27. THE PRECEPTORY OF SWINGFIELD
Swingfield was occupied by some of the sisters
of the order of St. John of Jerusalem before
these were collected together and removed to
Buckland, in Somerset, in 1180. (fn. 1) After their
departure the knights of the order appear to
have taken possession, and a preceptory was
established here at some time; perhaps when
they secured the neighbouring manor of Ewell
after the suppression of the Templars.
A full account of the bajulia of Swingfield is
given in the report of the possessions of the hospital in England made by Prior Philip de Thame
to the Grand Master in 1338. (fn. 2) The manor
house, with a garden, was valued at 6s. 8d.
yearly, the church at £10, a moiety of the
church of Tilmanstone at £8, the confraria or
voluntary contribution at £20; and rents and
lands at Swingfield, Cocklescombe, and Bonnington brought the total receipts up to £82 4s. 4d.
The expenses included £11 6s. for bread, £10
for beer, £11 for flesh, fish, and other necessaries
for the kitchen, 69s. 4d. for robes and other
necessaries for the preceptor and brother, 20s. for
repair of houses, 40s. for the visit of the prior for
two days, rents and suits of court, and stipends
of three chaplains, an esquire and two clerks
collecting the fraria, a chamberlain, a cook, a
baker, a porter, a bailiff, a mower, two grooms
and a page; and amounted to £52 18s. 4d.,
leaving 43 marks 12s. 8d. to be paid into the
treasury. Ralph Basset, knight, was preceptor, and
Alan Mounceux brother.
Pope Urban V in 1364 requested the master
of the Hospital to make provision of the priory
of Venice to Daniel de Carreto, preceptor of
Swingfield and Buckland, (fn. 3) and on learning that it
had already been filled he similarly recommended
him for the priories of Rome or Pisa. (fn. 4)
In the Valor of 1535 the gross value of the
preceptory of Swingfield, including the rectories
of Swingfield, Ewell, and Tilmanstone, was
£104 0s. 2½d. yearly, and the net value
£85 3s. 3½d., the deductions including a pension of 40s. to the prioress of Buckland in
Somerset. (fn. 5)
The preceptory and the rectories of Swingfield and Tilmanstone were leased on 16 March,
1541, to John Thorgood and Thomas Horseley
for twenty-one years, (fn. 6) and on 20 July the reversion was granted to Anthony Awcher. (fn. 7)
Preceptors of Swingfield
Ralph Basset, occurs 1338 (fn. 8)
Daniel de Carreto, occurs 1364 (fn. 8)
Edward Brpwne, occurs 1534 (fn. 9)