22. THE PRIORY OF BEESTON (fn. 1)
The priory of Austin Canons at Beeston-onthe-Sea, dedicated to the honour of St. Mary,
was founded by Margery de Cressy about the
end of the reign of John. (fn. 2) The original endowment was a messuage and 40 acres of land in
Beeston and Runton, together with certain
demesne lands, rents, services, meadows, wreck
of sea and fisheries. (fn. 3)
Lucy, abbess of Caen, granted to Roger the
prior and the convent of Beeston, in 1267, the
advowson of the church of Staninghall, Norfolk. (fn. 4)
The taxation of 1291 gave the annual value
of the temporalities of this priory in Norfolk,
which were widely scattered in small parcels
throughout the county, as £25 5s. 10¼d., and of
its possessions in Suffolk at £2 10s. 10½d. (fn. 5)
Nevertheless, their appropriations could not
have been carried out at that date, for when a
crown return was called for in 1416 of the appropriated churches of this diocese, the reply from
Beeston Priory was that they held no appropriations, and that their goods had been destroyed or
much diminished in the pestilence of 1349 and
by a terrible inundation in 1400. (fn. 6)
The Valor of 1535 gave the clear annual value
of the priory at £43 2s. 4¾d., drawn from the
manors and court fees of Beeston, Runton, Sheringham, Holt Perers, and Ranworth, and from
lands at Sparham and Buxton, Norfolk, and
Reydon, Suffolk.
In 1370 letters patent were granted on payment of 100s. for the alienation to the priory of
lands and tenements in Upton, Ranworth,
Pankeford, and Woodbastwick, to find a lamp
burning daily in the priory church before the
high altar at the time of divine services. (fn. 7)
Boniface IV sanctioned, in 1401, the appropriation by this priory of the church of Runton,
as their income was too slender for their sustentation and hospitality. The value of the benefice
did not exceed 20 marks, and that of the monastery 30 marks. The church might be served by
one of their own canons or by a secular priest,
removable at the will of the prior. (fn. 8)
In 1408 the manor of Perers, and in 1412
tenements in Aylmerton, Felbrigg, and Shipton, a
moiety of the advowson of Beeston and the
advowson of Runton were all granted to the
priory. (fn. 9)
In 1466 Isabel Lady Morley died seised of
the patronage of the priory, and Eleanor her
cousin, wife of William Lovell, Lord Morley,
inherited it. This patronage had come to the
Morleys as heirs of the Cressys.
John de Walsam, one of the canons of Beeston,
got into serious trouble in 1317. The cause of
the outrage cannot now be ascertained, but on
one occasion he attacked and wounded his diocesan with a sword. Ultimately the case was
referred to the pope, and the canon sent to Rome.
In December of that year John XXII instructed
the bishop to enjoin penance and satisfaction on
John de Walsam, for now that he had recovered
from his wounds the pope had given the canon
absolution. (fn. 10)
The priory was visited by Bishop Goldwell on
25 August, 1494. He was received at the west
gate of the monastery by Prior John Poty and
the other priests, and proceeded in solemn procession to the high altar of the church, whence
he gave his blessing. The visitation was held
in the chapter-house. The prior testified that
there was only one canon of the house besides
himself, namely Thomas Taverner, and he was
absent without leave. The bishop enjoined him
to have at least two fellow-canons as speedily as
possible, and annually to draw up a true return
of the priory accounts. (fn. 11)
Thomas Plattyng, by will proved in 1507,
left 6d. to Our Lady of Grace and 4d. to Our
Lady of Pity in Beeston Priory church. (fn. 12)
Bishop Nicke visited the house on 18 July,
1514. The prior reported that Canon Thomas
Taverner was in Norwich without leave. Canon
Nicholas Wodforth said that the prior did not
produce his accounts, and charged him with a
scandal. Canon Robins testified that all was
well. Canon Daume said that they had no
school; that mattins were said at five o'clock and
not in the night; that the common seal was in
the prior's private keeping, but that everything
else was right. Canon Rump knew of nothing
to depose. (fn. 13)
Bishop Nicke again visited Beeston in August,
1532, when Richard Hudson, who had become
prior that year, exhibited his accounts and inventory; Canon Woodford reported that all was
well, with which report Canon Yorke agreed.
The bishop finding nothing worthy of reformation dissolved his visitation. (fn. 14)
On 11 August, 1539, Prior Hudson and his
four canons, Nicholas Wodforth, William Wusbarow, James Fysser, and Robert Swyer put
their signatures to the acknowledgement of the
king's supremacy. (fn. 15) It is said that the income of
the house was never sufficient to sustain more
than four canons in addition to the prior; but
this is highly improbable in its earlier days, considering the size of the house as shown by the
ruins.
On 25 March, 1537, Harry Lord Morley
wrote to Cromwell making bold to sue him for
the priory of Beeston 'whereof sometime I was
founder' (patron), understanding that it would
be shortly suppressed. He desired to know
whether he should sue the king for it. (fn. 16)
In some curious way, however, Beeston,
though one of quite the smaller monasteries,
managed to slip through the meshes of the first
suppression. In March, 1538, Sir Richard Rich
wrote to Cromwell saying that he intended to
suppress Beeston 'which pretended themselves to
be friars,' but were canons and so apparelled and
known. He stated that they were consuming
the goods and chattels. (fn. 17)
The confusion as to the proper nomenclature
of this house and as to the order to which the
inmates belonged is not a little singular. It is
usually described after the same fashion as the
other small houses of Austin Canons that were so
prevalent in East Anglia; but Dr. Jessopp says
that he has twice found it described in the Norwich episcopal registers as 'Hospitale sive Ecclesia
canonicorum B. Marie in Prato de Beeston.'
Nevertheless it was at one time considered by
some to be tenanted by friars, for the patent
rolls of 1400 have an entry 'pro Priore de Monte
Carmali de Beeston.' (fn. 18)
In the report of the 'mixed commission,' consisting of Sir William Paston and three others,
the account of this house is headed, 'The Priory
of Chanones in Beeston of th' order of Peterstone, they been callyd Chanones hospitlers and
they have a convent seale.' This commission
returned the annual value at £46 3s. 6¾d., with
debts owing to the amount of £20. The lead
and bells were valued at £60, and the house was
in good repair. The religious only numbered
three, and were of 'goode name'; but there were
in addition seven servants and six children living
in the house. 'One scholler of Oxonforde hath
xls. yearly for his exibicione.' (fn. 19)
On its suppression in June, 1539, Prior Hudson
was assigned a pension of £5, and the canons
smaller sums. (fn. 20) The ex-prior was in receipt of
the pension in 1553; he was at that time rector
of Newton Flotman.
The crown granted a lease of the site of the
priory and its possessions to John Travers in
1540; (fn. 21) and in 1545 the site, lordships, lands, and
tenements were granted jointly to Sir Edmund
Wyndham and Giles Seafoule.
Priors Of Beeston
Roger, occurs 1267 (fn. 22)
Thomas, occurs 1297 (fn. 23)
William de Beston, elected 1314 (fn. 24)
Geoffrey de Hoton, elected 1325 (fn. 25)
Simon de Calthorpe, elected 1390 (fn. 26)
Laurence de Beeston, elected 1409 (fn. 27)
Geoffrey de Runton, elected 1416, (fn. 28) occurs
1435
John Catteson, occurs 1461
John Wykmer, 1468 (fn. 29)
John Poty, 1444 (fn. 30)
Simon Robyns, 1531
Richard Hudson, 1532