40. THE PRIORY OF NEWSTEAD BY STAMFORD
The priory of Newstead was originally
founded, like that of Elsham, as a hospital.
The founder was William d'Albini (third of
that name); and the house was built near
the end of the twelfth century, in honour of
Blessed Mary, 'at the bridge of Wass between
Uffington and Stamford,' (fn. 1) and was sometimes
called the hospital of Uffington. (fn. 2) It was intended to maintain seven poor and infirm persons
of good character, under the charge of a master
'of honest and approved religion,' who was to
be assisted by another priest with a deacon and
a clerk. (fn. 3) The founder a little later increased
the revenues to endow thirteen beds in the hospital. (fn. 4) His son, however, seems to have consented to a change in the purpose of the endowment, for he confirmed all the property of the
hospital to a prior and canons before 1247. (fn. 5)
There may have been as many as six canons
at the first, (fn. 6) but as the value of the endowment
decreased the number diminished. Small and
insignificant as this house was, however, two of
the general chapters of the order were held here
during the fourteenth century, in 1340 and in
1362. (fn. 7) In 1440, when Bishop Alnwick visited
the priory, there were only three besides the
prior, and of these one was too ill to appear, and
one was living at Ulvescroft Priory. The prior
complained that the house was 20 marks in
debt, and almost in ruins, through the improvidence of his predecessor. One canon said they
did not rise to mattins because they were so few.
The bishop gave general injunctions as to the
keeping of the rule; the canon at Ulvescroft
must return at once, and the canonical hours
must all be recited, even though they could not
be sung. (fn. 8)
Shortly before the dissolution a tenant of the
priory was sued for not paying a certain rent to
the prior; he defended himself on the ground that
it was a bequest originally made that the canons
might sing for the soul of Walter Huntingfield,
but now they were so few that they could not
afford to set apart a priest for this purpose for
many years. Moreover they had made an agreement that the requiem should be sung sometimes
at Badington and sometimes in the monastery,
which was contrary to the conditions of the
grant. (fn. 9) The state of things here described was
probably true, by no fault of the canons, but
only because of their poverty. Bishop Longlands,
on the occasion of the election of the last prior,
wrote compassionately to Cromwell of the
poverty of the house, as if he had no other
quarrel with it, and spoke of John Blakyth as a
'right honest sober man.' (fn. 10) There were at the
dissolution only two canons and a novice besides
the prior (fn. 11) ; he received a pension of £15, (fn. 12) and
the others were paid off in the usual way.
The priory was endowed with several parcels
of land in the neighbourhood, with tithes from
the bread, fish, and flesh prepared for the household of William d'Albini, and with pasture for
100 sheep and a few cattle. (fn. 13) In 1301 Isabella
de Roos granted to the prior and convent the
advowson of Stoke Albany, Northants, (fn. 14) and in
1308 William Roos granted a moiety of that of
Grayingham. (fn. 15) In 1321 they had also the advowson of Little Casterton, Rutland. (fn. 16) In 1291
the temporalities of the priory amounted to
£42 19s. 5d. (fn. 17) In 1303 the prior held a small
fraction of a knight's fee in Uffington, Tailington, and Casewick (fn. 18) ; in 1346 he had a quarter
of a fee in the same places. (fn. 19) In 1534 the clear
revenue of the priory was £37 6s. (fn. 20) ; the canons
had no longer any churches. The Ministers'
Accounts amount to £43 8s. 1d. (fn. 21) The bells,
lead, &c., of the monastery were only worth
£12 18s. (fn. 22)
Priors of Newstead
Adam of Herefeld, (fn. 23) presented 1226
Walter, (fn. 24) presented 1232
Walter de Crek, (fn. 25) elected 1247
Hamo de Gretford, (fn. 26) elected 1262
Simon, (fn. 27) occurs 1279
Thomas of Deeping, (fn. 28) resigned 1293
Robert of Stamford, (fn. 29) elected 1293, resigned
1308
Henry of Overton, (fn. 30) elected 1308
— Sutton, (fn. 31)
William Lilleford, (fn. 32) occurs 1440
Stephen Sherp, (fn. 33) occurs 1522
Thomas Hallam, (fn. 34) occurs 1534
Richard Lynne, (fn. 35) occurs 1534
John Blaky, (fn. 36) the last prior, occurs 1536