50. THE PRIORY OF CATLEY
The Gilbertine priory of St. Mary, Catley,
was founded as a double house between 1148
and 1154 by Peter of Billinghay. (fn. 1) He endowed
it with the whole island of Catley, the site of a
grange and some arable land at Walcote; the
church of Billinghay and the chapel of Walcote;
pasturage for 400 sheep in the two townships,
and rights of fishing on Walcote marsh. The
number of inmates was limited by St. Gilbert to
sixty nuns and lay sisters and thirty-five canons
and lay brothers. (fn. 2) The priory was always one
of the poorest houses of the order of Sempringham. In 1254 the spiritualities were assessed
at £20, the temporalities at £30 17s. 11d., (fn. 3) and
in 1291 these had increased only to £34 12s.10d. (fn. 4)
At the beginning of the fourteenth century the
average yearly sale of wool was seven sacks, (fn. 5)
which added considerably to the income of the
nuns and canons.
In 1303 the prior held half a knight's fee in
Brauncewell, one-third in Dunsby, a quarter in
Billinghay and Walcote, a quarter in Digby, onefifth of half in Ingleby, one-fifth and one-twentyfourth in Hemswell, one-eighth in Dorrington,
one-tenth and one-sixtieth of one in Glentworth,
and one-twenty-fourth of another. In 1401 he
also held one-seventh in Scopwick. (fn. 6)
In 1338 the house was in serious financial
straits, and Edward III pardoned the payment of
the tenth, £5 11s. 3¾d. (fn. 7) Seven years later the
prior, canons, and nuns again petitioned to be
excused from the tax. They urged that by fires
and murrain of their animals they were so impoverished that they had neither crops nor goods
for their sustenance. (fn. 8) The loss of tenants and
the mortality among their sheep after the Black
Death no doubt greatly increased the embarrassment of the priory.
The house was surrendered by the prior and
two canons on 25 September, 1538. (fn. 9) Pensions
were also granted to the prioress and four nuns. (fn. 10)
In 1535 the net valuation of the property
amounted to £34 18s. 6d., of which £8 4s. 10d.
was drawn from the rectories of Billinghay and
Digby. (fn. 11) The demesne lands of the priory were
only worth £4 a year.
In the hands of the crown bailiff four years
later the property brought in £38 18s. 11d., and
included, besides the rectories, the grange of
Scopwick, and lands and tenements in Billinghay, Timberland, Walcote, Digby, Ingelby,
Saxilby, Lincoln, and Rowston. (fn. 12)
Priors of Catley
Thomas, (fn. 13) occurs 1245
Thomas South, (fn. 14) occurs 1522
William Swift, occurs 1535 to 1538 (fn. 15)
Prioress of Catley
Margaret Gastwek, occurs 1538 (fn. 16)
The seal, of the thirteenth century, (fn. 17) is a pointed
oval, and represents the Virgin, with a crown,
seated on a throne, the Child on the left knee;
on base under an arch, the prior kneeling in
prayer to the right. The legend is—
S' . PRIORATUS . DE . CATTELE (fn. 18)