49. THE PRIORY OF NORTH ORMSBY or NUN ORMSBY
The Gilbertine priory of St. Mary, North
Ormsby, was founded as a double house between
1148 and 1154 by Gilbert son of Robert of
Ormsby, with the consent of his lord, William,
earl of Albemarle. (fn. 1) He endowed it with the
moieties of the churches of Ormsby and Utterby,
and a third of his land in each township, the
whole of his fee of Warlotes, and certain other
lands. Robert, steward of William of Percy,
gave to the nuns the churches of South Elkington
and Little Grimsby, pasturage for sixty sheep,
besides lands in Little Grimsby and Fotherby. (fn. 2)
Ralph de Wihom gave all he had in the churches
of Ormsby and Utterby. Hugh de Wildeker
gave half, Roger de Clere a quarter, and William
son of Amfrid de Hagh a quarter of the church
of Fotherby. Hugh of Bayeux gave what he
had in half the church of Grimoldby. (fn. 3) Before
1189 William de Vesci granted the hermitage
of Spaldingholm in Yorkshire, and pasturage for
200 sheep and a fixed number of cattle between
the Fuln and the Derwent. (fn. 4)
In view of this endowment the number of
inmates was limited by St. Gilbert to 100 nuns
and lay sisters and 50 canons and lay brothers. (fn. 5)
In 1254 the spiritualities of the house were
assessed at £46 6s. 8d., and the temporalities at
£100 8s. 7d. (fn. 6) It seems that the prior and convent
did not afterwards acquire much more property;
however, they possessed seven or eight granges,
and had a profitable share in the wool-trade,
selling on an average 8 sacks a year at the beginning of the fourteenth century. (fn. 7)
In 1303 the prior held three-quarters of one
knight's fee in Ormsby, a quarter and onetenth of another, half, one-third, and one-eighth
in Little Grimsby, and several fractions in
Fotherby, Kelsey, Salmonby, Scrafield, Hameringham, and Elkington. (fn. 8)
After the Black Death the revenues of the
house were greatly diminished. In 1352 and
again in 1378 the prior and convent obtained a
royal licence to appropriate the valuable church
of Ludborough, (fn. 9) but for some reason they did not
succeed. They were probably induced by lack of
funds to seek an indulgence from Boniface IX
in 1399 for the fabric and maintenance of the
Lady Chapel. (fn. 10) It was perhaps in exchange for
a gift of money and some other signal benefit
that in 1464 the prior made a formal grant of
the right of next presentation to the church of
Welton to two merchants of that place. (fn. 11)
Shortly before the dissolution there were
many manuscripts at North Ormsby, though
but few printed books. (fn. 12)
In 1534 the prior subscribed to the king's
supremacy. (fn. 13) The house was surrendered by the
prior and five canons on 30 September, 1538, (fn. 14)
and nine nuns were included with them in the
pension list. (fn. 15) Four other canons held livings of
the convent. (fn. 16)
In 1535 the net valuation of the whole
property amounted to only £80 11s. 10d. (fn. 17) Out
of this sum over £20 was derived from appropriated churches, viz. from North Ormesby,
Utterby, Fotherby, South Elkington, Grimoldby.
and Little Grimsby. All the granges, lands, and
tenements were let, and the demesne farmed by
the prior and convent was worth only £4 a year.
In the hands of the crown bailiff four years
later the property brought in £126 3s. 9¾d., (fn. 18) and
included the rents of granges at Utterby, Fotherby,
Little Grimsby, Friskney, North Kelsey, and
two at South Elkington, besides the rectories.
Priors of North Ormsby
Thomas, occurs 1164 (fn. 19) and 1174 (fn. 20)
Robert Pygot, occurs 1464 (fn. 21)
Thomas Tyesdale, occurs 1522 (fn. 22)
William Robinson, occurs 1533 (fn. 23)
Thomas Robinson, occurs 1535 (fn. 24)
Christopher Cartwright, occurs 1538 (fn. 25)
Prioress of North Ormsby
Joan Stokwith, occurs 1538 (fn. 26)
The common seal of the date 1272 is a pointed
oval and represents the Virgin with a crown,
seated on a carved throne, the Child on her left
knee. (fn. 27)
On another of the fifteenth century the Virgin
is seated in a canopied niche with tabernacle
work at the sides.
The legend is—
SIGILLŪ . CPE . DOM . B . . . . MARIE . DE . N. .
. . ORMSBY