13. THE PRIORY OF WANGFORD
A small priory of Cluniac monks was founded
at Wangford, as a cell of the important priory of
Thetford, before the year 1160. There is some
confusion as to the founder and the precise date;
but from early deeds cited by Gardner it would
appear that Weever's statement as to the founder
being 'one Ansered of France' is correct. Sir
Geraline de Vernuns gave to God and the church
of St. Peter, Wangford, and the monks there
serving God, whatever his father Anteredus had
granted them, namely the church of Reydon with
the chapel of Rissemere (afterwards Southwold),
the water-mill and dam at Reydon, and an acre
of land near the dam for its repair. The witnesses show that this deed was circa 1200.
Another somewhat conflicting early charter by
Richard FitzWilliam confirms to God and St.
Mary and the monks of Thetford the gifts of his
grandfather Dodo and his father William, of the
church of St. Peter, Wangford, and the chapel
of St. Mary, Rissemere. (fn. 1)
The taxation of 1291 shows that the benefactions to the priory had been fairly numerous.
The prior held lands and rents in Wangford
and adjacent parishes of the annual value of
£12 1s. 11½d., and also a mill at 'Surgueland,'
worth 20s. a year. The spiritualities included
Reydon with its chapel, and Stoven, and these
appropriations were worth £22 a year. The
total income of the priory, exclusive of the
tithes of Wangford itself, was thus £35 1s. 11½d. (fn. 2)
An extent of the lands, tenements, churches,
rents, and other temporalities pertaining to the
priory of Wangford, taken by order of the crown
in 1370, (fn. 3) shows a slight increase of about £8,
but the Valor of 1535 showed a considerable drop
in the value of the temporalities, which only
brought in a clear annual sum of £5 5s. 7d.; the
spiritualities, however, brought the total clear income up to £30 9s. 5d. The prior then held the
rectories of Wangford, Reydon cum Southwold,
Covehithe (North Hales), and Stoven, with portions
from the churches of Stoven and Easton Bavents. (fn. 4)
The prior of Wangford was appointed by the
pope in 1226, to be a joint papal commissioner
with the great abbot of Westminster and the
archdeacon of Sudbury in an important dispute
as to the tithes of the church of Walpole. (fn. 5)
The hundred jury of 1275 declared that
William Giffard, the sheriff, had taken Reginald,
prior of Wangford, by violence from the court of
Master Philip of Wangford, contrary to peace,
had imprisoned him for a week in the castle of
Norwich, and did not release him until he had
paid an unjust fine of seven marks. (fn. 6)
The Cluniac houses were all reckoned as alien
during the wars with France, and were taken
into the hands of the crown. In October, 1307,
Edward II appointed John de Benstede and
William Inge to the custody of the lands and
possessions of the priory of Thetford, with its
cells of Wangford and Horkesley, to apply the
rents and issues to the discharge of the debts of
the house, reserving a reasonable sustenance for
the religious of the mother house and its cells. (fn. 7)
In the December of the following year protection was granted for one year to Martin, prior of
Wangford, who was going beyond the seas on
the king's service, (fn. 8) and in 1310, Prior Martin
had renewed protection granted him, as he was
staying beyond the seas on the king's service. (fn. 9)
Edward III in 1327 granted to the prior of
Wangford, amongst a large number of priors of
alien houses, the right to resume control over his
possessions, which had been taken from him by
the late king during the wars with France, saving
the advowsons of benefices, and saving also the
apport or tribute to the parent house of Cluni. (fn. 10)
Edward III took the priory of Wangford again
into his hands by reason of the war with France,
and committed the custody of it to William de
Cusance, king's clerk and treasurer, to whom, in
February, 1342, the £30 rents of this priory were
assigned, in recompense for the losses he had
sustained during the war. (fn. 11)
In November, 1393, the prior of Wangford
paid 100 marks to the crown, and obtained from
Richard II a full grant of denization, in consideration of the poverty of the priory lately committed
to his (the prior's) custody at the yearly rent of
£10, and of its being ruled henceforth by trueborn Englishmen, and that the prior had paid no
yearly pension to the king's enemies as other
alien priors had. (fn. 12)
Walter, prior of Wangford, about 1402, sued
the pope for the appropriation of the vicarage of
North Hales (Covehithe) to that priory, without
the knowledge or consent of the prior and convent of Thetford, in whose name the suit ought
to have been made, and the pope 'so far as was
in him,' appropriated the vicarage to Wangford.
The vicarage was at that time void by the resignation of one Peter Braunche, and after that resignation Henry IV presented a clerk because the priory
of Wangford had no royal licence for the appropriation, but on 18 June, 1402, the king granted
that the clerk presented was to hold the vicarage
of North Hales for this turn, but that afterwards
Thetford priory was to hold the advowson and
patronage as before, as Thetford was able to
show that Wangford was only a cell, and the
prior removable at will. (fn. 13)
The report of the visitors from Cluni as to
their houses of English foundation, drawn up
about 1405, stated that Wangford priory, a cell
of Thetford, had two daily masses, both with
song; the number of the brethren was fixed by
some at five, and by others at only four. (fn. 14)
Thomas duke of Norfolk, writing to Cromwell in March 1537, stated that the small cell
of Wangford had gone to ruin by the misuse of
those to whom it had been committed, and the
prior of Thetford had thought good to call home
his monks and let the cell to farm. He had
offered to lease it to the treasurer of the duke's
household, provided he could do so lawfully and
with Cromwell's favour. (fn. 15) In the following April,
William, prior of Thetford, wrote to Cromwell,
who had written to the prior for the assignment
of Wangford cell to one Mr. Felston, begging
the visitor general to take no displeasure, for he
and his brethren had already granted a lease to
Mr. Rouse, treasurer of the Duke of Norfolk,
their patron. (fn. 16)
The surrender of Wangford was included in
that of Thetford, which was signed on 16 February, 1539-40, as related under Thetford. (fn. 17)
The site of this priory and all its possessions
were assigned to the Duke of Norfolk on 9 July,
1540. (fn. 18)
Priors of Wangford
John, occurs 1218 (fn. 19)
William, occurs 1249 (fn. 20)
Reginald, occurs 1275 (fn. 21)
Martin, occurs 1308 (fn. 22)
Walter, occurs 1402 (fn. 23)
John, occurs 1536 (fn. 24)