25. THE PRIORY OF KERSEY
Neither the date of the foundation nor the
name of the founder of this small priory of
Austin canons, dedicated to the honour of the
Blessed Virgin and St. Anthony, is known.
The earliest record of it occurs in 1219 in connexion with lands in Semer. (fn. 1)
Among the muniments of King's College,
Cambridge, are several charters showing that
Thomas de Burgh and his wife Nesta were the
chief early benefactors of this house. Thomas
de Burgh granted them all his patrimony in the
town of Lindsey. By another charter, Thomas
and Nesta his wife granted three acres of arable
land in Groton. His widow Nesta de Cockfield
made several considerable grants to the canons
of Kersey. By the first she granted them the
mother church of Kersey, with all its appurtenances, eight acres adjoining the cemetery on the
south, the two and a half acres on which the
house was founded, a messuage where the hospital
(domus hospitalis) stood, &c. By the same charter
she granted the tithes of her mills at Cockfield,
Lindsey, and Kersey, to sustain the light of this
chapel. Nesta took for her second husband John
de Beauchamp; they jointly, in 1240, confirmed
and increased the grants to the priory of lands
and pasture in Lindsey and Kersey, and confirmed to them the church of Kersey. After
Nesta was widowed for the second time she
gave the canons the church of Lindsey in order
that they might better relieve the poor who
flocked there once every week. In her last charter
she desired that her body might be buried in the
conventual church, and gave the canons further
lands, with customary service, in Lindsey and
Kersey. (fn. 2)
The taxation roll of 1291 gives the annual
value of the priory as £33 6s. 7d.; the spiritualities were the rectory of Lindsey £6 13s. 3d.,
and a portion of 2s. from Pentlow church,
Essex; the remainder was in lands and rents,
chiefly at Kersey and Lindsey, and at Benfleet,
Essex, with a mill and fisheries at Boxford.
The priory only held the advowson of the church
of Kersey. (fn. 3)
John del Brok obtained licence, under fine of
five marks, to alienate in 1338 to the prior and
convent property in Kersey and adjoining
parishes to find a chaplain to celebrate daily for
the souls of his ancestors. (fn. 4)
In 1347 the prior of Kersey, out of compassion for the leanness of the priory, whose
possessions did not suffice for the support of the
prior and canons, was excused his portion of the
tenths granted the king by the province of Canterbury for the four terms that had passed and
for the coming year. (fn. 5)
The advowson or patronage of the priory went
with the manor of Kersey, and was granted, in
1331, by the trustees of Edmund, late earl of
Kent, to Thomas de Weston to hold for life,
being subsequently held, in the same reign, by
Thomas de Holand and Joan his wife; in the
time of Richard II by Thomas de Holand and
Alice his wife; and in the time of Henry IV by
Elizabeth, wife of John, late earl of Kent.
The next patron was Sir Henry de Grey, Lord
Powys, and in 1444 he obtained permission to
grant it to the college of St. Mary and St.
Nicholas (afterwards King's), Cambridge. (fn. 6)
Priors of Kersey
Richard Waleys, died 1331 (fn. 7)
Robert de Akenham, elected 1331 (fn. 8)
John Calle, resigned 1387 (fn. 9)
John de Polstede, elected 1387 (fn. 10)
John Buche, elected 1394 (fn. 11)
John Dewche, elected 1411 (fn. 12)
Nicholas Bungaye, resigned 1422 (fn. 13)
Richard Fyn, elected 1422 (fn. 14)
John Duch, elected 1431 (fn. 15)
William Woodbridge, elected 1432 (fn. 16)
The twelfth-century seal is a pointed oval,
bearing a bust of the Blessed Virgin, crowned,
in clouds; below is the head of St. Anthony;
between them is a sun and crescent moon.
Legend:—
SIGILL' SCE MARIE ET SCI ANTONII DE KERSEIA