121. THE PRIORY OF HOUGH
The manor on which the priory of Hough
was afterwards built was granted by Henry I to
his abbey of St. Mary de Voto at Cherbourg,
for Austin canons. The parent abbey itself at
its foundation contained only an abbot and four
canons, and the cell having no other endowment
than the manor and church of Hough, was intended for the support of a prior with a single
chaplain for his companion, to maintain divine
service for the soul of the king and his family. (fn. 1)
The prior was at first bound to send a fixed
sum of money to Cherbourg every year; after
the beginning of the wars with France this
pension was transferred to the Exchequer. Early
in the fourteenth century the assistant chaplain
was withdrawn, as the revenue was not sufficient
to support two canons any longer, (fn. 2) and in 1340,
the prior himself was reduced to such straits that
he had to beseech the king for remission of his
arrears, amounting to 55 marks. (fn. 3) An inquisition
of the property was taken in 1349, when it was
again found almost impossible to pay the pension
appointed. The priory mill had become broken
and useless, and nearly all the trees had been cut
down; indeed, almost everything of value in the
house had been sold to supply the money due to
the Exchequer. Most of the chantries founded
in the priory church had lapsed, as the prior could
not serve them all by himself. (fn. 4)
The priory was restored to the abbey of Cherbourg in 1399, (fn. 5) but finally granted to the Carthusians of Mountgrace in 1432, (fn. 6) and confirmed
to them by Edward IV in 1462. (fn. 7)
The revenue of the priory was valued in 1388
at £38 8s. 8d. (fn. 8)
Priors of Hough
William, (fn. 9) occurs 1208, resigned 1228
Nicholas, (fn. 10) appointed 1228
Robert Pampare, (fn. 11) appointed 1272
John de Insulis, (fn. 12) died 1329
Nicholas Waryn, (fn. 13) appointed 1329, died 1346
William de Gardino, (fn. 14) appointed 1346, resigned
1359
Richard de Londa, (fn. 15) appointed 1359
Richard de Beaugrave, (fn. 16) occurs 1399 and
1403