25. THE PRIORY OF TIPTREE
The Augustinian priory (fn. 1) of St. Mary and
St. Nicholas, Tiptree, was founded by some of
the family of Tregoz, lords of the manor of
Tolleshunt Tregoz. The date of its foundation
is not known, but among the collection of deeds
relating to it in the Bodleian Library (fn. 2) is a grant
by Maurice son of Robert de Toteham of land
in Little Totham, which appears to belong to the
latter part of the twelfth century. The priory
was certainly in existence some time before
1218; when the church of Tolleshunt Tregoz,
which had been granted to the canons by Geoffrey
de Tregoz and confirmed (fn. 2) by William his son,
was appropriated to it by William, bishop of
London, and a vicarage endowed. Several other
small grants of property are preserved. (fn. 2)
The Taxation of 1291 mentions possessions of
the priory amounting to £5 2s. 1d. yearly. Of
this £1 5s. 0d. came from Tolleshunt Tregoz,
£1 from Stanway, 18s. 6d. from Fairstead, 18s.
from Witham, and the rest from Maldon,
Tolleshunt Knights, Great Totham, Tolleshunt
Mauger, Tollesbury, Little Birch, Sturmer,
Great Braxted, Colchester and Goldhanger.
The prior and convent had licence (fn. 3) in 1281,
in consideration of their poverty, to enclose
60 acres of land in the forest. The only grant
recorded afterwards is the considerable one by
Ranulph de Monte Caniso and Albreda his wife
of a messuage, 149 acres of land and 4 acres of
wood in Great Braxted in 1302. (fn. 4)
In September, 1389, Prior Thomas complained
to the king of having been ejected 'by the legs'
from the priory by John de Boys, the patron;
and obtained a grant of protection for two years. (fn. 5)
The letters patent mention the interesting fact,
of which nothing further is known, that the
prior held of the king by the service of carrying
on the day of the coronation the irons wherein
the king's wafers were made and assaying them
before him. It will be remembered that the wafers
were made by the lord of the manor of Liston in
Essex. A month later, however, this protection
was revoked (fn. 6) at the instance of the bishop, who
asserted that the prior had obtained it by false
hood and craft to prevent him from exercising
his jurisdiction over the house.
A later prior complained that John de Boys
and others had long unjustly deprived the priory of
rents, tithes, etc., and made petition for restitution to the executors of John and Margaret his
wife. (fn. 7)
Another case of assault is recorded in 1411.
Prior John Leghes brought an action in the King's
Bench against Elming Leget, esquire, and Alice
his wife and others, for having on 12 February
taken him and imprisoned him at Great Braxted,
and carried him from thence to Black Notley and
imprisoned him there. Elming and Alice pleaded
that he was a bondman belonging to their manor
of Chatham (in Great Waltham); but the prior
proved that he was a freeman, and obtained
60s. damages. (fn. 8)
On the resignation of Prior Barlow in 1515,
a dispute arose between the bishop and Anthony
Darcy, the patron of the priory, as to the
appointment of a prior. Darcy affirmed that
the priory had been founded by the lord of
Tolleshunt Tregoz, which now belonged to him,
and that the lords had been wont to appoint in
all times of a vacancy, and without further process by the ordinary such nominee entered into the
priory; while the bishop affirmed that he and his
predecessors were entitled to make provision, on
a vacancy occurring, from the lack of electors,
there being in the priory only one canon besides
the prior. The matter was referred to the
arbitration of Doctor Walter Stone and Richard
Broke, serjeant-at-law; who decided on 31
January, 1516, that Darcy and his successors in
the lordship should present to the priory at every
vacancy, and that the bishop and his successors
should immediately institute the person so presented; but out of respect for the bishop Darcy
consented to his presenting to the next two
vacancies. This award was approved by the
parties and sealed on 20 February, 1516. (fn. 9)
A dispute between Prior Roger and Anthony
Darcy about right of common at Tiptree is
recorded. (fn. 10)
Tiptree was the smallest of the Essex priories
suppressed by Wolsey; its temporalities being
valued (fn. 11) only at £18 16s. 4d. and its spiritualities
at £4 yearly. It was dissolved (fn. 12) by John Alen
on 3 February, 1525; and by an inquisition (fn. 13)
taken on 8 August it was found that it owned
the manor of Tiptree and the churches of
Tiptree and Tolleshunt, and that there were at
it at the time of the suppression a prior and one
other canon, who were transferred to other places.
It was granted (fn. 14) by Wolsey on 10 February,
1526, to Cardinal's College, Oxford; and afterwards, on 1 August, 1528, transferred (fn. 15) to his
college at Ipswich.
Priors of Tiptree
Benedict, (fn. 16) occurs 1244.
Walter, (fn. 17) occurs circa 1260.
Robert, (fn. 17) occurs 1309.
John, (fn. 17) occurs 1355.
. . . . de Wyndesore, (fn. 17) occurs 1358.
Thomas Malton or Multon, occurs 1386, (fn. 18)
resigned 1391. (fn. 19)
John Gosse, elected 1391. (fn. 20)
Henry Hey, resigned 1396. (fn. 21)
John Lyes or Leghes, elected 1396, (fn. 22) occurs
1398 and 1411. (fn. 23)
Stephen Charlewode, resigned 1430. (fn. 24)
Richard Tanner, elected 1430. (fn. 25)
John Felix, died 1440. (fn. 26)
Thomas Dane, succeeded 1440, (fn. 27) resigned
1441. (fn. 28)
Thomas Walde, collated 1441. (fn. 29)
Robert Willy, resigned 1461. (fn. 30)
Richard Mulcent, collated 1461. (fn. 30)
John Cradock, resigned 1509. (fn. 31)
William Barlow, collated 1509, (fn. 32) resigned
1515. (fn. 33)
Roger Stephyns, appointed 1516, (fn. 34) resigned
1521. (fn. 35)
Robert Fynche, appointed 1521, (fn. 36) the last
prior. (fn. 37)