8. THE PRIORY OF BARNWELL
The house of Canons Regular at Cambridge
which became the Priory of Barnwell was among
the earliest foundations of this Order in England.
Picot, lord of Bourn and Madingley, and sheriff
of Cambridgeshire at the time of the Domesday
Survey, fulfilled a vow made by his wife Hugoline,
when she fell ill at Cambridge, by building a
church of St. Giles by Cambridge Castle, and
establishing canons there about 1092. (fn. 1) When a
death happened among the canons of Huntingdon
or Colchester the canons of Barnwell were bound
to pray for the dead man exactly as for a member
of their own community 'because these canons
are confederati with us'. (fn. 2) This links Barnwell with
these, probably the earliest of all English Augustinian houses. (fn. 3) Certain religious at Colchester
living together as 'hermits' had adopted that Rule,
and the newly founded communities at Huntingdon and Cambridge seem to have followed the
lead of Colchester. Geoffrey, a canon of Huntingdon, became first prior at Cambridge. (fn. 4)
Picot placed six canons at St. Giles, endowing
them with two-thirds of the tithe on the demesne
of all knights holding of his barony of Bourn, and
with the rectories of Bourn, Madingley, Rampton, Comberton, Harston, Hinxton, Tadlow, and
Guilden Morden. (fn. 5) Remi, Bishop of Lincoln,
confirmed the foundation shortly before his death, (fn. 6)
but 'before that little company had begun to live
an ordered conventual life' Picot and Hugoline
died, and their son Robert, being involved in the
rebellion of 1095, fled overseas. The house of St.
Giles came into the king's hand, and when, after
a few years, Henry I gave the barony of Bourn
to Pain Peverel, it was 'desolate and reduced to
nothing'. (fn. 7) Peverel at once took it in hand,
planned to raise the number of canons to 30, increased the endowment, and 'seeing that the place
where their house stood was insufficient for their
needs and had no spring of fresh water', he begged
of the king a site on the green common of the royal
demesne at Chesterton extending from the high
road below the castle to the river. Here by a holy
well, clearly going back to pagan times, a wooden
oratory, dedicated to St. Andrew, had been built
by a hermit, and deserted since his death. (fn. 8) About
1119 Peverel gave this site, and land in Bourn; (fn. 9)
the canons had already left the place they had inhabited for about 20 years and in 1112 had
solemnly taken possession, in the presence of
clergy and people of Cambridge, of their Norman
church of St. Giles and St. Andrew, which replaced the oratory of Godson, the hermit. Shortly
after this Geoffrey of Huntingdon died and was
succeeded as prior by Gerard, (fn. 10) to whom Pain
Peverel gave further gifts of land, several churches
and chapels, (fn. 11) and relics for the new church, which
he had obtained on the First Crusade. (fn. 12) Before
his death, about 1132, (fn. 13) progress had been made
towards completing the church, and Gerard had
built the dormitory and begun the other domestic
buildings. (fn. 14) Gerard died about the same time as
Pain Peverel's son William, (fn. 15) who was killed on
crusade in 1148. (fn. 16) The Peverel inheritance was
divided among coheiresses, Bourn, with Barnwell
Priory, going eventually to the sons of Pain's
daughter Alice, wife of Hamo Peche. (fn. 17) Richard
Norel, the third prior, a pious simple man 'who
could not bear the burden of government', resigned
within two years and went to France. (fn. 18) His
successor, Hugh Domesman, left a profound mark
on the economic life of the priory. (fn. 19) At its
first foundation it had little land, but was well
endowed with churches; (fn. 20) after its second it possessed the original and the new site, and a considerable holding in Bourn. Soon small donations
from the people of Cambridge began to build up
a demesne which at last included a third or more
of the eastern, or Barnwell Field, and much of
the Cambridge Field across the river, (fn. 21) where
Dunning, founder of the family which owned
the 'School of Pythagoras', gave 50 acres. (fn. 22) Hugh
Domesman himself gave 140 acres in the fields
and many houses in the town—his whole patrimony from his father Osbert Domesman: (fn. 23) he also
'recovered' the church of Great Wenden in Essex
for the canons and acquired land in Madingley. (fn. 24)
Hugh's successor, Robert (nicknamed 'Joel'
for his harshness), ruled long and did much for the
priory with the help of Sir Everard de Beche, (fn. 25)
Sheriff of Cambridgeshire 1170-7, (fn. 26) one of its
principal benefactors. He caused the unfinished
conventual church to be pulled down, (fn. 27) and built
a new one which was dedicated 1 April 1190 by
William Longchamp, who granted an indulgence
of 40 days. (fn. 28) The bishop also gave, or restored,
the churches of Waterbeach, Caldecote, and the
canons' first settlement at St. Giles. (fn. 29) This last
the prior assigned for the infirmary and the
minucio; (fn. 30) he also drew up new constitutions,
established the daily Lady Mass, (fn. 31) and endowed
the office of precentor with an annual rent of
3 marks. (fn. 32) These constitutions of Robert Joel
may have been the first draft of the Observances
of Barnwell, which are based upon the Customs
of St. Victor. (fn. 33) It may also have been at about
this time that a canon named Warin wrote a lost
chronicle of the house which the author of the
Liber Memorandorum quotes for the donation of
Hugh Domesman. (fn. 34) Geoffrey Peche, nephew of
William Peverel, who had inherited the patronage
of the priory in 1185, (fn. 35) died in 1190, (fn. 36) shortly
before the church was finished, as did Everard de
Beche, whose tomb was made over against that of
Pain Peverel, after whom he was reckoned as 'the
second lover of that church' which he had helped
Robert Joel to build. (fn. 37) During the reign of
Richard I Saher de Quincy, Earl of Winchester,
gave the priory land and several villeins (including
his huntsman) in Chesterton, (fn. 38) and on 27 April
1200 King John granted them that manor at a
yearly rent of £30 blanch, on condition that a gift
of £10 in alms, made a few months before, should
be void. (fn. 39) The Hundred Rolls also credit John
with having granted the Barnwell, or Midsummer,
Fair to the priory during the Interdict, (fn. 40) but this
grant is not recorded in the Liber Memorandorum,
which speaks of an earlier festival at the 'Bairns'
Well', (fn. 41) and the alleged charter of Henry II confirming the fair for four days 'from the vigil of
St. Etheldreda in summer', relied on when, in
1299, the prior was called upon to prove his right
to Barnwell Fair, (fn. 42) was probably that actually
given by Henry III in 1229. (fn. 43) Robert resigned
after 33 years as prior, and lived in retirement for
about 3 years more: (fn. 44) William of Devon, who
succeeded him, occurs 1202. (fn. 45)
In March 1203 King John lodged at the
priory; (fn. 46) Henry III was at the priory several
times, (fn. 47) and in 1267 his brother, the King of the
Romans, was there. (fn. 48) When, in 1293 Edward I
stayed at the castle, instead of at Barnwell, for two
whole days, it was said that this had not been done
before within the memory of man. (fn. 49) In November 1296 he was again at the priory. (fn. 50) Wine, of
the king's gift, was sent from Boston on several
occasions. (fn. 51)
In 1119 the patronage of Croyden Church had
been given to the canons by Hugh de Crauden,
who himself became one of them: in 1212 John
de Crauden, one of his descendants, unsuccessfully
contended that the gift was made after Hugh had
entered religion. (fn. 52) About 1213 Maud de Dives
and Asceline de Waterville, daughters of one of
the Peche coheiresses, gave the advowson of
Burton Coggles in Lincolnshire to Prior William
of Bedford (fn. 53) who succeeded William of Devon in
that year. (fn. 54) He and Richard de Burgh, who succeeded him, both died within the year, and in 1256
Prior Jolan de Thorley had to prove that he had
actually taken seisin. (fn. 55)
Richard de Burgh was the owner, while he
was prior, of a beautifully written copy of the
Flores Bernardi, (fn. 56) now at Lambeth. (fn. 57) This is
almost certainly the work of Laurence, chaplain to
Priors William of Devon, William of Bedford,
and Richard. He was remembered as the scribe
who copied the Legenda in three volumes, which
was read in the refectory, the Pastoralia of St.
Gregory, a Remedarium Animae, and many other
books, besides transcribing the charters of the
house. (fn. 58) Little has survived from the library of
Barnwell, but the space devoted to it in the
Observances is large. (fn. 59)
The great work of Richard's successor, Laurence de Stanesfeld was the building of refectory,
guest hall, infirmary, granary, stables, bakehouse,
and brewhouse, gatehouse and inner gate of the
inclosure. (fn. 60) The chapel for the Lady Mass,
dedicated to SS. Mary and Edmund, was finished
under him, and was roofed with lead, and the
infirmary chapel (in which Laurence's own anniversary was kept) was dedicated 2 October 1222
by John of Fountains, (fn. 61) who dedicated the Lady
Chapel 21 January 1229. (fn. 62) Possibly the Almonry
was attached to the new gatehouse. The Observances, written down about 50 years later,
contain a very full account of this department. (fn. 63) As in many of the larger monasteries, there was
an almonry school, (fn. 64) and, in addition to the schoolboys, five poor men 'who are the prelate's poor'
were constantly maintained there. (fn. 65) Three secular chantry priests also had their quarters in the
almonry. (fn. 66) To the almoner's office were appropriated the church of St. John Zachary in Milnstreet, the manor of Toft, the tithes of Toft, and
a number of small rents in and about Cambridge. (fn. 67)
The almonry chapel was built by Acius Frere,
who died before 1237; he also helped to endow
the almoner's office and founded a chantry in the
chapel, which was served by one of the three seculars, (fn. 68) another of whom served the chantry of
Thomas Tuylet. (fn. 69) The third chantry was that
founded by Prior Laurence himself at the prayer
of Geoffrey de Barnwell, a priest who gave his
large messuage with 5 acres of land and 100 marks
to buy further property. By his foundation charter
the priest was to be lodged 'in the court of our
almonry, with our chaplains and clerks who live
there', and was to have one mark a year for
clothes, and the daily maintenance of a canon; he
was to say mass daily in the almonry. (fn. 70) The five
resident poor received their daily allowance from
cellarer and kitchener; the schoolboys lived on
alms and the almoner seems to have acted as
schoolmaster, but his concern was chiefly with the
outside poor. For this, over and above his endowments, he had all ale left from supper, all broken
meats from refectory, prior's chamber, infirmary,
and guest hall, and the portion set before the president in the refectory each day for the soul of the
founder. These supplied three poor persons daily,
and twice or thrice a week in Lent there were
general distributions of beans and peas for pottage. (fn. 71) At Barnwell rotularii were received in the
almonry. (fn. 72)
At the Provincial Chapter held at St. Frideswide's in 1234 Laurence de Stanesfeld was joint
President. (fn. 73) The support given to Laurence by
the laity, 'since there were not then begging Friars
everywhere, as there are now', (fn. 74) was shown in
continued gifts of land. Geoffrey de Hatfield,
sheriff in 1229, gave a knight's fee in Barton; (fn. 75)
151 acres in Comberton were obtained for a rent
of 6s. 8d.; (fn. 76) two virgates were given in return for
a burial in the conventual church; (fn. 77) the advowson of St. Botolph's Church, given in or before
the time of Bishop Eustace, was confirmed to the
canons, with a pension out of the benefice, by
Hugh Northwold. (fn. 78) In 1241 Hamo Peche, their
patron, died in Palestine. (fn. 79) His body was brought
back to Barnwell by his son Gilbert, who caused
a tomb to be made for him and his grandparents,
the elder Hamo and Alice Peverel. Some years
later it was the existence of these family tombs in
the conventual church which saved the priory
from destruction. (fn. 80)
Laurence died in 1251. (fn. 81) He was remembered
as at once ascetic and kindly; so devoted to the
opus Dei that, when he was too old and sick to
walk all the way to his stall, he would have himself
carried to the entrance of the choir. His death was
followed first by a period of difficulty and then by
the Barons' War. The troubles of Henry of Eye,
the tenth prior, are attributed in the Liber
Memorandorum to the friars, (fn. 82) but it is clear that
he, who had been an outstanding success as
obedientiary, (fn. 83) could not face financial responsibility. After less than three years, and without
the knowledge of his convent, he resigned to the
official of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Ely
being vacant. (fn. 84) He was granted a lodging in the
priory, the equivalent of two canons' allowance,
and a canon to wait upon him. He lived in retirement for 14 years, supporting his companion out
of his allowance, and generous both in almsgiving
and in hospitality. (fn. 85) His successor, Jolan de
Thorley, found the granaries nearly empty when
he took office early in December 1254, and a debt
of nearly 600 marks, which he at once set about
wiping out. He is described as a shrewd, hard little
man, learned in civil law, (fn. 86) the study of which,
with that of canon law, was to become something
of a tradition at Barnwell, though interest in
learning seems to have declined later. (fn. 87) In 1257
the executors of Bishop William of Kilkenny gave
200 marks to the priory for the support of two
priests, students of theology in the University of
Cambridge, who were to maintain a chantry for
him in perpetuity. (fn. 88) The convent covenanted to
pay the students 10 marks a year, secured on their
lands in Wiggenhall, and the chaplains were to
be chosen jointly by the prior and the Chancellor
of the University; (fn. 89) but in 1286 the chancellor
had to sue the prior for arrears of the stipend of
the scholar-chaplains. (fn. 90)
Jolan proved his right to the Burton Coggles
advowson, (fn. 91) acquired additional land in Madingley and Barton, (fn. 92) and obtained the appropriation
of All-Saints-by-the-Castle from Bishop Hugh de
Balsham and assigned it to the infirmarian, subject to the payment of 10 marks yearly to Bishop
Kilkenny's chaplains. (fn. 93) He also rebuilt the western
range of the cloister, built a new lodging and
chapel for the prior, and was at last able to raise
the number of canons to the 30 for which Pain
Peverel had planned his foundation. (fn. 94) Between
1263 and the end of 1266, when he resigned,
misfortunes sufficient to cause a breakdown in his
health overtook Jolan. (fn. 95) While the 'Disinherited'
were holding out in the Isle of Ely there were
raids from that refuge, in one of which the prior's
manor-house at Bourn was burnt, (fn. 96) while at
another time the priory itself was threatened, and
the prior's own life in danger. Some of the insurgents held him responsible for the hanging of Sir
Walter de Cottenham, a supporter of Earl Simon.
Jolan took shelter in Waltham Abbey, and the
priory was saved because Hugh and Robert Peche,
who were with the rebels, protected the church
where their father was buried. (fn. 97) Jolan lived for
18 years after his resignation and during that time
made himself responsible for building the greater
part of the chapter-house and two more sides of
the cloister. Archbishop Pecham's visitation in
1283 reduced his lavish allowance to a pension
of 100s. and a single chamber in the infirmary
instead of a suite of rooms. Two years later
he died. (fn. 98)
With the election as prior of Simon de Ascellis,
the chamberlain, (fn. 99) an important chapter opened
in the relation of Barnwell to the University.
Simon had graduated in Arts at Oxford and been
a lecturer in Civil Law at Cambridge before he
became a canon. He helped to conduct negotiations between Henry III and the Pope about the
war in Apulia, was the official of Hugh de
Balsham, Bishop of Ely, and had been the king's
custos in the archbishopric of York during a
vacancy. (fn. 100) Having taken the habit of religion in
consequence of a grave illness, he was excused his
noviciate and installed among the seniors at Barnwell before he was professed or ordained. Ten
years later he was elected prior.
A large part of Book III of the Liber Memorandorum, which relates chiefly to legal matters, is
concerned with the relation of the priory under
Simon to the University and to religious orders
then newly arrived in Cambridge. (fn. 101) In 1274
Simon was summoned to the Council of Lyons,
but, pleading ill-health and the need for economy,
sent a canon, Richard de Needham, as his deputy. (fn. 102)
William de St. Omer, one of the king's judges,
stayed at the priory in 1268 with a large retinue,
his wife, and a train of 22 women. On some pretext he tried to fine the prior 40s., but the fine was
avoided by Simon's legal adroitness. (fn. 103) Perhaps the
real reason behind the case of Alan de Freston,
Archdeacon of Norfolk (who had been retained
for life as advocate for the prior and convent by
Jolan de Thorley and 30 years later sued Simon
for arrears of salary), was that Simon, the lawyer,
was doing the litigious business of his priory for
himself. (fn. 104)
In 1277 Archbishop Kilwardby arrived at
Barnwell 16 December, spent that day in visiting
the Cambridge deanery, either in the chapterhouse or in the parochial chapel, and slept the
night in the priory. Returning to Barnwell on the
last day of the year, he rested there on Saturday,
1 January 1278, preached in the chapter on Sunday, and carried out his visitation on 3 January. (fn. 105)
It was probably about this time that Eve, the
'overseas' lady married to Hamo Peche, died at a
great age, and was buried by the side of her husband and youngest son. (fn. 106) Her son Gilbert gave
his rights as patron to Edward and Queen
Eleanor, (fn. 107) and in 1285 his charter, by which he
had defined the founder's rights, was confirmed by
the king together with all the royal charters concerning Chesterton. (fn. 108) Henceforward on a vacancy
one or two canons must be sent to the king to ask
leave to elect a prior. Having asked, the convent
was free to proceed to the election, even if no
licence were granted. Until the election was
complete the king might quarter one of his servants upon the priory, with a horse and groom, in
name of simple seisin, to manage the temporal
affairs of the house and its officials. (fn. 109)
During compline on 3 February 1287 the
tower of the conventual church was struck by
lightning, (fn. 110) and, as the mischief was not located
until the cross and weathervane fell and set
neighbouring buildings on fire, the church was
almost burnt out. Bells and windows were broken,
roofs melted, a clock destroyed, and for a whole
year the original Lady Chapel was used for service. In March 1288, notwithstanding a dispute
as to whether reconsecration or merely reconciliation was required, John de Kirkeby, Bishop of
Ely, was asked to reconcile the church. He came,
but finding the church still badly damaged, and
being drawn into the dispute, quarrelled furiously
with Simon de Ascellis, excommunicated everyone concerned, and rode away. Next day he withdrew the excommunication, but continued to
nurse his anger against the canons; which, adds
their chronicler, 'was very bad for them in their
business with the Barons of the Exchequer, for he
was then Treasurer'. (fn. 111) This business was that of
the subsidies, of which they were sub-collectors.
In July 1294 the priory was seized by the sheriff
because the tenth due from the Bishop of Ely was
three years in arrear: however, the bishop paid it
promptly, and the temporalities were restored. (fn. 112)
On 30 September a fresh mandate to collect was
issued to both Ely and Barnwell, and protection
given to all houses, including these two, which
had paid their share. (fn. 113) Another appointment as
sub-collectors was made in December 1295. (fn. 114)
At this period the Chancellor of the University
was trying to assert his authority over the priory.
Reynold de Gresinghale, the chancellor, was first
witness to Gilbert Peche's charter of 1256, (fn. 115) and
Robert de Fulbourn, who had held the office, (fn. 116)
was a benefactor, 'whose like has not been found
in our time', before he died in 1285 in the canon's
habit, leaving them a stone house to found a
chantry for him. (fn. 117) This house Ralph de Leycestre,
a regent master, desired to hire as his hostel in
1292, but the prior was unwilling to accept his
pledge. Leycestre then went to the chancellor,
who accepted the pledge and admitted him to
tenancy: he then refused to pay rent unless the
prior sued him in the chancellor's court. Simon
denied his liability to appear before the chancellor,
and brought an action of novel disseisin 'whereat
all the University was vehemently astonished'. (fn. 118)
On another occasion the chancellor excommunicated a canon who refused to submit to his jurisdiction, and Simon for ignoring citation to his
court. (fn. 119) In both these cases the official of the
Bishop of Ely secured a compromise.
In Lent 1293 the king was at Cambridge
Castle, but from 25 January until after Easter
fifty of his horses were at the priory in charge of
John de Ristone, who is called 'our good friend
and a brother of our chapter', (fn. 120) that is, probably, a
member of the confraternity. John Langton, the
king's chancellor, also spent Easter there, (fn. 121) and in
Holy Week William of Louth, Bishop of Ely, concluded a visitation of his whole diocese 'which had
never been done before by a Bishop of Ely' by the
further innovation of consecrating the chrism and
reconciling penitents in the priory church. (fn. 122) In
the octave of Epiphany 1295 Archbishop Winchelsey, returning from his successful suit to the
papal court, passed through Cambridge on his way
to do homage to the king in Wales, and lodged at
Barnwell. 'A procession of the canons and of all
the Cambridge Friars, and of the University, and
priests' went out to meet him, 'and the canons
were in silk copes'. (fn. 123) Later in the year Barnwell
paid 6 marks in procuration to the legates who
came to negotiate a peace between Edward I and
the King of France. (fn. 124) In 1297 Simon de Ascellis
resigned. (fn. 125) Internal evidence shows the Liber
Memorandorum to have been begun in 1295 and
finished about July 1296, (fn. 126) but a short note in
another hand records his death on 8 September,
and adds that he was held in honour among clerks,
was frequently select preacher at the chapter of his
Order, and often elected one of the presidents. (fn. 127)
The records of most of these chapters of the southern province are lost for Simon's time, but he is
known to have presided as deputy for the Abbot
of Leicester at a chapter at Leicester in 1276. (fn. 128)
At this meeting a statute that the sick must be
nursed by conversi, and not by secular persons, was
revoked. This may reflect an increasing difficulty
in obtaining the unpaid labour of lay-brethren,
although at Barnwell they played quite an important part at least until the last quarter of the
thirteenth century. (fn. 129) Besides the lay-brothers there
were numerous secular subordinates such as the
servants of infirmary, tailor's department, and
sacrist, who alone of secular persons might enter
the dormitory; (fn. 130) the almonry servants, carefully
chosen lest they should send scraps to outside
laundresses or cobblers and to personal friends, (fn. 131)
and the serving lads who were to accompany laybrethren going on business beyond the precincts. (fn. 132)
Secular physicians visited the sick, (fn. 133) and the
Observances provide for a laundress, (fn. 134) but there is
no trace of women servants actually employed
at Barnwell. The cellarer, to whom the laybrethren were responsible, was also to have charge
of all who worked in the manors, 'the men
who thresh and the women who winnow'. He
was to be so constantly in the manors that,
although he ought to keep the weekly time-table
and hear or say mass every day, he had permanent
licence to say his hours in private and be free of
reading or serving in the refectory; (fn. 135) his work in
the house was to be done by a sub-cellarer, (fn. 136) the
cellarer thus approximating to an estate-agent.
But the actual records of the priory show two
receivers, one for Chesterton and one for the other
manors, doing much of the work here assigned to
the cellarer; (fn. 137) there is no trace of a sub-cellarer,
and the cellarer seems to be fulfilling his usual
function of storekeeper and head of the department to which refectorer and kitchener also belonged. The Observances suppose the existence of
seventeen obedientiaries, (fn. 138) but it is improbable
that all the offices were ever filled at Barnwell.
Of the conversi, however, who appear in the
narrative, the picture seems fairly accurate. A
lay-brother might be received after only 8 days'
training; (fn. 139) when he was dying he received unction
from the sub-prior—the dying canon was anointed
by the prior (fn. 140) —and he was carried to burial by
other lay-brethren, wearing the scapular, which
they alone used. (fn. 141) The sacrist was permitted to
apply a corrody, equal to the allowance for one
canon, to the maintenance of any mason, plumber,
or glazier temporarily working on the church. (fn. 142)
The prior was paramount within his monastery
but had the assistance of the sub-prior, and
theoretically of a third prior, (fn. 143) as well as of a committee of prudentiores et religiosiores, or seniors. (fn. 144)
The only manual work done by the canons regular
was probably writing, and the precentor, who was
librarian, had charge of the scriptorium, as well as
of all the books. (fn. 145)
How large the property of the priory had
become in the town of Cambridge is shown by the
tallage of 1312-13: under this levy the highest
amounts paid by other religious communities were
40s. from St. John's Hospital and 22s. 5½d. from
St. Radegund's; Barnwell paid £11 6s. in the
town, and £2 13s. 10½d. in Chesterton, (fn. 146) where
in 1313 the canons acquired a further 61 acres of
arable and 4 of meadow land. (fn. 147) In 1299 Edward I
gave to Margaret, his second wife, the farm of the
manor of Chesterton, to be paid by the Prior and
Canons of Barnwell, as part of her dowry. (fn. 148) In
1462 Henry VI gave the scholars of King's Hall
a permanent grant of £25 6s. 8d. from the feefarm 'by the hand of the Prior of Barnwell'. (fn. 149)
The king also claimed a corrody in Barnwell, (fn. 150)
and in 1409 Henry IV demanded a pension from
the priory for one of his clerks 'wherein they are
bound by reason of the new creation of the prior'
until they could provide the clerk with a benefice. (fn. 151)
Henry VIII appointed his yeoman of the wardrobe to the corrody in 1513, (fn. 152) and at the Dissolution the Bishop of Ely as well as the king had the
disposal of one of these. (fn. 153)
For long periods together Barnwell was appointed to collect clerical subsidies after almost
every meeting of Convocation. (fn. 154) The anomalous
position had arisen that, while the religious houses,
which came to be looked upon as the chief bulwark of Rome, were collecting for the king,
Peter's Pence and other papal exactions, such as
the procurations of nuncios, were paid to the
archdeacon, or the bishop's official—representative members of the secular clergy. (fn. 155) In this
diocese these were probably paid to the archdeacon
within the walls of Barnwell Priory, although not
by the agency of the community; for at Barnwell,
and not at Ely, the diocesan synod met twice every
year, at Trinity-tide and about St. Luke's Day. (fn. 156)
To these synods not only the parochial clergy but
also representatives of all religious houses owning
rectories in the diocese were summoned 'because
the conventual church of Barnwell was the place
appointed for the payment of synodals'.
In September 1315 Edward II was staying at
Barnwell, (fn. 157) and on 3 December Canon John de
Quy was sent to report Prior Benedict's resignation to him, and received the licence to elect. (fn. 158)
On 23 January 1316 Fulk, prior-elect, was pardoned for having procured confirmation of his
election from the Bishop of Ely before receiving
the royal assent. In recognition of the pardon he
undertook to say 25 masses within the year in his
own chapel of the Holy Spirit for the good estate
of the king and the realm. (fn. 159) Edward II, who
again visited Barnwell in February 1326, (fn. 160) had,
about 1317, given some books to the group of
scholars under his patronage which developed into
King's Hall, (fn. 161) and these Queen Isabel took away
when, (fn. 162) later in 1326, she came from Bury to
Cambridge under arms against her husband, and
lodged for several days at the priory. (fn. 163)
The Augustinian chapter for the province of
Canterbury had met at Barnwell in 1312, but its
acts have not been preserved; (fn. 164) from 1334 to 1339
Fulk's successor, John de Quy, was president, or
president-elect, of the chapter, and some of his
correspondence in that capacity exists. (fn. 165) In 1340,
when he should again have been president, he was
probably sick, for his place was taken by the Prior
of Bicester, (fn. 166) and he died at the end of the year. (fn. 167)
There were only seven canons fully professed and
in priests' orders to elect his successor, John de
Brunne.
Lisle, the new Bishop of Ely, summoned his
first synod for October 1342 in Barnwell. (fn. 168) He
was abroad at the time and went abroad again in
1348, leaving six vicars-general, of whom Alan
de Walsingham stood first in order of precedence
and the Prior of Barnwell second. (fn. 169) While the
Black Death was at its worst in April 1349, Lisle
increased his vicars-general to eight, and this time
the Prior of Barnwell stood first, with power to
fill all vacant benefices, (fn. 170) but John de Brunne can
never have received his commission, for he died in
May. (fn. 171)
There is little to show how far the community
at Barnwell was affected by the Black Death. The
prior may have been a victim, but numbers were
higher towards the end of the century than 4 years
before the plague. The handwriting of the
manorial register shows no break; the scribe
worked on through the epidemic and survived
it. (fn. 172) In July 1349 a canon, John de Wrattlesworth, was sent to Waterbeach instead of a secular
vicar, (fn. 173) and he was followed by another, John of
Canterbury, in July 1352, (fn. 174) but a secular priest
was presented in 1390; (fn. 175) Henry Fencotes, a
canon, followed him, (fn. 176) and for the last 100 years
or so of the priory's existence Waterbeach was
served almost entirely by canons. The Lateran
Council of 1179 had forbidden the placing of one
Regular alone in charge of a parish, but after the
Black Death the practice revived, and in the last
years of the century papal sanction was common.
In April 1399 Barnwell was licensed to have St.
John Zachary served by either canon or secular
priest removable at will, (fn. 177) and this seems only to
have regularized an existing state of things, for in
1396 John Asshefold, S.T.P., canon of Barnwell,
had been presented by the prior and convent. (fn. 178)
In 1402 Parliament forbade the practice, (fn. 179) but
the regulation remained a dead letter, and in that
very year John Barnwell, the prior, and Thomas
Brassington, one of his canons, had papal dispensation to hold benefices generally served by
seculars. (fn. 180) In 1407 Brassington was presented to
St. John Zachary. (fn. 181)
The Corpus Christi and St. Mary's Gilds had
licence to found their college in 1352, (fn. 182) endowing
it largely with land purchased from Barnwell
Priory for the purpose. In 1357 Canon John of
Canterbury, the vicar of Waterbeach, entered the
Corpus Christi Gild, (fn. 183) and in 1359 the priory
sold property in Landbeach to the college. (fn. 184)
St. Botolph's Church had been leased in 1353 for
a rent of 4 marks. (fn. 185)
On the death of John de Brunne, Ralph Norton
was elected prior, and about 5 months later a canon
named Simon of Séez, a lawyer practising in the
papal court at Avignon, appeared with a provision
to the office of prior. (fn. 186) The canons refused him
admission on the ground that they already had a
prior, and that the king was their patron. Simon
threatened action in the papal courts, and the
canons reported the attempted invasion to the
king. On 4 February 1350 instructions were
issued to attach his person and those of his proctors
for having brought into England undisclosed
letters tending to undermine the rights of the king. (fn. 187)
In 1352 he renounced all right to the priory by
provision, and was given a protection for himself
and his retinue to further the king's business at
Avignon. Once there, he procured an annulment
of Ralph Norton's election and a provision for
himself to the Abbey of Bourne, to be held with
Barnwell. He returned with this to England in
1355, but in 1356 was a fugitive from justice, and
after 5 November of that year disappears from
the records. (fn. 188)
The provincial chapters of 1325 (fn. 189) and 1356 (fn. 190)
were chiefly concerned with the universities, the
acts of the latter first mentioning a Prior studentium for Augustinians, and laying down that they
should live together as far as possible. The chapter
of 1365, held at Barnwell, went farther. A halfpenny upon every mark of spirituals as well as
temporals was to be raised in each house before
Easter 1366 for the students' maintenance, in as
much as the order had not 'any special hostels as
certain other Religious have'; prelates failing to
send students were to be fined £10 for every year
of default, and scholars proceeding to the higher
degrees were to be paid for by their own houses. (fn. 191)
At the chapter of 1368 the Prior of Barnwell was
appointed with two others to receive the proceeds
of the levy and of all fines in St. Michael's Church
at Cambridge before 1 August, and to account for
their receipts at the chapter of 1371. (fn. 192) This,
which was held at Newstead, decreed that the two
Priors of Students were to hold their chapters in
St. Frideswide's and Barnwell respectively, and
not in private houses. (fn. 193) No Augustinian college
was ever founded at Cambridge, and Barnwell
remained the centre for students of the Order at
Cambridge until the Dissolution, although the
visitors at another chapter at Barnwell in 1386
urged the enforcing of the levy with a view to
founding hostels. (fn. 194) Nearly a century later Henry
Burton (or Barton), Prior of St. Mary Overy,
Southwark (1468-86), planned, with the aid of
the prelates of the Order, to build a place in
Cambridge for students of the Order, who should
be under the rule of a Prior of the students. He
bought 2 messuages in Cambridge for the site,
and 112 acres of land in Teversham for its
endowment, but after his death no more was
heard of this scheme for a college of Austin
Canons. (fn. 195)
Numbers had risen in the late 14th century and
the house was prosperous, for in the clerical polltax of 1379 Ralph Norton paid £3 and his 16
canons at the highest rate of 3s. 4d. each. (fn. 196) An
archiepiscopal visitation in 1373 which found
much to correct at the Benedictine houses recorded nothing wrong at Barnwell. (fn. 197) The wealth
of the house, however, the standing dispute with
the town about common rights, (fn. 198) and the priors'
policy of inclosure, made the priory an object of
attack during the Peasants' Revolt, and the mob
which attacked Barnwell was led by the mayor.
On Monday, 17 June 1381, the townsfolk broke
into the priory precincts, pulled down walls, and
felled trees. They destroyed the pales of the
water-gate and carried off the gates, and stole fish,
turf, and sedge from the store. (fn. 199) At the assize
held at Cambridge on 3 July the prior put the
damage done in the close at £400, and his whole
loss as £1,000 (fn. 200) —certainly an exaggeration, but
not manifestly absurd. The mayor, Edmund
Redmeadowe, pleaded that he acted under compulsion, and that a crowd of more than 1,000
persons had collected before the attack. He was
imprisoned for a while, let out on bail, and finally
removed from his office. (fn. 201) On 23 July Bishop
Arundel issued an admonition to all who had been
involved in the riot at Barnwell to make restitution on pain of the greater excommunication. (fn. 202)
The prior had had licence on 7 July to recover all
that he could prove was his by whatever means
he could, no matter into whose hands the goods
had come. (fn. 203) Immediately after the rising seven
religious houses, of which Barnwell was one, made
complaint that their tenants were throwing off
their allegiance. (fn. 204) A week later Barnwell received
a confirmation of its charters. (fn. 205)
Gifts of real property had come almost to
an end by this time, although purchases continued; (fn. 206) one of the last alms was one of six shops
and some houses outside Aldersgate in London,
given in 1369 by John Noket, a priest of Barnwell
origin. (fn. 207)
On 9 September 1388 Parliament met at Cambridge. The king and his court lodged at Barnwell Priory until the end of the session on 17
October. (fn. 208) On 20 September John Waltham,
Keeper of the Privy Seal, and one of the most
politically minded of the supporters of Richard II,
was consecrated in the priory church by Archbishop Courtenay, having been provided to the
see of Salisbury. (fn. 209) John Fordham, Richard's
treasurer, took his oath of canonical obedience
as Bishop of Ely at the priory on 27 September. (fn. 210)
Richard II extended the duration of Midsummer Fair from 3 to 14 days; (fn. 211) and in 1394 he
intervened to prevent threatened meetings of the
commonalty and of members of the University to
break up the fair. (fn. 212) In 1392 Ralph Norton died,
and was succeeded by John de Bernewelle, (fn. 213)
whose personal name was Outlawe; (fn. 214) possibly a
canon of West Dereham, and one of the three
brothers of that name, all professed there, who
were manumitted by Bishop Arundel with papal
permission in 1387 at the request of the Bishop of
Norwich. (fn. 215) A lease involving the tithes of Holy
Trinity, Cambridge, was negotiated between
Barnwell and West Dereham after Bernewelle
became prior. This led to a case before the papal
court in 1399, in respect of liability for repairs to
the chancel, for which the prior was adjudged
responsible. (fn. 216) Soon after the Dissolution, when a
former canon of Barnwell was still incumbent of
the parochial chapel of St. Andrew there, it was
reported that many Barnwell inhabitants resorted
to Holy Trinity as their parish church. (fn. 217) St.
Andrew's was accounted an integral part of the
priory, for when in 1377 the archdeacon's official
intervened in a dispute between two women
parishioners, it was found that he had exceeded
his jurisdiction, the chaplain Dns. Robert
'notoriously dwelling within the said priory' and
being exempt from the archdeacon's jurisdiction.
On 14 February 1378 the bishop's official called
the apparitor of the deanery of Cambridge before
him in the chapter-house of Barnwell, Ralph
Norton, the prior, the steward, John de Birton,
and John de Kirkby, the sacrist, being present,
and charged him with having carried his wand of
office within the precincts of the priory 'to the
injury both of the jurisdiction of the Bishop of
Ely and of the exemption and immunity of the
Prior and Convent'. The wand was surrendered
to the official and restored at the prior's plea after
formal apology. (fn. 218)
Inclosures at Chesterton had brought the disputes between the priory and its tenants to a head
in the early part of the 15th century. In 1404 as
lord of the manor of Chesterton the prior brought
a suit against his 'bondsmen and tenants in bondage . . . who had leagued themselves together to
refuse their due customs and services' against the
provisions of the Statute of Labourers. (fn. 219) Thomas
Paunfield, one of the tenants who had defied the
prior, alleged that in 1405 he had been set upon
between Cambridge and Sturbridge Chapel by
William Downe (who had since become prior)
and other canons and servants of the priory acting
under the orders of the prior, John Outlawe,
assaulted, and deprived of various books and documents. (fn. 220) In July 1411 the priory 'being of the
King's patronage' was taken into his hand, and
his half-brother, Thomas Beaufort, appointed
keeper, because it had 'through bad governance
become charged with great pensions and corrodies
and burdened with debt', and many of its lands
and churches had been unwisely farmed or
alienated. (fn. 221)
On 6 July 1430 Martin V assigned the prior,
with John Depyng, Canon of Lincoln, to examine
alleged copies of letters, one of Honorius I, dated
7 February 625, and one of Sergius I, dated 3 May
699, which granted exemption from all episcopal
or other interference to the 'Masters, Doctors
and Scholars' of the University. Depyng did not
act, but in due course the prior reported in favour
of the letters and that the University had enjoyed
the privileges which it claimed from time immemorial. On 18 September 1433 Eugenius IV
confirmed the award, (fn. 222) and, when the chancellor
of the Bishop of Ely appealed to Wolsey in 1528
against excommunication pronounced on him for
infringing the privileges of the University by himself excommunicating one of its members, the
cardinal rejected his appeal on the ground of this
'Process of the Prior of Barnwell'. (fn. 223)
Almost immediately after this award fresh
impetus was given to the movement for separate
colleges for the religious in both universities. (fn. 224)
All the acts of the General Chapter of the
Augustinians at Northampton in 1434 dealt with
university and educational matters, (fn. 225) but the college, when it came, was at Oxford. At a chapter
at Oseney in 1443 St. Mary's College was
solemnly founded, (fn. 226) and Barnwell, like other
houses of the Order, had to pay its quota towards
building and maintenance. At the same time the
prior, with 18 others, was fined for having had
no student at either university for the past 3
years. (fn. 227)
In 1446, Henry VI having caused several
religious houses to grant him land for the site of
King's College, Barnwell lost St. John Zachary
and St. Edward's; the first being pulled down to
make room for building and the second made the
church of both parishes. (fn. 228) The canons, failing to
obtain the church of Kingston which had been
promised in compensation, petitioned the Bishop of
Ely for the appropriation of the church of Stowcum-Quy, which was granted to them in 1457,
with permission to serve the church by a canon of
the house. (fn. 229) In 1459 St. Botolph's Church was
conveyed to Corpus Christi College, (fn. 230) who had
held it on lease for the past 100 years.
During the Wars of the Roses the number of
canons seems to have fallen again. In 1379 there
had been 17; (fn. 231) in 1455 there were 12 canons
including the prior, of whom 7 were obedientiaries
—the sub-prior, cellarer, sacrist, precentor,
kitchener, and the receiver, (fn. 232) in whose accounts
the list occurs—as against the theoretical 17 of
the Observances. Eleven—two or more of them
in deacons' orders—took part in the election of
John Whaddon as prior in 1464; (fn. 233) only 7, one
being contumaciously absent, elected William
Tebbald in 1474. (fn. 234) In 1489, however, there were
14 canons at the election of John Leverington. (fn. 235)
Although the place of Barnwell as a royal lodging had now been taken by certain of the colleges,
visitors of importance still stayed there, as is shown
by presents sent by the town treasurers. In 1425
£2 1s. 6d. was thus expended in wine for the
Justices of Assize and money presents to their
servants at Barnwell; (fn. 236) in 1486 wine and other
presents were sent there for the Earl of Oxford: (fn. 237)
Bishop Alcock stayed sometimes at the priory and
sometimes at Peterhouse. In 1489 the treasurers
paid 2s. for wine for him at Barnwell (fn. 238) and in
1496 sent fish to the value of 6s. 4d., a flagon of
red wine and a flagon of Malmsey. (fn. 239) Bishop West
wrote to Wolsey in 1516 from Barnwell, where
he was lying very ill, (fn. 240) and was at Barnwell again
in 1521 (fn. 241) and 1527. (fn. 242)
In 1487 Richard Brocher, rector of Landbeach, left to William Tebbald, the prior, an image
of St. John in gold set with pearls, and to the prior
and convent 20s. for prayers; (fn. 243) and in 1492 John
Colyns, vicar of Madingley, left 20s. to the house
collectively, 6s. 8d. to the prior, and 12d. to each
canon. (fn. 244) Their benefactor, Sir John Cheyne,
who desired in 1489 to be buried in the Lady
Chapel at the conventual church near Dame
Elizabeth, his first wife, was sufficiently important
for his name to be written (as was that of his
father) into the calendar at the beginning of the
Liber Memorandorum. (fn. 245) The tomb for Sir John
and his wife was to be made 'after the form of the
sepulchre of my father Laurence Cheyne'. (fn. 246)
These were perhaps the two marble tombs expressly mentioned at the Dissolution. (fn. 247) Prior
John Leverington died in 1495 (fn. 248) and was succeeded by William Cambridge, or Rayson, a
member of an important burgess family, (fn. 249) a fact
which may account for benefactions to the priory
from two merchants, one of the same family.
In 1502 John Keynsham, alderman, left to the
priory his house in Bridge Street after his wife's
death, in return for an obit to be kept every year
on the Monday after 7 July with placebo and
dirige in the evening and a sung mass on the
following day. To ensure its continuance he
appointed the mayor, bailiffs, treasurers, and subbailiffs of the town trustees, and willed that
6s. 8d. from the treasurers' funds should be spent
on a 'jonchett' to be held immediately after the
dirige, at which the mayor and other officers were
to partake of bread and cheese and ale and give
alms to the poor. To cover the cost to the town
Keynsham and his wife surrendered to the
treasurers their booths in Sturbridge Fair. (fn. 250) The
supper long survived the dissolution of the priory,
although the day seems to have been changed,
and in 1669 the mayor and aldermen still went
with the Twenty-four to feast on bacon and
stewed prunes at the expense of the owner of
Barnwell 'abbey' and received a gift of wine and
sugar from the town. (fn. 251) In 1503-4 Thomas King
of Wisbech founded an anniversary in Barnwell
Priory secured upon his property, including the
'Falcon' in Petty Cury, the obit to be kept upon
the first Friday in Lent and the endowment to
revert to Michaelhouse in default. (fn. 252) Richard
King was the husband of Alice, daughter and heir
of Alice Baldwin or Rayson, wife of John Rayson,
for whose souls the foundation was made. The
will affords a clue to the average number of canons
in Barnwell at the time, for he left for the obit
16d. to the prior, 8d. to every canon in priest's
orders, not exceeding 12, and 4d. to every canon
not in priest's orders, not exceeding 5. The prior
or sub-prior was to be celebrant and the master of
'Michaelhouse was to be present, or represented
by a fellow, and to have 2s. and his breakfast after
mass at the prior's table, while his servant breakfasted with the prior's servant. Some idea of the
household of the canons a few years after this may
be gained from the poll-tax returns of 1512, when
the Prior of Barnwell had 11 servants living in the
priory. Of these 8 were officials receiving wages
from £1 to £2, three took the wages of a
'common labourer', and one is so described. (fn. 253)
In 1498 Barnwell leased Midsummer Fair to
the burgesses for one year: (fn. 254) and in 1505 it was
agreed that the mayor and burgesses should hold
Midsummer Fair of the priory in perpetuity,
paying a rent of 4 marks yearly and recognizing
the rights of the prior in proclaiming the fair. (fn. 255)
The chamberlain's account for 1498-9 (which
was kept by the prior) (fn. 256) shows that at that time
St. Giles and the rectory of Harston were farmed
and the proceeds applied to the clothing account, (fn. 257)
which at Barnwell, as elsewhere, had become a
regular system of cash payments to the canons, of
whom there were then 14, all but 2 of them
priests. William Massey, the student of civil law,
and now sub-prior, received 50s., 9 canons 40s.,
and 2 novices in minor orders had broken sums,
representing the balance of an allowance for outfits at their 'Clothing' on entering religion. (fn. 258)
These two, Thomas Rawlyn and William Cropley, were both ordained sub-deacon in 1500, (fn. 259) and
Rawlyn became prior in 1522. Outgoings show
a good deal of building material under the head of
'repairs', and parchment and ink for the receiver's
account books cost 24s., and for copying an antiphonar 38s. 9½d.; alms to mendicant friars and the
poor accounted for 4s. 2d., and a corrody for
31s. 10d. The total amount allocated was £393,
the convent debt, £34 10s. 5¼d.
In 1507-8, when Warin Asche rendered the
chamberlain's account, there were 9 canons and
3 novices. (fn. 260)
At the chapter at Leicester in 1509 the Prior
of Barnwell was definitor and Master Andrew
Sayne, Canon of Barnwell, one of three select
preachers in English. (fn. 261) In 1518 Wolsey held a
chapter at Leicester, as legate with commission to
reform the Order, described as falling to ruin. At
the chapter the prior of the students was appointed
to represent Cambridge because no other representative was present. (fn. 262)
There is little doubt that the election of
Thomas Rawlyn as Prior of Barnwell, on Rayson's death (fn. 263) (though perhaps carried out by the
canons of Barnwell, since he was of their number)
was made under Wolsey's influence. It is probable that he was related to Wolsey's influential
clerk of the same name, and possible that he was
the Thomas Rawlins whom Wolsey tried to
impose upon Butley as prior in January 1529. (fn. 264)
Wolsey finally allowed the canons of Butley to
elect one of their own number, (fn. 265) and Rawlyn
remained Prior of Barnwell until about January
1531, when, within a few weeks of the cardinal's
death, he resigned. (fn. 266)
On 26 January 1531 licence to elect a prior
was given upon the resignation of Thomas
'Cambridge', (fn. 267) and on 5 March the royal assent
was given to the election of Nicholas Smythe, (fn. 268)
who had been Prior of Huntingdon from 1503
to 1510 when he resigned to become prior of the
small Bedfordshire priory of Bushmead. (fn. 269) He
resigned Bushmead to accept Barnwell. In 1534
it was reported to Cromwell that the Prior of
Barnwell had sued for 'free election and royal
assent' without doing fealty by writ or otherwise
or suing for restoration of the temporalities,
although Rawlyn had done so; (fn. 270) the king thereupon ordered Thomas Goodrich, the new Bishop
of Ely, to remove the prior and appoint another,
failing which he would himself take action in
virtue of the royal supremacy. (fn. 271) Goodrich, almost
immediately after his appointment, had carried
out a visitation of the religious houses of his diocese, and, coming to Barnwell on 27 September,
had already 'deposed' Smythe. (fn. 272) Licence to elect
his successor was given on 7 November (fn. 273) and on
22 November the bishop was directed to confirm
the election of John, or Jonas, Badcock, (fn. 274) a canon
of the house. Of the 15 members of the community at Goodrich's visitation, 5 appear to have
been novices; they were apparently not priests,
and in 1538 they neither signed the surrender nor
received pensions. The prior's accounts for 15345 record heavy expenses about his 'election', and
a payment of £3 6s. 8d. to 'Master Dr. Lee, the
king's visitor'. (fn. 275) The value of the house in this
year was put at £256 11s. 10d. (fn. 276)
Badcock, having been presented to Goodrich
by the king himself, was regarded as well-affected,
and in 1536 was summoned with 76 other persons of importance to attend the king in putting
down the rising in Lincolnshire which preceded
the more formidable Pilgrimage of Grace. On
12 October a letter under the Privy Signet informed him that the rebellion had been put down
by the king's loyal subjects, but that he was to be
prepared to apprehend fugitives. (fn. 277)
Like most of the monasteries dissolved at this
time the priory contained more servants than
professed religious, and here the disproportion
was large: there were 16 or 17 secular persons
in residence, including 2 singing boys, who
were all given small sums on leaving the house.
The prior received a pension of £60 and £4
reward; the rewards of the others were 40s. each.
Richard Harnam, probably sub-prior, had a pension of £6 6s. 8d.; the veteran Warin Asche, who
had been sub-prior at Goodrich's visitation, and
two others, had £6; the other two £5 6s. 8d.
each. Besides those who signed the surrender the
two deposed priors had their pensions; Smythe's
was reduced from £20 to £18; Thomas Rawlyn
had £11. (fn. 278)
Among the church furniture sold by the commissioners (fn. 279) were 'tables of alebaster' from all the
side altars, a 'payr of organis', a clock, a few
images of wood and alabaster, and the usual lamps,
candlesticks, and bell, as well as the choir-stalls
and much timber from partitions and ironwork
from grilles. The only pieces of plate recorded
are 3 small spoons, 2 chalices, and a salt. Four
chapels and two altars besides the high altar are
mentioned as having been in the church, and there
was a plentiful supply of vestments. The cloister
was furnished, in addition to its 'ould laver of
brass' and 'laver of laye metall', with 'certain ould
seats', which suggests that it contained carrels for
study, while the wooden partitions or 'cells' from
the dormitory show that the canons had adopted
the cubicle system. (fn. 280) The unroofed walls remained standing, and in 1540 the six bells were
still hanging, and the material of the church was
valued at £61 15s. 2d. By 1578 the place had
become a quarry, (fn. 281) but substantial ruins existed
until 1810, when deliberate and thorough
destruction was put in hand: (fn. 282) as a result of this,
careful excavation in 1886 yielded very little, and
of the whole priory hardly anything remains but
the building known as the cellarer's checker. (fn. 283)
Of the three former priors and six remaining
canons at the Dissolution, Rawlyn may perhaps be
identified with Sir Thomas Rawlyns, chaplain of
Chesterton, who died in 1543: (fn. 284) Nicholas Smythe
was drawing his pension in 1551, (fn. 285) and may be
the Nicholas Smythe who had recently been chaplain at a Norwich church in 1555; (fn. 286) Warin
Asche does not appear in the pension list for 1539,
and can hardly have survived that year; Richard
Irnham (perhaps the canon 'Harnam') was chaplain of St. Andrew the Less, the parochial chapel
of his old monastery, in 1543, (fn. 287) and an Edward
Ball was curate of Stanton All Saints in the same
year. (fn. 288) Robert Wysse, William Raynes, and
Thomas Palmer have not been traced beyond
November 1539, when they drew their pensions. (fn. 289)
Badcock, in addition to his pension of £60, had
the rectory of Upwell, (fn. 290) and also farmed certain
of the Barnwell lands and tithes. (fn. 291)
Priors of Barnwell (fn. 292)
Geoffrey, c. 1092, died c. 1112
Gerard, c. 1112, died c. 1150
Richard Norel, c. 1150, resigned c. 1152
Hugh Domesman, c. 1152, died c. 1170
Robert, called 'Joel', c. 1170, occurs 1199,
resigned c. 1202
William of Devon, occurs 1202, died 25 May
1213
William of Bedford, elected 23 Oct. 1213,
died shortly afterwards
Richard de Burgh, elected and died 1213
Laurence de Stanesfeld, elected 1213-14, died
1251
Henry of Eye, elected 1251-2, resigned after
6 Aug. 1254
Jolan de Thorley, elected 1254, resigned
1265-6
Simon de Ascellis, (fn. 293) elected 6 Sept. 1266, resigned 20 June 1297
Benedict de Welton, elected June 1297, resigned Dec. 1315
Fulk, elected 1315-16, died Jan. 1329
John de Quye, elected Feb. 1329, died Nov.
1340
John de Brunne, elected 20 Nov. 1340, died
May 1349
Ralph de Norton, elected June 1349, died
March 1392
John de Bernewelle, or Outlawe, elected
March 1392, died Nov. 1408
William Downe, elected Nov. 1408, died Oct.
1428
John Chatteris, or Page, (fn. 294) elected Nov. 1428,
died Apr. 1441
John Bernewell, or Poket, elected Apr. 1441,
died Sept. 1464
John Whaddon, elected Sept. 1464, resigned
Nov. 1474
William Tebbald, elected 26 Nov. 1474, died
6 Aug. 1489
John Leverington, elected 20 Aug. 1489, died
Dec. 1495
William Cambridge, or Rayson, (fn. 295) elected Dec.
1495, died 11 Feb. 1522
Thomas Rawlyn, or Cambridge, elected Feb.
1522, resigned Jan. 1531
Nicholas Smythe, elected Jan. 1531, resigned
Nov. 1534
Jonas (fn. 296) Badcock, or Cambridge, elected Nov.
1534, surrendered 8 Nov. 1538
The common seal (fn. 297) of the priory is oval (2¾ × 2
inches), showing an ecclesiastic, vested, holding in
his right hand a staff ending in a tau cross; his left
arm is upraised and the hand grasps an object, perhaps a book. Legend: SIGILLVM ECCLESIE SANCTI
EGIDII DE BERNEWELLE.
The privy seal of Prior William (fn. 298) [? of Devon,
1202-13] is a pointed oval showing the prior
standing on a corbel, with a book in his hands.
Legend: SECRETVM . WILL'I . PRIORIS . DE .
B'NEW'.
The seal of Prior John de Brunne, used in
1345, (fn. 299) is oval (2½ × 15/8 inches) and shows, under
a triple canopy, St. Giles, holding in his right
hand a pastoral staff, with his hind against his
right side. Above the canopy is the Blessed Virgin
with the Child; below, in a niche, the prior in
adoration. Legend: S. IOHANNIS DE BRVNNE
PRIORIS DE BERNEWELLE.
The seal of the priory ad causas (fn. 300) shows two
figures beneath a double canopy: one wearing a
mitre, with crozier in right hand and left hand
raised; the other, vested, caressing a hind; below,
under an arch, a kneeling canon. Legend: S.
PRIORIS . ET . CONVENTVS . BERNEWELLE . AD . CA.