HOUSES OF AUSTIN CANONS
15. THE PRIORY OF ALNESBOURN
At Alnesbourn or Albourn, near the river
between St. Clement's, Ipswich and Nacton, in
the ancient parish of Hallowtree, was one of the
smallest of the several small Austin priories of
Suffolk. This house, dedicated in honour of
the Blessed Virgin, was probably founded by
Albert de Neville; at all events he endowed the
priory early in the thirteenth century, with the
manor that bore his name in the parish of Hethill,
and also with the advowson of Carlton St. Mary. (fn. 1)
It is stated in a certificate of the year as to the
diminution of the profits of the churches of Alnesbourn and Carlton St. Mary that those two
rectories were appropriated to this priory in the
year 1247. (fn. 2)
The taxation roll of 1291 gives a total annual
value of £71 1s. 1½d. to the temporalities of this
priory, all in the county of Suffolk; the largest
item was for rents and lands in Hallowtree
valued at £2 11s. 9d. a year; there were
also small rents from the Ipswich parishes of
St. Clement, St. Matthew, St. Nicholas, and
St. Margaret. (fn. 3)
Robert de Belstede and Robert de Thweyte
obtained licence in 1301 to alienate to the
priory the advowson of the church of Halghtree
or Hallowtree, with two acres of land in that
town, (fn. 4) and in 1334 licence was granted for
the appropriation of the church. (fn. 5)
Before 1324 the priory of Alnesbourn held
the church of St. Mary, Carlton, county Norfolk, appropriated to them. It was served by a
stipendiary chaplain, but was conveyed in 1324
by the priory to the master and brethren of St.
Giles' Hospital, Norwich. (fn. 6)
In 1391 Robert Bretenham, prior of Alnesbourn,
held Neville's manor, Hethill, as half a fee, and paid
£5 for a relief as his predecessors had done, and
was taxed at £3 5s. 5d. for his temporalities. (fn. 7)
This manor was sold in 1424 by the priory to
John duke of Norfolk, Walter bishop of Norwich, and others, and by them conveyed to the
hospital of St. Giles, Norwich. (fn. 8)
Soon after this date, the exact year has not
been ascertained, the priory of Alnesbourn
ceased to have an independent existence, and
was united to the Austin house of Woodbridge. (fn. 9)
The Valor of 1535 gives the annual value of
this priory, under the heading of Woodbridge
Priory, as £7 13s. 11d. (fn. 10)
Priors of Alnesbourn
Robert, occurs 1286 (fn. 11)
Walter de Cretynge, appointed 1311 (fn. 12)
John de Stoke, died 1345 (fn. 13)
John de Fynyngham, appointed 1345 (fn. 14)
Robert Snyt, appointed 1350 (fn. 15)
John de Louder, appointed 1350 (fn. 16)
Robert Bretenham, occurs 1391 (fn. 17)
Richard Susanne, appointed 1392 (fn. 18)
John Turnour, occurs 1424 (fn. 19)