3. THE PRIORY OF UPHOLLAND
The Benedictine priory of (Up) Holland, near
Wigan, founded in 1319, replaced a college of
secular canons founded nine years before by
Sir Robert de Holland, kt., who laid the basis
of the fortunes of a noble house on the favour of
Thomas, earl of Lancaster. (fn. 144) Bishop Langton,
finding that the canons had deserted the place,
whose wildness made it a more suitable residence for religious than seculars, with the consent
of Holland substituted (10 June, 1319) Benedictine monks for the chaplains and assigned
the endowments of the college, including the
rectories of Childwall and Whitwick (in Leicestershire), to the new priory. (fn. 145) Edward II added
his confirmation and licensed the house to acquire
in mortmain lands to the value of £20 a year. (fn. 146)
The house has little history. Its endowment
was small and the times were not propitious for
further additions. (fn. 147) Whitwick church was
taken into the royal hands in or before 1323
by reason of the prior's default; (fn. l48) the nature
of his offence is not further defined, but the first
prior is known to have resigned or been deprived
of his office, and this may have been the occasion. Possibly he was a partisan of Thomas of
Lancaster, whose execution was then recent. The
sequestration of Whitwick, however, was not permanent. As early as 1334 the priory attracted
episcopal animadversion. William of Doncaster, (fn. 149)
former prior, was living alone on the manor of
Garston, 'contra canonica et regularia instituta.'
In 1391 the priory became involved in a
violent quarrel with Henry Tebbe of Threnguston, who farmed part of the Whitwick tithes.
Tebbe refused to pay, tore up the obligation into
which he had entered when it was shown to him,
drove the prior Robert of Fazakerley out of the
church, carried off oblations to the amount of
£5 from the altar, and menaced Robert with
death if he tried to re-enter. Failing to get any
redress from the sheriff of Leicestershire the
prior brought the matter before Parliament. A
sergeant-at-arms was sent to arrest Tebbe and
his chief abettor, who, being produced in Parliament, confessed their guilt and were clapped in the
Fleet, but on paying a fine and coming to terms
with the prior obtained their pardon and release. (fn. 150)
By an indenture dated 15 May, 1464, the
prior and convent undertook that one of the
monks should daily say mass in their church for
the souls of Sir Richard Harrington, kt., and of
his father and mother. (fn. 151)
If the house was not belied the end of the
century found it in a parlous state. Bishop
Hales was informed that the monks did not
observe their rule, that their church was out of
repair, and their other houses ruinous and their
spiritual and temporal goods dilapidated or dissipated by their negligence. In 1497 he appointed
commissioners to inquire into the excesses of the
monks and others, but unfortunately their report
has not been preserved. (fn. 152)
As the income of the house was less than
£100 it was dissolved under the Act of February,
1536. Some light is thrown upon its condition
at that date by the 'Brief Certificate' (fn. 153) of the
royal commissioners, who then revalued it, and
from their detailed inventory of its plate, jewels,
and furniture. (fn. 154) The buildings were again in
good repair, but the thirteen monks of the
original foundation were reduced to five (including the prior), all of whom were in priest's
orders. (fn. 155) Three were desirous of 'capacities,'
the others seem described as 'aged and impotent,
desiring some living of the King's alms.' The
list of rooms shows that the rule was laxly
observed. Each monk had a separate bedchamber, the common dorter being appropriated
to the use of the sub-prior. With one exception they were provided with feather-beds. To
judge by the report of Doctors Legh and Layton,
the visitors of the previous year, the morals of
the prior, Peter Prescot, and two of his brethren
were exceedingly loose. (fn. 156) The testimony of
the two visitors lies, as is well known, under
some suspicion of hasty exaggeration. (fn. 157) But
even if we make allowance for this, it is pretty
clear that unless the monks were the victims of
local spite things were worse at Holland than in
some other houses, e.g. at Burscough. (fn. 158)
Charity was not altogether neglected in the
priory. It supported two aged and impotent
persons, and there were two children at school
'kept of devocion.'
The commissioners found that part of the
plate of the priory had been recently pledged.
Two silver reliquaries in the shape of arms from
the elbow upwards, one containing a bone of
St. Thomas of Canterbury, the other a bone of
St. Richard of Chichester, worth £16 13s. 4d.,
and a chalice worth £6 13s. 4d. were in the
possession of Sir Richard Fitton of Gawsworth,
who had received them in the February previous
as security for a loan of £10. The prior's
explanation was that the money had been
wanted to pay the tenth and the king's visitors.
Two parcel gilt salts had disappeared altogether.
During the prior's absence in London in April,
1536, Elizabeth Bradshaw, brewer and daywoman
of the priory, had entrusted them for safe keeping
to William Topping, servant of the house. They
were not forthcoming, and Topping and his
wife lay in Lancaster Castle awaiting trial. (fn. 159)
The priory was dedicated to St. Thomas the
Martyr. The patronage passed by marriage in
1373 with the manor of Holland to John, Lord
Lovel of Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire, and
Minster Lovell, Oxon. Forfeited in 1485 by the
last Lord Lovel, the estates, and probably the
patronage of the priory, passed to the earls of
Derby. (fn. 160) Its original endowment transferred
from the college consisted of a plough-land in
Holland and the appropriate churches of Childwall and Whitwick. (fn. 161) Some additions had
probably been made to their holding in Holland
and Orrell before the Dissolution, and they then
possessed a little land in Childwall parish, but
the annual value of these temporalities in 1535
only amounted to £12 10s., Childwall Rectory
was worth £38 13s. 4d., that of Whitwick
(rent) £10. (fn. 162) The net annual income of the
house was £53 3s. 4d. This was increased to
£78 12s. 9d. in the new valuation made at the
Dissolution in May, 1536.
The bells and lead were valued at £18; the
painted glass in the church was sold for £13 to
the inhabitants of Upholland, Orrell, Billinge,
Higher End, Winstanley, and Dalton, to whom
the church was transferred as a parochial chapel. (fn. 163)
The plate, church ornaments, furniture of the
priory buildings, horses, cattle, and stock of corn,
&c., with debts due to the house figured in the
valuation at £114. 2s. 8d. (fn. 164) £18 18s. 10d.
was owed by the priory.
In 1545 the priory was granted to John
Holcroft.
Priors of Upholland
Thomas of Doncaster, (fn. 165) first prior, occurs 1319. Resigned ?
An unnamed prior, (fn. 166) occurs 1334
John of Barnby, (fn. 167) occurs 1340 and 1350
William, (fn. 168) resigned 1389
Robert of Fazakerley, (fn. 168) elected 1389, died 1403
John Cornewayll, (fn. 169) elected 1403, resigned 1445
William Whalley, (fn. 170) elected 1445, died 1466
John Topping, (fn. 171) elected 1466, died 1470
Matthew Whalley, (fn. 172) elected 1470
Thomas, (fn. 173) occurs 27 January, 1493-4
Peter Prescott, (fn. 174) occurs 1535, surrendered 1536
The seal of the priory attached to the deed
settling the Harrington Chantry, referred to
above, (fn. 175) is of brown wax, large and oval in
shape. In the centre there is a figure on horseback. Above, three figures approaching a person
seated (murder of St. Thomas). Below, shields
of Lancaster and Holland.