (£20) and Seighford
(£13 6s. 8d.). (fn. 30)
By the early 14th century the priory had acquired
lands at Knighton, Flashbrook, and Batchacre (all
in Adbaston), and at Milwich. Granges at some
distance from the priory had also been established
by the same date: Hewall Grange (in Dilhorne) and
Oldhall Grange (in Caverswall). In 1313 the king
granted the priory free warren in its demesne lands
in these places and at Ranton, Seighford, and Ellenhall. (fn. 31) In 1320 the bishop ordained a vicarage for the
priory's church of Seighford (fn. 32) and in the following
year reconstituted the vicarage of the appropriated
church of Grandborough. (fn. 33) In the 1330s the priory
was granted licences to acquire property in Dilhorne,
Stafford, Apeton (now in Church Eaton), and
Hadnall (Salop.). (fn. 34)
The internal life of the priory in the 14th century
was somewhat turbulent. In 1325 the bishop wrote
to the prior that a brother of the house, John de
Dumpelton, when absent in charge of its goods, had
put off clerical garb and resumed that of a layman.
The prior was to admonish him to seek a papal
dispensation from the major excommunication
which he had incurred. (fn. 35) A little later the bishop
ordered that John should be transferred to Burscough Priory (Lancs.) where he was to be maintained on a diet of bread, ale, and vegetables. (fn. 36)
About 1357 there was violent opposition to the
bishop when he tried to carry out a visitation of the
priory. In that year he secured the issue of a
commission of oyer and terminer to hear his
complaint that during his attempted visitation he
had been attacked by John, son of Robert de
Knightley, and others. The bishop's attackers had
planned to prevent him from exercising his jurisdiction, besieging him and his men in the priory so
that none of them dared to come out of it to buy
food or other necessities. Afterwards the malefactors
had withdrawn into a wood and ambushed the bishop
as he was going to his manor of Haywood. It was
claimed that without the aid of the men of the
neighbourhood the bishop would have been killed.
As it was he had been robbed and one of his servants
had been assaulted. (fn. 37)
In 1372 the king revoked orders committing the
priory and its possessions to the sheriff and William
de Halughton. (fn. 38) It is not clear what lay behind this,
but it may have been financial mismanagement. The
priory then seems to have tried to augment its
resources by farming the property of alien priories
which were in the king's hands as a result of the
war with France. In 1386 Geoffrey Stafford, canon
of Ranton, was granted the custody of Alberbury
Priory (Salop.). (fn. 39) Soon afterwards Geoffrey was
removed from the custody — fraudulently, as it was
said. In 1388, however, his restitution to the custody
was ordered for the duration of the war; the yearly
rent was 20 marks. (fn. 40) In 1390 Geoffrey was accused
of dilapidations and waste, (fn. 41) and by 1392 Alberbury
had passed to other hands. (fn. 42) Geoffrey, however,
became joint keeper of the priories of Lapley and of
Modbury (Devon) and was also a collector of a
clerical tenth. (fn. 43)
It may also have been financial considerations
which led the priory to serve the church of Seighford
by one of its own brethren: John Cheswardine, a
canon, was vicar there from 1369 to 1375 and was
succeeded by a fellow canon, John of Woollaston. (fn. 44)
To what extent this practice was recent is uncertain,
but it evidently continued: in 1414 John Wilde, a
canon of Ranton, resigned the vicarage and was
succeeded by his fellow canon, Thomas Halfhide. (fn. 45)
A visitation of 1518 shows one of the canons as
serving the church of Seighford, (fn. 46) and in 1530
Bishop Blythe refused to institute a canon of Ranton
to Seighford because he was 'unlearned and
unworthy'. (fn. 47) In 1401, again perhaps for financial
reasons, the priory appropriated the endowed
vicarage of its church of Grandborough. (fn. 48)
The community (including the prior) numbered
six in 1377 and seven in 1381. (fn. 49) Visitations of 1518,
1521, and 1524 show a community of six, said by
one of the brethren to be the full complement. (fn. 50) The
income of the house was not given, but the priory
was free from debt; the prior stated in 1518 that 20
marks received from Edward Davenport pro
liberatura sua had been spent on lead for the house.
The prior also complained in 1518 of the low
standard of observance on the part of three of the
canons; two of these, Robert Parker and Humphrey
Huett, had each fathered a child. The brethren were
in the habit of leaving the priory without permission,
particularly in order to hunt. The visitor ordered the
prior on pain of deprivation to report the incorrigible brethren to the bishop or chancellor so that
they could be transferred. The prior had also
complained that one of the canons went to confession only once a year, (fn. 51) and the visitor ordered
the brethren to confess at least twice a week. The
1521 visitation shows that no transfers had taken
place although Huett was still leading an irregular
life. The subprior complained that silence was not
properly observed. By 1524 Huett had left for
Rome, and the only complaint was from the subprior
who alleged the continued breaking of silence.
The valuation of 1535 gives the priory's gross
annual income as £102 11s. 1d. The gross temporal
income was £56 9s. 7d. a year, almost all the property
being in Staffordshire. Deductions, including a fee
of £2 to the chief steward, Sir John Harcourt,
amounted to £5 15s. 4d. The spiritualities produced
a gross income of £46 1s. 6d. a year. Deductions,
including the annual pension of 100s. to Haughmond Abbey, amounted to £6 12s. 102/3d. (fn. 52) The gross
annual value of the priory property as listed in 1537
after it had passed to the Crown (fn. 53) was £117 3s. 9d.
About half of this income was derived from the
spiritual endowments, which consisted of the
appropriated churches of Ellenhall, Seighford,
Ranton, and Grandborough and tithes at 'Bircheford' (in Church Eaton). The temporal property
consisted of the manor of Great Sheepy; Hethcote (fn. 54) and Clanford Granges (both in Seighford),
Knighton, Ellerton, and Batchacre Granges (all in
Adbaston), Hewall Grange, and Oldhall Grange;
lands and rents in Ranton, Seighford, Bridgeford,
Ellenhall, Dilhorne, Grandborough, and Woolscot
and Walcote (both in Grandborough); and many
small properties and rents (whose combined annual
value did not reach £10) in Apeton, Aston (in
Seighford), Cowley (in Gnosall), Gnosall, Billington
(in Bradley), Orslow (in Church Eaton), Adbaston, (fn. 55)
Stafford, Knightley, Haughton, Eccleshall, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Whitgreave (in St. Mary's,
Stafford), 'Launde' (fn. 56) Offley, (fn. 57) Stockton, Walford
(in Standon), Milwich, Wood Eaton (in Church
Eaton), Newport, and Nantwich (Ches.).
Ranton came within the terms of the Act of 1536
for dissolving the lesser monasteries, and a scramble
for its possessions ensued. (fn. 58) On 2 April 1536 Sir
Simon Harcourt wrote to Cromwell: (fn. 59) 'I beg you
will be a mediator to the king for me, that the house
may continue, and he shall have £100 and you
£100 if you can accomplish it, and £20 fee out of
the said house. If the king is determined to dissolve
it I desire to have it as it adjoins such small lands as
I have in that country, and I and my heirs will pay
so much as the rent of assize cometh to and give
you 100 marks.' On the 27th of the same month
Henry, Lord Stafford, wrote to Cromwell begging
'the farm of the abbey of Ranton if it be dissolved;
it is within four miles of my house and reaches my
park pale, and I will give as much for it as any
man . . . I heard that George Blount endeavours to
obstruct my suit'. The next day Lord Stafford
wrote to the Earl of Westmorland urging his claim
against Blount's but intimating his willingness to
take White Ladies (in Boscobel, Salop.) instead. (fn. 60)
In May Richard Cromwell wrote to him: 'As to the
abbey you wrote about my uncle says that he will
not fail to obtain it for you when the surveying of
the abbeys is at an end.' (fn. 61) A further begging letter
from Lord Stafford followed on 12 March 1537,
stating that the commissioners were due in Stafford
the next Sunday and urging his claims against those
of Harcourt: 'I have 12 children and my living £40
a year less than it has been.' (fn. 62) But his importunity
was in vain. The house was dissolved, and in
November the site was leased to Harcourt for 21
years. In 1538 the Crown sold it to John Wiseman
and his wife, who soon afterwards exchanged it with
Harcourt for the manor of St. Mary Hoo (Kent). (fn. 63)
The prior was receiving a pension of 20 marks at his
death in 1555 at Seighford. (fn. 64)
The chief remains of the monastic buildings are a
fine western tower of the 14th century, which is
intact, and a portion of the adjoining south wall of the
church. References in 1663 to 'the cloister at Ranton
Abbey', 'the great chamber window', and 'another
chamber window' (fn. 65) indicate that other parts of the
priory were then still standing.
Priors
Ralph. (fn. 66)
O., occurs at some time probably between 1198
and 1203. (fn. 67)
Alfred, occurs 1221 and 1247. (fn. 68)
Gilbert, occurs 1253 and 1267. (fn. 69)
Thomas, occurs 1272 and 1279. (fn. 70)
Peter. (fn. 71)
Thomas of Evesham, occurs 1293 and 1298. (fn. 72)
Henry de Tywe, occurs 1301 and 1313. (fn. 73)
Robert de Bradele, appointed 1326, probably died
1349. (fn. 74)
Richard of Milwich, elected 1349, died 1359. (fn. 75)
John Harcourt, elected 1359, resigned by 1372. (fn. 76)
John of Eccleshall, occurs 1372, died 1380. (fn. 77)
Thomas de Went, elected 1380, died by March
1413. (fn. 78)
John Bukenale, elected 1413, resigned 1433. (fn. 79)
John Bromley, elected 1433, appointed Prior of
Arbury 1456. (fn. 80)
Roger Beche, elected 1456. (fn. 81)
Thomas Sutton, probably occurs 1480. (fn. 82)
John Welynton, occurs 1488, resigned 1490. (fn. 83)
Roger Smyth, appointed 1490, elected Abbot of
Dorchester about 1510. (fn. 84)
Thomas Alton, elected 1511, prior at the dissolution in 1537. (fn. 85)
Three seals of the house are known. The first, (fn. 86)
a common seal in use in the 13th century, is a
pointed oval about 2½ by 15/8 in. It depicts the Virgin
seated with the Child in her lap; the Child's hand is
raised in blessing. Legend, lombardic:
... IE [DE] RAN ...
The second, (fn. 87) also a common seal, is a pointed
oval about 23/8 by 1¾ in. It depicts the Virgin crowned and seated on a panelled and canopied throne,
with the Child on her left knee; in the base is
a trefoil. Legend, lombardic:
... CAP ... [M]ARIE DE RON ...
The third, (fn. 88) in use in the 16th century, is a seal ad
causas. It is a pointed oval 2½ by 1½ in. and depicts
the Virgin crowned and seated on a panelled and
canopied throne with the Child on her left knee; in
the base is a cinquefoil. Legend, lombardic:
SIGILLUM SANCTE MARIE DE [R]ANTONE AD
CAUSAS