16. THE PRIORY OF BLYTHBURGH (fn. 1)
The real founders of the priory of the Blessed
Virgin were the abbot and canons of the important Austin house of St. Osyth, Essex.
Henry I bestowed on that abbey the tithes of
the widespread parish of Blythburgh, and here,
aided by the support of the Claverings, the lords
of the manor, a priory or dependent cell of St.
Osyth was established at an early date. (fn. 2)
Blythburgh is an instance of one of those
important cells which had a double life, being
partly independent of the mother house, but in
the main, dependent. The priory presented
to several neighbouring benefices and to one in
Norfolk, and it also possessed a good deal of
property both in spiritualities and temporalities
uncontrolled by St. Osyth's; moreover it was
subject to the visitation of the diocesan, the
Bishop of Norwich. But, although it was thus to
a certain extent conventual, the most important
function of a chapter or conventual gathering
was the choice of a superior on the occurrence
of a vacancy, and in this respect Blythburgh
was voiceless. The appointment of the prior
always rested with the abbot and convent of St.
Osyth's, though in the formal presentation to the
bishop, the lord of Blythburgh, as lay patron of
the priory, was always associated with the abbot. (fn. 3)
Moreover the prior and his two canons were
always expected to attend the visitations of
St. Osyth whenever they were held by the Bishops
of London or their commissaries; they also took
part in the election of an abbot over the mother
house.
The elaborate charter of confirmation granted
to the priory by Richard I recites all their benefactions up to that date. It makes no reference
to the mother house of St. Osyth's. (fn. 4)
The Taxation Roll of Pope Nicholas (1291),
about a century later, shows that the priory had
gained several small benefactions during that
period. The house held lands or rents in about
forty Suffolk parishes, as well as in Great Yarmouth, yielding an annual total of £36 3s. 1½d.
Of this sum £20 19s. 6½d. came from Blythburgh and Walberswick. In addition to this
there were the then appropriated churches of
Bramfield, Wenhaston, and Blyford, which
yielded collectively £23 6s. 4d. (fn. 5) Moreover the
appropriate tithes of Blythburgh-cum-Walberswick were omitted in that list, but shortly
afterwards taxed as of the annual worth of
£28 6s. 8d.; (fn. 6) so that by the end of the thirteenth century the priory was worth the fairly
large annual sum of £88 6s. 1½d., though the
total would be considerably reduced by a variety
of outgoings.
John Fovas, vicar of Claxton, and Henry
Brid of Halesworth had licence in 1345 to
alienate to the priory 61 acres of land and
3 acres of pasture in Spexhall, Westhall, Thornton,
and Blythburgh, towards the support of a chaplain to celebrate weekly in the priory church for
the souls of Henry de Harnhull, and his father,
mother, and ancestors. (fn. 7) The priory obtained
licence in 1347 to appropriate the church of
Thorington, which was of its advowson. (fn. 8)
The value of the property pertaining to the
priory suffered severely from the Black Death of
1349, and never recovered from the deterioration
that then ensued. There was also much loss
experienced from the sea encroachments at
Dunwich and on the coast line of Blythburgh
parish.
The Valor of 1535 gives the annual value of
the temporalities as £28 13s. 4d., but the outgoings brought the clear value down to
£22 14s. 4d. The spiritualities or tithes of
the parishes of Blythburgh-cum-Walberswick,
Bramfield, Thorington, and Blyford were then
worth £28 a year; but from this deductions of
over £6 had to be made for pensions to the
abbot of St. Osyth and the prior of St. Bartholomew, Smithfield, as well as for procurations
and synodals. The clear total value of the
priory was thus reduced to £48 8s. 10d.
The office of prior, notwithstanding its dependent position on St. Osyth, was esteemed a
position of some importance. Thus in 1217,
Pope Honorius III considered the prior of Blythburgh to be a sufficiently noteworthy person
to be associated with the abbots of Sibton
and Leiston in a commission appointed to
report as to the conduct of Peter, archdeacon of
Lincoln. (fn. 9)
Whatever may have been the number of the
canons of this house prior to the Black Death,
they do not seem to have ever exceeded a total
of four, including the superior, at subsequent
dates. In 1473 there were three canons and a
prior; for in that year John Woley of Blythburgh left 40s. to the prior and convent, viz.,
20s. to the prior, and 6s. 8d. to each canon. (fn. 10)
The injunctions consequent on a visitation in
1308 enjoined on the abbot and convent of
St. Osyth to be careful in the election of canons
suitable to be sent to Blythburgh. (fn. 11) In 1317,
when the commissary of the dean and chapter of
St. Paul's was holding a visitation at St. Osyth,
sede vacante, certain irregularities at the cell of
Blythburgh were condemned. (fn. 12) The prior of
Blythburgh and his canons attended at the election of an abbot of St. Osyth by scrutiny in
1427, when four were present from Blythburgh. (fn. 13)
The several sixteenth-century diocesan visitations of this priory show that the number of the
religious was then four. The house was in debt,
and the old chapter-house had disappeared.
Blythburgh was visited by the suffragan Bishop
of Chalcedon and other commissaries of the
diocesan in 1520, when the prior and brethren
assembled in a certain chapel of the conventual
church which they used as a chapter-house.
They were severally examined as to the state of
the house and the essentials of religion, and their
answers were in every way satisfactory. (fn. 14)
Bishop Nykke visited in person in June, 1526.
Prior John Righton, Thomas Chapet, sub-prior,
and three other canons attended. All made
satisfactory replies save Robert Francis, who
said they had given up the singing of mass, and
complained that the prior was too lenient in
correction towards those he favoured, but cruel
and severe towards those whom he disliked. (fn. 15)
The bishop again visited Blythburgh in July,
1532, when Prior Righton stated that the house
was in debt to the amount of £30, of which
£10 was due to the bishop. The three brethren,
on examination, stated that they knew of nothing
worthy of reformation. (fn. 16)
Between the two visits of Bishop Nykke this
priory narrowly escaped dissolution. It was
included in the bull of Pope Clement, granted
to Cardinal Wolsey in 1528, among minor
houses to be suppressed in favour of his proposed college at Ipswich, which was never
carried out. (fn. 17)
On 6 October, 1534, the priory's acceptance
of the supremacy of Henry VIII was signed by
John Righton the prior, and by John Baker,
George Thurstan, and Robert Sprot, the three
canons.
Although strictly speaking Blythburgh priory,
as a cell of St. Osyth's, did not come under the
act for the suppression of the smaller monasteries,
it was placed in that category, and the suppression was carried out on 12 February, 1537. (fn. 18)
In the previous August an inventory of the
priory's goods had been drawn up by the three
suppression commissioners for Suffolk. The
priory was in a somewhat poor plight even for a
small house; the total value was only £8 2s. 8d.,
including 40s. for five horses and an old cart.
All the vestments in the vestry were valued at
36s. 6d. There were two silver chalices with
patens and a cross of copper gilt. The contents
of the house were apportioned between the
kitchen, pantry, hall, and parlour, and there is
certainly no sign of luxurious living. (fn. 19)
On 29 February, 1537, a pension of £6 was
assigned to John Righton the ex-prior; and the
three canons were turned out penniless. (fn. 20)
The house, site, and all the possessions of the
priory were originally granted by the crown to
Walter Wadelond, of Needham Market, for
twenty-one years, at a rental of £59 9s., and in
November, 1548, the reversion was granted to
Sir Arthur Hopton. (fn. 21)
Priors of Blythburgh
Nicholas (fn. 22)
Thomas (fn. 23)
Osbert (fn. 24)
Roger (fn. 25)
Richard (fn. 26)
Elias (fn. 27)
Wyth (fn. 28)
Guy, occurs 1200, &c. (fn. 29)
William, occurs 1260, &c. (fn. 30)
Adam, occurs 1290 and 1294 (fn. 31)
Alexander de Donewych, appointed 1310 (fn. 32)
Nicholas de Daggeworth, appointed 1332 (fn. 33)
John de Norton, appointed 1361 (fn. 34)
Walter de Stanstede, appointed 1371 (fn. 35)
John de Alveley, appointed 1374 (fn. 36)
William de Wykeham, appointed 1382 (fn. 37)
Lawrence de Brysete, 1395 (fn. 38)
John Hydyngham (Hethyngham), appointed
1395 (fn. 39)
John Lacy, appointed 1418 (fn. 40)
Thomas Hadley, resigned 1427 (fn. 41)
Roger Okham, appointed 1427 (fn. 42)
William Kent, appointed 1431 (fn. 43)
John Sompton, died 1483 (fn. 44)
John Newton, appointed 1483 (fn. 45)
John Brandon, appointed 1497 (fn. 46)
John Marham, appointed 1500 (fn. 47)
Robert Park, appointed 1506 (fn. 48)
John Righton, appointed 1521 (fn. 49)
An impression of the common seal of the
priory is attached to the acknowledgement of the
supremacy at the Public Record Office. It is
of large oval shape, and bears the Blessed Virgin,
with sceptre in right hand, and Holy Child on
left knee, with the legend:—
SIGILLUM . SANCTE . MARIE . DE . BLIEBURGH