18. THE PRIORY OF COMBWELL (fn. 1)
The monastery of St. Mary Magdalen, Combwell, was founded as an abbey by Robert de
Turneham in the reign of Henry II. (fn. 2) His son
Stephen de Turneham by a charter (fn. 3) which was
confirmed by Henry III in 1227, (fn. 4) and by
Richard II in 1381, (fn. 5) confirmed the grant by his
father of ' Henle,' the site of the abbey, the
churches of Thornham and Brickhill (Bucks.) and
various lands; and added further lands and
tithes. The grants of the founder were confirmed
by a charter (fn. 6) of Walkelin de Maminot, his overlord; and several grants by Stephen and his
daughter Mabel de Gatton are preserved.
Richard, archbishop of Canterbury (1174-84),
at the petition of Stephen granted the church of
Thornham to the monastery after the death of
the incumbent and settled a dispute between the
latter and Stephen. (fn. 7)
The same archbishop confirmed the gift of the
advowson of the church of Biausfeld (Whitfield
near Dover) by Denise (fn. 8) ; and about the same
time William son of Helto granted the church of
Aldington. (fn. 9) Richard de Lunguil granted the
church of Little Woolstone (Bucks.) (fn. 10) ; and
William son of Walter de Hevre the church of
Hever, (fn. 11) his grant being confirmed by Archbishop
Stephen in 1225. (fn. 12) The monastery also owned
the church of Benenden (fn. 13) ; and in the Taxation
of 1291 its temporalities were valued at
£20 15s. 10d. yearly in the diocese of Canterbury and £3 3s, in the diocese of Rochester.
About 1220 the possessions of Combwell were
found to be too small properly to maintain its
estate as an abbey. Abbot William was induced
to resign, being in bad health, and with the consent of Mabel de Gatton, the patroness, and
Stephen, arch bishop of Canterbury, the house was
reduced to a priory, the rights of the patroness
and archbishop being reserved. (fn. 14) The advowson
descended later to the family of Say, and in 1432
it came into the possession of Sir John Fenys. (fn. 15)
Henry III on 6 July, 1227, granted to the
prior and convent a fair yearly at Combwell on
the feast and the morrow of St. Mary Magdalen (fn. 16) ;
and on 5 February, 1232, he granted to them
a market there on Fridays, (fn. 17) but on 27 February,
1233, altered the day to Tuesday. (fn. 18)
The abbot of Bayham charged the prior and
convent with having deserted the Premonstratensian order; and Clement, abbot of Prémontré,
in 1229 referred the matter to the archbishop of
Canterbury, who decided in 1230 after a visitation that they followed the rule of St. Augustine
as practised at Waltham. (fn. 19)
In 1317 Robert Henry, a servant of the king
and his father, was sent to the priory to receive
maintenance in food and clothing according to
the requirements of his estate. (fn. 20)
The prior of Combwell was visitor with the
prior of Leeds of the Augustinian houses in the
dioceses of Canterbury and Rochester in 1311
and 1317 (fn. 21) ; and in 1353 the priory of Combwell was visited by the priors of Leeds and
Tonbridge. (fn. 22)
Archbishop Langham made a visitation of the
priory on 3 July, 1368, when many charges were
brought against the prior. He had gone to Rome
without leave, had sold corrodies and wood
improvidently, led an immoral life, followed the
advice not of his brethren but of secular officials,
and wasted the stock of the priory. He was
ordered to render an account, and was admonished. (fn. 23) A similar state of things was found
by Archbishop Courtenay at another visitation
on 16 September, 1387. (fn. 24) Roger Tyshurst,
prior, was absent, having gone away on Tuesday
before St. Laurence and taken goods of the priory
with him. He was charged with having cut
down trees and made dilapidations, and with
being adulterous and apostate; and was removed
from office, but received back into the priory as
canon. Simon Mudiston succeeded him as prior;
but after a long suit at Rome Roger obtained a
definitive sentence by which Simon was condemned and he himself restored. Simon was
excommunicated for obstinacy, but at last in 1395
was received back into the church. (fn. 25)
Archbishop Warham made a visitation of the
priory in 1512. Thomas Patenden had been
prior for thirty-two years, and there were six
other canons, who stated in their evidence that
the infirmary was in great need of repairs and
nobody attended to the sick, who had to lie in
the dormitory. They had not enough food and
drink or clothing, the prior never rendered any
accounts, and there was no teacher of grammar.
The manors of Benenden and Thornham needed
great repairs. John Lanny said that the prior
and convent laid him under a debt of £40 in an
obligation without any condition to two outsiders,
now remaining in the hands of the minister of
Mottenden, and arranged that the house should
not be indebted by this. The prior said that the
obligation was cancelled, and was ordered to show
it to the archbishop; and he was also ordered to
make a proper account and inventory, to make
sufficient repairs to the infirmary before All
Saints and to correct the other points mentioned. (fn. 26)
The oath of acknowledgement of the royal
supremacy was taken on 23 December, 1534,
by Thomas Vyncent, prior, and five other
canons. (fn. 27) In the Valor of the next year the net
value of the possessions of the priory, including
the manors of Lofeherst in Staplehurst, Hoke in
Thornham and Goldred, was only £80 17s. 5¼d.
yearly; (fn. 28) and it was consequently suppressed in
1536, the prior receiving a pension of £10
yearly. (fn. 29)
The site and possessions of the priory were
granted on 20 November, 1537, to Thomas
Culpeper in tail male; (fn. 30) and, after his attainder,
on 2 April, 1542, to Sir John Gage in tail
male. (fn. 31)
Abbots of Combwell
Hurso, the first abbot (fn. 32)
Andrew (fn. 33)
John (fn. 34)
William, resigned c. 1220 (fn. 35)
Priors of Combwell
Hugh, occurs 1227 (fn. 36)
Henry, occurs 1236 (fn. 37)
Robert, occurs 1249 (fn. 38)
Walter, occurs 1271 (fn. 39)
John de Meredenn, occurs 1275 (fn. 39a)
John de Lose, elected 1315 (fn. 40)
Stephen, died 1324 (fn. 41)
John de Hawe or Hagh, appointed 1324, (fn. 42)
died 1363 (fn. 43)
William de Chert, elected 1362 (fn. 44)
Roger Tyshurst, occurs 1387, (fn. 45) 1395, (fn. 46) 1399 (fn. 47)
Simon Mudiston (fn. 47a)
William Bourgeys, died 1420 (fn. 48)
Henry Talo, elected 1420 (fn. 49)
Henry Cranebroke, occurs 1460 (fn. 49)
Thomas Chester, occurs 1476 (fn. 49a)
Thomas Patenden, c. 1480, occurs 1512, (fn. 50)
died 1513 (fn. 51)
Thomas Vincent, elected 1513, (fn. 51) the last
prior (fn. 52)
The seal (fn. 53) (late twelfth century) is a pointed
oval measuring 2¼ by 1⅜ in., representing the
head of St. Mary Magdalen with nimbus and
long hair under a round-headed arch of a church,
having a central tower topped with a cross, and
two smaller side towers. Legend:—
SIC' SATE MARIE MAGDAL' D CUMBWELL.
Another seal (fn. 54) (1133 for 1233).
Obverse.—The church of the monastery with
a large trefoiled arch having in the pediment a circular panel and two small trefoiled panels, each
containing a head, and two narrow windows, with
a circular tower, at each side. Under the arch
St. Mary Magdalen at the feet of our Lord,
who is seated at a banqueting table between two
disciples, each with nimbus. On the front edge
of the table the inscription
MARIA FIDES TUA TE SALVAM FECIT.
Below the table on the right are the demons who
have been cast out of the saint, and in the centre
a small box of precious ointment. In the field
over the roof on the left a crescent inclosing a
star, on the right a wavy star. Legend:—
SIGILL' ECCLESIE SANCTE MARIE MAGDALENE
DE CUMBWELL.
Reverse.—Our Lord appearing after His resurrection to St. Mary Magdalen in the garden,
holding in His right hand a long cross with
banner, the saint prostrating herself before Him
under two trees. Over the group a carved,
round-headed arch, supported by two clustered
shafts with pinnacles. In the field on each
side a small round panel containing a head.
Legend:—
FACTUM ANNO GRATIE M° C° XXX TERCIO
MENSE NOVEMBRI.