HOUSE OF KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS
13. PRECEPTORY OF STANDON
The Knights Hospitallers received from
Gilbert de Clare Earl of Hertford, in the reign
of King Stephen, (fn. 1) the church of Standon and
140 acres of land and his vineyard in this
parish, (fn. 2) and from Gilbert's brother and successor Roger before 1174 (fn. 3) a mill outside the
gate of Standon. (fn. 4) Here, according to Tanner,
a preceptory was established for sisters of the
order, who in 1180 were removed to Buckland
(co. Somerset). (fn. 5) As regards the sisters no evidence
has been found, but it seems certain that the
knights had at one time a preceptory here. In
certain agreements of 1280 and c. 1291-3 the
Hospitallers arranged that payments should be
made to 'their house of Standon,' (fn. 6) and all doubt
about the connexion of the hospital of Standon
mentioned in 1319-20 (fn. 7) and in 1323 (fn. 8) with the
Knights of St. John is removed by the entries
in the manorial court rolls of 1360. (fn. 9)
Scarcely anything is known of the history of
the house. The master in 1319-20 was accused
of carrying off the corn of the lord of the manor
from the fields by night and of assaulting the
lord's reaper (fn. 10) ; but when the prior, apparently as
the master's superior, answered the charges (fn. 11) it
was found that the Hospitallers had only taken
their own corn. In 1323 the master was said to
have broken into the king's parks of Little
Hadham and Milkeley, hunted there and carried
off the deer. (fn. 12) Possibly the character of the
head of the house at Standon had something to
do with the neglect of duties (fn. 13) incumbent on the
Hospitallers, of which from 1320 to 1328 there
are frequent complaints.
In August 1330 Prior Thomas Larchier leased
the hospital's manor and the church of Standon
to William de Langford for 67½ marks, and as
Langford was to receive the brothers coming to
the manor, (fn. 14) it seems improbable that there was
a preceptory here then. (fn. 15) Yet if the cell had been
given up, it was revived, for in 1358 there are
references to the master of the hospital of
St. John of Jerusalem at Standon, (fn. 16) and in
September 1360 to the preceptor of Standon,
against whom charges of trespass were then
brought. (fn. 17)
After this nothing more is heard of the
preceptory. In the 15th century the rectory
and lordship of Standon were let to Ralph
Asteley, who in March 1443-4 bequeathed his
lease to his sons William and Thomas in equal
shares for the term of their lives on condition
that they supported the charges on the estate. (fn. 18)
It was therefore no innovation when in 1505
the knights let the manor and parsonage of
Standon and Pagwell to John Kirkby, (fn. 19) who
had to provide a priest for the chapel of the
manor and maintain for two days the steward
and surveyor of the Hospitallers coming to hold
the manorial courts and transact other business.
The Hospitallers' property here was estimated
in 1338 at £34 15s. 4d. a year gross value and
£10 15s. 4d.net (fn. 20) ; in 1535 its annual value was
reckoned at £23 10s. (fn. 21)
Masters or Preceptors of Standon
Thomas de Bassele, occurs November 1323, (fn. 22)
1324, and October 1326 (fn. 23)
Thomas Hether, occurs July (fn. 24) and September
1360 (fn. 25)