17. THE PRIORY OF ST. GREGORY, CANTERBURY
The foundation of this house is by common
consent attributed to Lanfranc, archbishop of
Canterbury (1070-89), but different accounts
of its original status are given. Eadmer says
that he built the church on the opposite side of
the road to St. John's Hospital, and placed
canons in it to minister to the infirm there. (fn. 1)
Gervase speaks of it as having been originally
a hospital. (fn. 2) William of Malmesbury says that
Lanfranc placed canons regular in it; (fn. 3) but there
is good evidence that the order was unknown in
England until the settlement at the priory ot
St. Botolph at Colchester in the time of Anselm,
Lanfranc's successor; and the version of Leland (fn. 4)
that Lanfranc placed secular canons there, and
William, (fn. 5) archbishop of Canterbury (1123-36),
replaced them by canons regular, is probably
correct. The possessions of the clerks of
St. Gregory's are mentioned in the Domesday
Survey. (fn. 6) Lanfranc's foundation charter and
others are given in a chartulary preserved in the
University Library at Cambridge. (fn. 6a)
Gervase records that the church was burnt on
2 July, 1145, (fn. 7) and in 1241 it suffered from the
violence of the party of the archdeacon of Canterbury in his dispute with the chapter of Christchurch. (fn. 8)
Archbishop Hubert (1193-1205) granted to
the convent a charter (fn. 9) confirming its possessions,
including a long list of churches, Northgate,
Westgate, and St. Dunstan's, Canterbury;
Thanington, Waltham, Bethersden, 'Lyvyngsborne' (Beakesbourne), Nackington, Stalisfield,
Oare, and Elmsted, and various tithes. In the
Taxation of 1291 the priory is said to own
temporalities worth £25 15s. yearly in the
diocese of Canterbury and £2 in Northfieet.
Henry de Clyf had licence (fn. 10) in 1326 to grant
land in Nackington to the prior and convent in
aid of the maintenance of a chaplain to celebrate
divine service daily in their church for the souls
of himself and his ancestors; and John Mot had
licence (fn. 11) in 1392 to grant land in Chartham,
Harbledown, and Thanington to them to find a
lamp burning daily before the altar at high mass.
William de Brichull was sent by the king in
1309 to the prior and convent to have the
necessaries of life in food and clothing during his
life. (fn. 12)
On 31 May, 1329, the great seal of England
was, given into the custody of Henry de Clyf,
who sealed writs with it in the priory; (fn. 13) and on
13 June he gave it back again in the hall in the
priory, where the chancellor was lodged. (fn. 14) John
Knyvet, chancellor, sealed charters, letters patent,
and writs with the great seal on I September,
1372, in the priory. (fn. 15)
Archbishop Reynolds found many defects at
his visitation in March, 1326, and suspended the
prior. (fn. 15a) There were further disturbances in the
priory in 1330, and the prior of Christchurch
and others, appointed by the archbishop to correct
matters, ordered the removal of three canons,
sending Robert de Wenchepe to the priory of
Combwell, and John de Hagh and Adam de
Wenchepe to Bentley in Middlesex, where the
priory had property, under the charge of J. de
Merston, one of the canons. (fn. 16) John and Adam
were not to go out except to look after the
property of the house, (fn. 17) but nevertheless were
afterwards reproved for breaking bounds. (fn. 18)
Richard atte Notebeame, another canon, was
imprisoned about the same time, probably in
connexion with the same affair, and appealed to
the archbishop, who ordered his case to be
inquired into; but it was found in January,
1331, that he had broken the treasury at night
and carried off goods of the priory and then fled
in secular habit, but was taken and brought back
and imprisoned in consequence. (fn. 19) Robert de
Wenchepe was afterwards in 1340 ordered by
the archbishop to be sent to the priory of Leeds,
but the chapter of Christchurch interceded for
him on the ground that when he was treasurer
he had done well in his office. (fn. 20)
The prior of St. Gregory's was appointed
visitor of the Augustinian houses in the dioceses
of Canterbury and Rochester with the prior of
Tonbridge in 1353, (fn. 21) and with the prior of Leeds
in 1356. (fn. 22)
Archbishop Langham at a visitation in February, 1368, found that the rule of silence was
not observed and that women had access to the
priory, and ordered both these points to be
corrected. (fn. 23)
Archbishop Warham made a visitation (fn. 24) of the
priory in 1511; when Thomas Well or Wellys
had been prior for six years and Walter Canterbury was sub-prior, Edmund Faversham sacrist,
and William Tailor precentor, with six other
canons, including a student of Cambridge. The
sub-prior said that the precentor was fond of
quarrelling with the brethren, and feared that if
he were allowed to remain in office much contention would arise; in the absence of the prior
and sub-prior he acted as president of the chapter,
but there were others better fitted for this office.
The prior only gave a general account to the
brethren, not the items, so they could not know
the state of the priory. Others corroborated his
evidence. One said that the prior did not give
his account in writing, but only verbally, and also
that the butler gave the brethren very bad beer;
another that the precentor was unfit for office, as
he did not know how to sing; and a third that
they had no bell-ringer, so that the brethren did
not know the time of divine service. The prior
and other officers were ordered to show their
accounts annually in writing, and also to show
them to the bishop on 1 April with an inventory
of the goods of the priory at the time of the
prior's accession to office. Tailor was forbidden
to quarrel, under pain of removal from office.
The prior resigned in 1533, and Cromwell
endeavoured to secure the succession of a nominee
of his own. Cranmer wrote to him.in answer
on 6 May that he was resolved to prefer to the
office a member of the same house if fit, or if not
fit, the fittest he could find; and asked for further
details, trusting that Cromwell would oppose the
unseasonable ambition of men of the church and
consider how unreasonable a thing it was for any
man to labour for his own promotion. (fn. 25) The
abbot of Waltham pressed the candidature of
John Symkyns, cellarer of St. Bartholomew's,
Smithfield (fn. 26) ; and the latter got the post, writing
to thank Cromwell on 3 December. (fn. 27)
The oath of acknowledgement of the royal
supremacy was taken on 9 January, 1535, by
John, prior, and six other canons, Thomas Wellys,
Christopher Cherche, Gregory Botolfe, Nicholas
Champyon, Thomas Cawntterbury, and William
Hamond. (fn. 28)
In the Valor of that year the possessions of the
priory, including the manor of Howfield in
Chartham, the manors and rectories of Bethersden,
Waltham, and Nackington, and the rectories of
Stalisfield, Elmsted, and Beakesbourne, amounted (fn. 29)
to the value of £166 4s. 5½d. yearly; and
deductions of £44 9s. 4½d, for rents, alms,
pensions and fees brought the net income down
to £121 15s. 1d. The priory was accordingly
dissolved under the Act of 1536, the prior receiving
a pension of 20 marks yearly. (fn. 30)
Priors of St. Gregory's, Canterbury
Richard, occurs c. 1183, (fn. 31) resigned 1187 (fn. 31a)
Dunstan, occurs 1198 (fn. 32)
Robert de Oseneye, elected 1213 (fn. 33)
Peter, occurs 1223 (fn. 34)
Elias de Dierham, occurs 1225 (fn. 35)
Thomas, occurs 1227 (fn. 36)
Nicholas de Shotindon, elected. 1241 (fn. 37)
Robert, occurs 1253 (fn. 38)
Hugh, occurs 1263 (fn. 38a)
William Pig, occurs 1271 (fn. 39)
Henry, occurs 1275, 1278 (fn. 38a)
Guy, died 1294 (fn. 40)
Elias de Sandwyco, elected 1294 (fn. 41)
William de Lyndstede, elected 1301 (fn. 42)
John, occurs 1325 (fn. 43)
Thomas, occurs 1340 (fn. 44)
Robert de Wenchepe, died, 1349 (fn. 38a)
William atte Thorne, elected 1349, (fn. 38a) died
1378 (fn. 45)
Thomas Rauf, elected 1378 (fn. 45)
John de Bedynden, died 1409 (fn. 46)
William Cauntirbury, elected 1409 (fn. 46)
William Surrenden, resigned 1426 (fn. 47)
Thomas Kenyngton, elected 1426,57 occurs
1460 (fn. 48)
William Egyrton, occurs c. 1470, (fn. 49)
Edward Qyldford (fn. 38a)
Clement Harding (fn. 38a)
Edward, occurs 1486 (fn. 49a)
Thomas Welles, elected 1505, (fn. 50) occurs 1151 (fn. 50)
William Braborne, occurs 1528 (fn. 38a)
John Symkyns, elected 1535, (fn. 51) the last prior (fn. 52)
The seal (fn. 53) (thirteenth century) of the priory
measures 2⅞ in.
Obverse,—In a niche with trefoiled arch
topped with a small cross and supported on slender
columns Lanfranc seated on a throne with mitre
and pall, lifting up the right hand in. benediction
and holding in the left a crosier, between two
saints seated on thrones in smaller niches at the
sides, that on the right being Edburga. Legend:—
SIGILLUM CONVENTUS ECCLESIE S .....
NTUARIE.
Reverse.—A geometrical design of circles
inclosing quatrefoiled flowers.