HOUSE OF TRINITARIAN CANONS
40. THE PRIORY OF INGHAM
A small priory of the Order of the Holy
Trinity for the Redemption of Captives was
founded at Ingham by Sir Miles Stapleton of
Bedale, Yorkshire, in the reign of Edward III.
The founder was lord of this town through
marriage with Joan daughter and heiress of
Sir Oliver de Ingham. This Order of Trinitarians, as they were usually termed, was founded
in 1198. Their possessions were to be divided
into three parts: one portion for the redemption
of captives, according to the rule of St. Victor;
another part for the relief of the poor; and the
remaining third for their own subsistence. There
were twelve houses of the order in England, of
which Ingham was the last to be founded. (fn. 1)
In March, 1355, Innocent VI issued his
mandate to the bishop of Norwich to grant
licence to Miles de Stapleton, knight, lord of the
town of Ingham, to rebuild and enlarge the
church of Ingham, of the value of 26 marks, in
his patronage, and to elect therein a college,
in honour of the Holy Trinity and All Saints,
of thirteen religious, one of whom was to be
the prior or warden and another the sacrist,
making it a conventual church with due statutes
and ordinances, the rights of the bishop and
archdeacon being preserved. (fn. 2)
Richard Marleburgh was the first prior, and
John de Pevesey the first sacrist. The sacrist
had charge of the parish part of the manor and
of the parishioners, and lived in the two-storied
parvise over the south porch. His office was a
benefice, and there are two instances of sacrists
being instituted in the diocesan registers, namely,
in 1387 and 1426. On 2 July, 1360, the
bishop licensed the appropriation of the church
of Ingham to the priory; at that date there were
only a prior and two brethren or chaplains. (fn. 3) In
1362 the priory was beginning to flourish, for in
that year they obtained letters patent for the
enlargement of their house, and three years later
leave to divert a road for the same object. (fn. 4)
In July, 1379, Roger de Boys, John de Boys,
and Reginald de Eccles granted to the priory
property in Worstead and Scottow. (fn. 5) In 1384
the priory received from John de Saxham the
advowson of the church of All Saints, Cley, and
lands and tenements in 'Treston' and Little
Soxham; in 1389 the manor of Thorney; and
in 1392 the manor of Cockley Cley, and eight
messuages, 211 acres of land, 22 of meadow,
4 of moor, and 11s. 11d. rents in Ingham, Hickling, Worstead, and divers other townships, together with the advowson of the church of
Walcott. (fn. 6)
In 1401 Boniface IX sanctioned the appropriation to this priory of the churches of Walcott
and Cockley Cley, value not exceeding 90 marks;
each church might be served by one of their
canons, or by a secular priest removable at the
prior's wish. (fn. 7)
The Valor of 1535 gave the clear annual
value of the priory at £61 9s. 7¾d.; their most
valuable possessions were the appropriations of
the churches of Ingham and Walcott, which
brought in an income of £20 17s.
Thomas Catfield alias Godrede occurs as prior
in 1492. In that year, on 23 October, Archdeacon Goldwell, acting as commissary of the
bishop, visited the house. The prior and his
brethren were severally and privately examined,
with the result that nothing was found that
required reformation. There were four professed
brethren, John Ludham, sacrist; William Norwich, Robert Fryston, and John Ingham; and
two who were not professed.
Prior Catfield was still in office when the
house was again visited by commission on 18 July,
1520. The prior and four brethren testified
omnia bene, but Brother John Saye complained
that the prior did not present an annual statement of accounts. As a result of the visitation
the prior was required to exhibit, at the next
Michaelmas synod, an inventory of all valuables
and movables, and to render an annual account
before the senior brethren.
The same prior also received a visitation, by
commission, on 18 June, 1526. Prior Catfield
gave a good report, save that the house was in
debt 26s. 8d. John Saye, licensed by the bishop
to the cure of the parish church of Walcott,
Richard Fox, serving in a similar way the church
of Ingham, three other brethren, and two novices,
all agreed that omnia bene.
John Saye was prior on 12 June, 1532, when
Bishop Nicke visited Ingham in person. The
prior and four brethren united in testifying that
there was nothing worthy of reformation, and
the bishop took a like view. (fn. 8)
On 5 August, 1534, Prior Saye, with six of
his brethren, signed their acknowledgement of
the king's supremacy. (fn. 9)
The visitors of 1535 alleged in their secret
comperta that the prior and one of the brethren
were guilty of incontinence.
On 7 November, 1535, Cromwell received
information from Richard Wharton that the
prior and convent of Ingham had sold their
house and lands to one William Woodhouse
without the knowledge of their founder (patron)
Sir Francis Calthrope, and contrary to their promise to Edward Calthrope, nephew and heir to
Sir Francis, who had married a near kinswoman
of the writer, to give him the first offer of it.
The letter curtly offered Cromwell £100 for
his favour. But on 19 November Dr. Legh
wrote to Cromwell from Norwich, saying that
the prior of Ingham had made no sale to Woodhouse as reported, but only conditionally in the
event of his procuring the king's licence. However, another correspondent, on 15 December,
reaffirmed what Wharton had stated. (fn. 10)
The four county commissioners for the Norfolk suppression wrote to Cromwell on 10 August,
1536, saying that during their survey they sent
to the house of Ingham to put their books and
necessaries in due order before their coming;
but on their arrival they found no religious
person there, because of their bargain, dated
24 December, 1534, with William Woodhouse. Woodhouse had appeared before the
commissioners at Coxford, and alleged that Ingham was outside the statute, for it was a house
of Crossed Friars and not. of monks or canons.
The commissioners had perused the statute and
thought that it was so. (fn. 11)
In the commissioners' formal report they
say:—
The Priory of Ingham ys solde to one William
Woodehowsse and the Religious persones in the same
Dispersid and gone and the goodes and catalles wasted
and spoyeled; the circumstances of whiche matter we
have advertysed and sygnifyed unto you by our letters. (fn. 12)
Sir William Woodhouse seems to have been
allowed to retain his purchase; he exchanged it
for the priory of Hickling in 1544, and it thus
became part of the estate of the bishopric of
Norwich.
Priors of Ingham
Richard Marleburgh, (fn. 13) 1360
John de Trowse, (fn. 14) 1383
John Trows, (fn. 15) 1420
Thomas Netesherd, (fn. 16) elected 1429
John Blakeney, (fn. 17) elected 1439
John Norwich, (fn. 18) elected 1447
Thomas Ranworth, (fn. 19) elected 1476
Thomas Catfield alias Godrede, (fn. 20) occurs 1492,
1526
John Saye, (fn. 21) occurs 1532, last prior
Sacrists of Ingham
John de Pevesey
John de Catefeld, (fn. 22) admitted 1387
Thomas Netesherd, (fn. 23) admitted 1426
There is a cast of an imperfect impression of
the fourteenth-century seal of this priory (2½ in.
by 1½ in.) at the British Museum. Within a
pointed oval is a representation of the Trinity
within a triple-arched niche. In the base is a
shield charged with a lion rampant, for Sir Miles
Stapleton, the founder. Legend:—
· · · · SANCTE TRINITATIS · · · · · (fn. 24)