22. THE PRIORY OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL, IPSWICH
The priory of St. Peter and St. Paul was
established in the parish of St. Peter, Ipswich, for
Austin canons about the end of the reign of
Henry II. It is said to have been founded by
the ancestors of Thomas Lacy and Alice his
wife; (fn. 1) but the crown claimed the patronage as
early as the reign of Henry III, and continued
to issue a congè d'èlire on vacancies down to its
suppression.
Very little is known of its early history.
The gift of Letheringham, early in the
thirteenth century, and the establishment of a
small cell of this house, is described under
Letheringham priory.
From the taxation roll of 1291 we find that
it was then in possession of a considerable income. It held the appropriation of the Ipswich
churches of St. Peter, St. Nicholas, and
St. Clement, and also the rectories of Cretingham and Wherstead, and a portion of Swineland;
the annual total of the spiritualities was £36 10s.
The temporalities in lands and rents, chiefly
in Ipswich and the suburbs, amounted to
£45 17s. 5d. a year, giving a total income of
£82 7s. 5d. (fn. 2)
A grant was made 15 February, 1289, to the
sub-prior and convent of the church of SS. Peter
and Paul, for a fine of £10, of the custody of
their house during voidance. John de Ipswich,
a canon of the church, had brought word to
Westminster in the previous week of the resignation of William de Secheford, their prior.
Licence was obtained for a new election, and
the assent of the crown to the election of John
de St. Nicholas was forwarded to the bishop on
5 May. (fn. 3)
Licence was obtained by the prior in 1303 to
enclose, with the assent of Hugh Haraud, a void
plot of land, six perches long by three broad, a
little distance from the priory, together with an
adjoining road, to build on the same for the
enlargement of the priory, on condition that a
like road was made on their own adjacent
ground. (fn. 4) The priory obtained licence in 1320
to acquire lands in mortmain to the annual
value of £10; in the same year they had benefactions to the annual value of 41s. 4d. a year. (fn. 5)
In 1329 the priory obtained further grants,
under this licence, of the annual value of 55s. (fn. 6)
Robert Bishop, at the request of Edward I, had
obtained sustenance for life at this priory; and
on his death Edward II had made a like grant to
Gerard de Cessons of sustenance fit for a man of
gentle birth, adding that Nicholaa, Gerard's
wife, should receive the same for her life if she
survived her husband. Edward III, in 1330,
granted to the priory that, after the death of
their pensioners Gerard and Nicholaa, the house
should not be further burdened by the crown
after that fashion. (fn. 7)
Thomas de Lacy and Alice his wife obtained
licence in 1344 to alienate to this priory land at
Duxford, Cambridgeshire, and the advowson of
the church of St. John Baptist of that town, for
the celebration in that church of masses for their
souls and their ancestors; the licence also
authorized the appropriation of Duxford church
to the priory. (fn. 8)
The priory paid in 1392 for licence to accept,
from Roger de Wolferston and others, considerable benefactions in lands at Thurlston and
other places, to find a canon-regular to celebrate
daily in their church for the souls of Thomas
Harold and John de Claydon. (fn. 9)
Archdeacon Goldwell visited this priory as
commissary of his brother the bishop in January,
1493, but no particulars were recorded in the
register. (fn. 10) The next recorded visitation is that
by the vicar-general on behalf of Bishop Nykke,
in August, 1514. Prior Godwyn presented his
accounts from the time of his appointment, but
not as an inventory; he complained that the
brethren did not duly rise for mattins. John
Laurence, who was serving the church of
St. Nicholas, Ipswich, said that the brethren
were disobedient in not rising for mattins.
Geoffrey Barnes, who served the church of
St. Peter, considered that everything was well
and laudably done. William Browne complained that the foundation of a chantry within
the church of St. Peter was not observed, that
the brethren did not have their usual pension and
that there was no schoolmaster. There were
other complaints as to the absence of a schoolmaster, and as to comparatively small matters,
such as no lunch (jentacula) in the morning.
Nine canons were examined, in addition to the
prior. The injunctions of the vicar-general
ordered the canons to rise for mattins and to be
obedient to the prior, and the prior to provide a
chest with three locks for the custody of the seal
before Michaelmas, and a teacher in grammar for
the canons. (fn. 11)
A visitation was held on 2 August, 1520, by
the Bishop of Chalcedon and Dr. Cappe, as the
diocesan's commissaries, but no particulars are
recorded. (fn. 12) The next visitation was held by
Bishop Nykke in July, 1526. William Brown,
the prior, four canons, and two novices were
examined, all of whom reported omnia bene.
The bishop found nothing worthy of reformation, but he enjoined the providing of a preceptor
to teach the novices in grammar. (fn. 13)
When Wolsey formed his design in 1527 for
the establishment of Cardinal's College, Ipswich,
this priory was one of the small monasteries
marked out for suppression for that purpose.
Pope Clement issued a special bull sanctioning
the dissolution of this house in May, 1528, in
favour of the college. Therein it is described as
holding the Ipswich churches of St. Peter and
St. Nicholas, St. Clement and St. Mary-atQuay, and also the parish churches of Wherstead
and Cretingham. (fn. 14)
On the disgrace of Wolsey, the Cardinal's
College came to an end, and the king granted
the site of this monastery of six acres, which
served as the deanery of the short-lived college,
to Thomas Alvard, one of the gentlemen ushers
of the king's chamber. (fn. 15)
Priors of St. Peter and St. Paul, Ipswich
Gilbert, (fn. 16) elected 1225
Nicholas de Ipswich, (fn. 17) 1252
William de Secheford, (fn. 18) resigned 1289
John de St. Nicholas, (fn. 19) elected 1289
Henry de Burstall, (fn. 20) elected 1304
Henry de Kurseya, (fn. 21) elected 1311
Clement de Ipswich, (fn. 22) elected 1343
William de Ipswich, (fn. 23) died 1381
John de Monewedon, (fn. 23) 1381
John de Ipswich, (fn. 24) elected 1419
Geoffrey Stoke, (fn. 25) elected 1444
Geoffrey Grene, (fn. 26) died 1476
John York, (fn. 27) elected 1476-96
Thomas Godewyn, (fn. 28) occurs 1514
William Brown, (fn. 29) occurs 1526
The late twelfth-century seal of this priory is
of much interest. It shows the priory church
from the south with central tower and spire,
nave, chancel, and south transept; over the roof,
each side of the tower, are circular panels containing respectively the half-length figures of
St. Peter with key and St. Paul with book.
Legend:—
SIGILLUM ECCLE SCOR' PETRI ET PAUL' DE
GIPESWIC. (fn. 30)
A small oval counterseal, probably the signet
of the thirteenth-century prior, has the bust of an
emperor with antique crown, from an ancient
intaglio gem. Legend:—
MITTENTIS: CAPITI: : CREDIT' SICUTEI. (fn. 31)