23. THE PRIORY OF BROMEHILL (fn. 1)
Bromehill Priory, in the parish of Weeting and
about a mile south-east of the village, was founded
by Sir Hugh de Plaiz about the beginning of the
thirteenth century. It was clearly well established by 1224, for in April of that year the
king granted a two days' fair on the vigil and day
of St. Thomas the Martyr, to the prior of Bromehill. (fn. 2) This Austin house was under the joint
invocation of the Blessed Virgin and St. Thomas
the Martyr. The priory was endowed by the
founder with a moiety of the manor of Weeting,
termed Bromehill Priory Manor. The hundred
jury of 1275 returned the prior as lord of a
moiety of Croxton as well as of the Weeting submanor, both being of the gift of Hugh de Plaiz
in free alms. (fn. 3)
The taxation of 1291 shows that the priory
then held lands or rents in ten Norfolk parishes
of an annual value of £23 8s. 2d., in addition to
the land in the two Suffolk parishes just named,
which was valued at £2 2s, 7d. (fn. 4)
In 1349 the priory obtained the royal licence
for the appropriation of the church of Croxton. (fn. 5)
In this year Prior Thomas de Saham died, in all
probability of the plague, and was followed by
Peter de Burnham.
In 1371 the priory obtained licence of alienation in mortmain to hold a messuage, 46 acres
of land, 2 of meadow, and a fishery at Bernham,
Suffolk, and lands and rents in Threxton, the
gifts of William Smith and William Attemore. (fn. 6)
Three years later they obtained the handsome
grant of £20 in rents at Weeting from Sir John
de Plaiz. (fn. 7) The manor of Mundford and the
advowson of the church there were granted to
the priory, in 1391, by William Beauchamp, (fn. 8)
and in 1395 Boniface IX sanctioned the appropriation of the church of Croxton, value 25 marks,
to this monastery, which was declared of the value
of 80 marks. The advowson had recently been
given to the priory by its lay patrons with a view
to appropriation. (fn. 9)
Frequent discord arose between the priory and
the neighbouring town of Thetford as to the toll,
stallage, and pickage of Bromehill fair. It seems
to have originated through the mayor's right to
hold a court at the fair clashing with the original
grant of the fair to the prior and canons by
Henry III. At last, in 1331, an agreement was
drawn up on the fair day between the mayor of
Thetford and the prior of Bromehill, whereby the
latter resigned all control of the fair to the town
authorities for an annual payment of 18d. out of
the fair profits, with a proviso that in case of
neglect the prior had power to indemnify himself. (fn. 10)
Philip Martin, vicar of Croxton, in 1452 left
to the prior 3s. 4d., and to each of the three
canons 20d., showing that there were then only
three canons besides the prior. On 20 June,
1514, however, when the house was visited by
Bishop Nicke, there were four canons in addition
to the prior, all of whom were severally examined
in the chapter-house. Prior Martin made a
favourable report, and said that they had more
than 2,000 sheep. Canon Henry Sympson had
several complaints as to ruined walls, insufficient
lamps, and the quality of the bread, ale, and
meat. It is of interest to note a reference to the
bad repair of the school-house ('camera scolae
vocata scolehous-chambre '). This must refer to
a school for outsiders; so small a house would
not require a separate room for the instruction of
novices. Canon Edmund also complained as to
lights and food, the hours of meals, the lack of a
barber, absence of servants and defects in the
building, all the fault of the prior; but he disbelieved a reported scandal against his superior.
He also stated that the number of canons on the
foundation was formerly seven. Canon John
Whetebred complained of the quality of the bread
and ale and the absence of servants. Canon
Richard Mason thought the food was not wholesome and that there was no provision for administering the necessaries of life to the infirm or
giving them attendance; he also drew attention
to the bad condition of the church, and buildings.
The bishop's consequent injunctions included
the removal of one Agnes Clarke from the
priory's service, and the exclusion of Christian de
Weting; the finding light and lamps for the
church in the winter; an improvement in food
and drink; the repair of the school-house before
All Saints' Day, and the execution of other necessary repairs; and the providing of a barber and
servants. The visitation was then prorogued to
Michaelmas. (fn. 11)
In 1520 Prior Martin was followed by Robert
Codde. In that year John, bishop of Chalcedon,
with certain colleagues, visited the house on behalf of Bishop Nicke. Prior Codde testified that
all things were going on well, and a like brief
report was made by the four canons, Edmund
Banyard, John Whetebred, Richard Mason, and
Richard Breccles. The injunctions, consequent
on this visitation, ruled that the prior was to provide within thirty days a place of confinement
with stocks and chains for the, correction of
canons; and that the canons were not to frequent taverns, nor to leave the priory without
permission of their superior, and to give up the
use of buckles. (fn. 12)
William Barlow alias Finch occurs as prior in
1525. He had already been prior of several
small Austin houses, Tiptree and Leighs in Essex,
Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, and Bisham
in Berkshire; he was afterwards successively
bishop of St. Asaph, St. David's, Bath and Wells,
and Chichester.
The priory was again visited by Bishop Nicke
in 1526. Prior Barlow gave a good report of
everything. Canon Banyard said that there was
no farmery nor attendance for the infirm canons;
Canon Whetebred complained that there was no
regular confessor, and that an annuity had been
granted to one Mr. Redmayne; Canon Mason
also objected to this annuity, and drew attention
to the ruinous condition of the church; and
Canon Breccles complained that silence was not
observed in the dorter. The only consequent
injunction was an order to the prior to provide
a confessor for the canons. (fn. 13)
This house was suppressed, at Cardinal Wolsey's
request, by Pope Clement's bull of 14 May, 1528,
towards the endowment of his projected college
at Ipswich. It was dissolved on 18 September,
1528, by Drs. Gardiner and Legh, the canons
being ordered to enter other Austin houses. The
work of demolishing the church and building was
at once undertaken, £4. 13s. 4d. being paid for
taking down the lead. In the same year 53s. 4d.
was paid by the cardinal to the vicar of Croxton
as his pension, and there was also a payment of
40s. to ex-Prior Barlow. (fn. 14)
After the cardinal's fall the land and site and
possessions of the late priory of Bromehill, including six manors in Norfolk, a windmill at Weeting,
lands, rents, &c., in twenty-four Norfolk and
three Suffolk townships, together with an annual
rent from Weeting of £20, and the advowson
of Croxton Church were granted by the crown
to the master, fellows, and scholars of Christ's
College, Cambridge. (fn. 15)
Priors Of Bromehill
Geoffrey, (fn. 16) occurs 1240
Henry, (fn. 17) occurs 1268
William, (fn. 18) occurs 1308
Ralph de Threkestone, (fn. 19) elected 1311
John de Welle, (fn. 20) elected 1342
Thomas de Soham, (fn. 21) elected 1344
Peter de Burnham, (fn. 22) elected 1349
William Estmore, (fn. 23) elected 1394
Robert Stowe, (fn. 24) elected 1412
John de Walsoken, (fn. 25) resigned 1424
Richard Winchester, (fn. 26) elected 1424
John Rammesey, (fn. 27) elected 1446
Robert Foster, (fn. 28) elected 1466
William Kyrtelyng, (fn. 29) elected 1479
William Lovell, (fn. 30) elected 1491
Thomas Axill, (fn. 31) elected 1491
Thomas Martin, (fn. 32) elected 1514
Robert Codde, (fn. 33) elected 1520
William Barlow, (fn. 34) occurs 1525, last prior