3. THE PRIORY OF LYNN (fn. 1)
Bishop Herbert of Norwich, about the year
1100, founded the noble parish church of
St. Margaret's, Lynn, and attached to it a priory
of monks, dedicating the house in honour of
St. Mary Magdalen, St. Margaret, and all virgin
saints. He richly endowed it with churches,
lands, rents, and men, and granted the priory a
market on Saturdays, and a fair at the feast of
St. Margaret; but he made the priory of Lynn
and all its possessions subordinate to the great
diocesan priory of the Holy Trinity, Norwich.
The prior of Lynn, though an important person
in the local affairs of Lynn, was appointed solely
by the prior and convent of Norwich and was
removable at pleasure. He was responsible to
Norwich for all rents and profits that he received,
so that all donations and grants to the priory of
Lynn were practically made to Norwich and
need not be recapitulated in this brief outline
sketch.
The taxation of 1291 gives the annual value
of the temporalities as £8 0s. 4d. In the Valor
of 1535 this cell was valued under Norwich
Priory; the spiritualities were returned at £11
8s. 11d. and the temporalities at £14 0s. 6½d.
A roll of accounts from Michaelmas, 1438, to
Michaelmas, 1439, delivered to the prior of
Norwich, shows that the receipts in that year
amounted to £190 7s. 1¼d., whilst the expenditure was £196 8s. But the receipts fell off
materially towards the close of its existence.
The account roll of Prior Edmund Norwich for
1535-6 shows that the receipts were then only
£78 5s. 8d. The oblations in St. Margaret's
Church, which had amounted to £44 a hundred years earlier, then only reached the sum of
£14 5s. 4d. Not only did the pension due to
the prior of Norwich remain unpaid, but the cell
of Lynn was clearly a considerable burden to the
mother priory, for its expenses for that year
amounted to £115 11s. 3½d.
Legh and Ap Rice, Cromwell's visitors, were
here towards the end of 1535; they reported
that all of the house save two desired to be dispensed; two of the number are supposed to have
confessed incontinency to the visitors. (fn. 2)
This priory at the dissolution became part of
the endowment of the dean and chapter of
Norwich, and Prior Drake was made prebend of
the fourth stall.
Among the account rolls in the treasury of
Norwich Cathedral are annual returns from the
priory cell of Lynn for 1331, 1371, 1373,1381
to 1407, and a fair number from Henry VI to
the dissolution. Invalid monks or those needing
change were sent from time to time, both to this
cell and to that of Yarmouth, for a summer
outing. The roll for 1407 contains a charge of
51s. 10½d. for a conveyance of monks (in cariagio
monachorum) with gifts given them.
George Elingham, prior of Lynn, attended the
episcopal visitation of Norwich Priory in 1514.
He was examined as to the state of the mother
house, but naturally said he knew but little as he
was so seldom present. (fn. 3)
Priors of Lynn (fn. 4)
William, c. 1200
Adam de Schipdam, c. 1280
John de Bromholm, 1309
John de Stratton, 1325
William Ralflede Markham, 1378
Alexander, 1381
John de Carleton and Walter Ormesby, 1397
Richard de Folsham, 1398
John Elys, 1483
John de Dereham, 1483
Thomas Heveringham, 1487
John Fornsett, 1487
Nicholas Bardney, 1489
George Elingham, 1509
Edmund Norwich, 1535