ALIEN HOUSES
70. THE PRIORY OF FOLKESTONE
Eadbald, king of Kent (616-40), is said to
have built here for his daughter Eanswith a
monastery dedicated to St. Peter. Nothing is
known of the history of this house, but it would
seem to have been the earliest nunnery in England, with the possible exception of Barking.
In 927 King Athelstan made a grant of Folkestone to Christchurch, Canterbury, describing
it as the place where there was formerly an abbey
of nuns, and where St. Eanswith was buried,
and adding that it had been destroyed by the
Danes. (fn. 1) The account (fn. 2) of the life of St. Eanswith says that the site of the church was
swallowed up by the sea.
In 1095 Nigel de Munevilla, lord of Folkestone, and Emma his wife granted the church of
St. Mary and St. Eanswith, Folkestone, and all
the churches of their demesne pertaining to the
honour of Folkestone, with various other possessions, to the Benedictine abbey of Lonlay in
France, thus founding a new monastery. Their
daughter and heiress Maud married Rualo de
Abrincis, and later William de Abfincis, lord of
Folkestone, granted a charter of confirmation to
the monks. (fn. 3) In 1137, with his permission,
they moved from the castle of Folkestone, where
they were founded, to a new church outside.
Pope Innocent III on 26 May, 1204, confirmed
the possessions of the priory, including the
churches of Hawkinge and Alkham. (fn. 4)
In 1294 a grant of protection was made to
the prior while going beyond the seas. (fn. 5)
Folkestone, being alien, was taken into the
king's hands during the war with France, but
generally granted at farm to the prior, who paid
£30 yearly for it in 1338 (fn. 6) and £35 yearly in
1342. (fn. 7) In 1390 the priory was granted (fn. 8) during
the war to the prior, bailiff, and sacrist of Westminster Abbey at a yearly rent of £20; and in
1393 a monk of Westminster was appointed
prior by the king. (fn. 9) In 1399 the priory was
restored to him under the condition that during
the war he should pay to the king the tax paid
of old to the abbey, and should properly maintain the priory and pay tenths and other subsidies. (fn. 10) Folkestone appears afterwards to have
been made denizen, and it escaped the dissolution
of alien priories, though the tax of 6 marks
yearly was paid regularly to the king. (fn. 11)
Prior John brought an action in Chancery in
1433 against Robert Walton and others, with
William Clerk, vicar of Folkestone, for assault
at mass in Folkestone church. (fn. 12)
Archbishop Warham visited (fn. 13) the priory on
22 September, 1511, when apparently there was
no prior, but James Burton had been appointed
administrator. He was ordered to make a full
account and inventory. Nothing else was noticeable except the curious fact that the other three
monks had originally been professed in different
houses and orders, William Weston in the
Augustinian monastery of St. Mary Overy,
Thomas Scale in the monastery of Bermondsey,
and John Carter in the Premonstratensian monastery of St. Radegund.
In the Valor (fn. 14) of 1535 the gross income of
the priory, including a disputed annuity from the
college of Wye, amounted to £63 0s. 7d. and
the net income to £41 15s. 10d.; after deductions of £21 4s. 9d. in rents and fees, the old
tax of 6 marks being paid to Eton College
pending a lawsuit.
In the same year Folkestone was visited (fn. 15) on
Friday, 22 October, by Richard Layton, who
reported that there were there a prior and a sick
monk. The priory was in the gift of the archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Clinton was
the patron. The parish church belonged to the
priory, and with the glebe formed almost its
whole revenue. The house was in utter decay;
it consisted of one hall, one chamber, a kitchen,
and a little parlour underground, not meet for a
monk; the barns were well filled with corn,
and there were a few cattle, but no household
stuff. The prior and monk were both guilty of
serious offences. This unfavourable report was
probably one of the reasons why the priory was
surrendered (fn. 16) on 15 November, before the Act
of Dissolution was passed in the next year;
though Thomas Bedyll, who received the surrender, describes it as a little house well repaired,
and the prior a good husband and beloved by his
neighbours. (fn. 17) It is difficult to say which of the
two versions is correct. The prior complained (fn. 18)
at first that he had nothing given to him but a
bed lacking both pillows and blankets; but on
20 March, 1537, he received a pension (fn. 19) of
£10, dating from the preceding Michaelmas.
The priory was at first leased (fn. 20) to Edward,
Lord Clinton; and on 9 January, 1539, it was
granted to him in fee simple. (fn. 21)
Priors of Folkestone
Peter, occurs 1296 (fn. 22)
Robert de Stokeyo, occurs 1326 (fn. 23)
William Medici (fn. 24) or Waterham, (fn. 25) appointed 1344, (fn. 24) occurs 1345 (fn. 25)
Thomas, died 1361 (fn. 26)
James de Suessione, appointed 1361 (fn. 27)
John de Husceu, occurs 1370 (fn. 28)
Sampson Sennys, appointed 1372, (fn. 29) resigned 1376 (fn. 30)
Nicholas Barbarot, appointed 1376 (fn. 31)
Nicholas Chiriton, appointed 1393, (fn. 32) resigned 1426 (fn. 33)
Richard Longe, elected 1426, (fn. 34) died 1427 (fn. 35)
John Ashforde, elected 1427, (fn. 35) resigned 1446 (fn. 36)
John Combe, elected 1446 (fn. 37)
Thomas Banys, occurs 1467, (fn. 37a) deprived 1493 (fn. 38)
Thomas Sudbury, occurs 1502-3 (fn. 38)
John Thornton, appointed 1513, (fn. 39) died 1516 (fn. 40)
George Goodharst, collated 1516 (fn. 41)
Thomas Barret, the last prior (fn. 42)
The seal (fn. 43) of the priory (fifteenth century) is a
pointed oval, measuring 2⅛ by 1⅜ in., representing
St. Eanswith standing crowned in a niche with
round-headed arch, holding in the right hand a
book and in the left a sceptre or palm branch.
In a smaller niche above with ogee arch, pinnacled and crocketed, is the Virgin standing
crowned, holding in the right hand the Child
and in the left a sceptre. Tabernacle work at
the sides. In base, under a flat arch, the prior
half-length in prayer. Legend:—
SIGILLŪ CŌMUNE PRIORATUS DE FOLKESTON.