48. THE PRIORY OF SIXHILLS
The Gilbertine priory of St. Mary at Sixhills
was founded as a double house between 1148
and 1154, by one of the de Greslei family, possibly Robert, the founder of Swineshead Abbey,
or his son. (fn. 1) William son of Haco of Saleby
and Thomas his son gave all their land in
Sixhills and the church of the vill, and the sixth
part of the church of Nettleton. Thomas son
of William gave the churches of Saleby and
East Rasen. Jocelin, brother of the queen, with
the assent of King John, and of Agnes de Percy
his wife, gave the manor of Ludford for £100.
Robert son of Robert [Twenge] gave the
manor of Legsby. (fn. 2) Doubtless in view of the
considerable possessions of the house, the numbers
were limited by St. Gilbert to 120 nuns and lay
sisters, and 55 canons and lay brothers. (fn. 3)
Before 1205 the prior and convent held the
manor of Ludford on the condition of a yearly
rent of 10 marks to be paid to the proctor of
the prior and canons of St. Lo at Boston Fair. (fn. 4)
The prior and convent possessed before 1235
the rectories of Sixhills, Market Rasen, North
Willingham, Tealby, Saleby, East Wykeham,
Cadeby, and a moiety of West Wykeham. (fn. 5) In
1252 they obtained the right of free warren in
their demesne lands in the manors of Sixhills,
Legsby, Barkworth, Wykeham, Kirmond, Binbrook, Tealby, Willingham, Nettleton, Kingthorpe, and Blesby. (fn. 6) Henry III also granted
them at the same time a weekly market in their
manor of Ludford and a yearly fair on the vigil
and feast of St. Peter ad Vincula. (fn. 7) In 1254
the spiritualities of the house were assessed at
£66 8s. 8d., the temporalities at £100 11s. 8d. (fn. 8)
Within the next forty years their acquisitions of
land included the manor of Toft, (fn. 9) and added as
much as £75 to their endowment. (fn. 10) Robert
Burnell, bishop of Bath and Wells, gave this
manor of Toft near West Rasen with the advowson of the church. (fn. 11) The wool trade was
exceedingly profitable, and at the beginning of
the fourteenth century the average sale was
18 sacks a year. (fn. 12)
In 1303 the prior held a knight's fee in Willingham, and one-twelfth of another, one-third of
a fee in Tealby, a quarter in Grimblethorpe, onefifth in Kirmond, one-sixth in Herdwick and
Wykeham, one-eighth in Hainton, one-tenth in
Nettleton, one-twelfth in Binbrook, one-twentieth
in Helpringham, one-twentieth in Burgh and
Girsby, one-fortieth in Covenham, one-fortyeighth in Lissington, one-fifty-first in Walesby.
In 1402 he also held a knight's fee in Toft
Newton. (fn. 13)
Among the nuns from 1283 to 1336 was
Gladys, daughter of David, prince of Wales. (fn. 14)
After her father's execution Edward I sent the
little girl to be veiled in a Gilbertine convent,
afterwards making an allowance of £20 a year
for her maintenance. (fn. 15) Robert Manning of Bourne
was living at Sixhills in 1338, when he wrote
The Story of England. (fn. 16)
In the middle of the fifteenth century the
number of inmates had greatly diminished, and
the house was very poor. In 1462 it was alleged
that all the lands and possessions of the priory for
the maintenance of twenty-eight persons did not
exceed £40 a year. (fn. 17) Shortly before the dissolution the convent suffered from an epidemic
sickness. (fn. 18)
The house was surrendered by the prior
and seven canons on 29 September 1538 (fn. 19) ; the
prioress and fourteen nuns were pensioned with
them. (fn. 20)
In 1535 the net yearly value of the whole
property amounted to £135 0s. 9d. (fn. 21) The demesne lands at Sixhills were worth £26 13s. 4d.
In the hands of the crown bailiff four years
later, the property, unencumbered by a number
of small charges previously upon it, brought in
£168 1s. 3½d. (fn. 22) It included rents in Kirmond,
Hainton, Howton, Ludford, Toft Newton,
Nettleton, Legsby and Tealby, several mills and
the rectories of East Rasen, Tealby, North
Willingham, Sixhills, Ludford, Cadeby, East
Wykeham, Sawlby and Legsby.
Priors of Sixhills
Hugh, occurs 1164 (fn. 23) and 1174 (fn. 24)
Nicholas, occurs 1228 (fn. 25) and 1242 (fn. 26)
Simon, occurs 1292 (fn. 27)
John de Henton, 1302-3 (fn. 28)
Richard Wakefield, occurs 1462 (fn. 29)
William Saleby, occurs 1472 (fn. 30)
James Wales, occurs 1522 and 1538 (fn. 31)
Prioress of Sixhills
Joan Manby, occurs 1538 (fn. 32)
A seal attached to a charter dated 1245 (fn. 33) is in
shape a pointed oval, and represents the Virgin
with a crown, seated, the Child on the left knee,
on the left three kneeling ecclesiastics, and in
the field an estoile and three roundels. The
legend is—
SIGILL' CAPI . . . . . ATE . . . . . SIXELE.