27. THE PRIORY OF GREENFIELD
The priory of Greenfield must have been
founded before the year 1153 by Eudo of
Grainsby and Ralf of Aby, his son: Ranulf earl of
Chester was also a benefactor of the house. (fn. 1) It
has very little history. A number of small and
unimportant suits and charters have preserved
for us the names of several prioresses, without
giving us very much idea of the fortunes of the
house. There are also a few notices relating to
the priory in the episcopal registers. In 1298 a
nun from Nuncotham was sent here to do penance. It appears that she was of a quarrelsome disposition, for Bishop Sutton ordered that as long
as she should continue incorrigible she should be
kept in solitary confinement, ' until according to
the discipline of the order she should know how
to live in community.' (fn. 2) Four years earlier the
bishop had visited the priory and given the
prioress an opportunity of resigning if she would,
to avoid the disgrace of deprivation. (fn. 3) Her successor was not much more satisfactory, for in
1303 Bishop Dalderby heard that she had been
absent from her house for two years, and that it
was in danger of serious loss. (fn. 4) She probably
resigned in consequence of the visitation which
followed. (fn. 5) In 1312 the nuns received a remission of tithes from the same bishop in consideration of their poverty. (fn. 6) No other visitation is
recorded until that of Bishop Atwater in 1519.
There was very little at this time to complain
of: one nun was accused of being disobedient
to her superiors, and the prioress did not invite
all the sisters to her table in due order. (fn. 7)
The priory was dissolved in 1536, before
Michaelmas. Its income was at this time small,
but the ten nuns who lived there on £63 a year
were better off than their sisters at Nuncotham,
Legbourne, or Fosse. The prioress received a
pension of £10 a year, the rest were paid off as
usual with 20s. apiece. (fn. 8)
The endowment included the demesne land
with the churches of Aby, Cumberworth, and
Beesby. (fn. 9) Greenfield church belonged to the
priory in the time of Hugh of Wells. (fn. 10) In 1291
the prioress was not taxed for any temporalities.
In 1428 she held fractions of a knight's fee in
Aby and East Rasen. (fn. 11) In 1534 the nuns had an
income of £63 4s. 1d. clear. (fn. 12) The Ministers'
Accounts of 1536 give a total of £62 6s. 4d.,
including the manors of East Rasen and Moorby,
Coningsby and Wilksby. (fn. 13) The bells, lead, &c.,
of the monastery were worth £135 8s. (fn. 14)
Prioresses Of Greenfield
Agnes, (fn. 15) occurs 1230
Mabel, (fn. 16) occurs 1237 and 1240
Maud, (fn. 17) occurs 1260
Joan Hey worth, (fn. 18) elected 1274
Christine, (fn. 19) resigned 1293
Elizabeth or Isabel of Harrington, (fn. 20) elected
1293, resigned 1301
Cecily de Parys, (fn. 21) elected 1301, resigned
1305
Agnes of Langholm, (fn. 22) elected 1305, resigned
1313
Ivetta of Ormsby, (fn. 23) elected 1313, occurs till
1327
Margaret of Wells, (fn. 24) elected 1330, occurs to
1349
Isabel, (fn. 25) occurs 1371
Joan, (fn. 26) occurs 1398
Margaret, (fn. 27) occurs 1401 and 1418
Joan, (fn. 28) occurs 1436
Elizabeth, (fn. 29) occurs 1485
Joan Skypwith, (fn. 30) occurs 1509, died 1518
Elizabeth Billesby, (fn. 31) elected 1518, died 1521
Isabel Smyth, (fn. 32) elected 1521, died 1530
Agnes or Anne Guderyk, (fn. 33) last prioress, elected
1530
The pointed oval seal (fn. 34) shows the Virgin,
seated, with crown and nimbus, the Child, also
with nimbus, on the right knee, her left hand
lifted up.
SIGILLVM SANCTE [MAR]IE DE GRENEFELD