HOUSE OF GILBERTINE CANONS
13. THE PRIORY OF MATTERSEY
The Gilbertine priory of Mattersey was
founded in the lifetime of the memorable founder
of this order, St. Gilbert of Sempringham, by
Roger son of Ranulph de Mattersey, about the
year 1185. It was established on an island in
the River Idle, was dedicated to the honour of
St. Helen, and intended to support six Gilbertine
canons. (fn. 1)
An inspection and confirmatory charter of the
year 1341 recites a grant of confirmation.
Pope Celestine in 1192 committed a cause
between the Abbot of Welbeck and the canons
of Mattersey concerning the advowson of the
churches of Mattersey, Misson, Bolton (Lancashire), Gamston on Idle, and Elkesley, to the
judgement of the Abbot of Darley and two other
ecclesiastics, before whom an agreement was
sealed at Blyth, whereby the right to all these
advowsons was conceded to Mattersey, saving
the church of Elkesley, which was to remain with
Welbeck. (fn. 2)
About the end of the reign of Edward I,
Isabel de Chauncy, daughter of Thomas de
Mattersey, for the souls of herself and of her late
husband, Sir Philip de Mattersey, gave in her
widowhood to the prior and convent of St. Helen
on the Isle of Mattersey her whole demesne,
with all homages of the township of Mattersey
and Thorpe, and all lands and tenements which
they had by the gift of her ancestor in Mattersey, Thorpe, Gamston, Elkesley, West Retford,
Misson, and Bolton, together with the advowsons
of the churches of Mattersey, Gamston, Misson,
and Bolton. (fn. 3)
In 1303 John, Prior of Mattersey, was granted
simple protection by Edward I for two years, as
he was going to the court of Rome. (fn. 4)
The prior and canons in 1307 were granted
free warren in Mattersey and Thorpe. (fn. 5)
The Prior of Mattersey in 1276 claimed full
chartered privileges of freedom from pontage,
passage, and every kind of toll and custom, and
from hundred and other dues throughout England;
also free warren in his demesne lands of Mattersey and Thorpe. In support of these claims he
produced a charter of Henry III, of the year
1251, and another recently granted by Edward I. (fn. 6)
The Hundred Rolls of 1275 show that the
Prior of Mattersey was charged with making so
great encroachments on the road leading from
Gringley on the Hill to Mattersey, that it was
scarcely possible for a cart to make its way there.
The jury also declared that the prior held a
charter of Henry III to the effect that his men
need appear only before the king or his chief
justices to answer any complaint or charge, and
that on this account the former waxed too bold
and were a source of much annoyance to their
neighbours. It was also set forth that the Prior
and Canons of Mattersey held 11 oxgangs of
land of the fee of Lancaster at Mattersey; a
parcel of land at the same place on which their
house was situate, of the gift of Roger de
Mattersey, senior; also the advowsons of the
churches of Gamston and Misson, and half the
church of Mattersey, of the fee of Lancaster;
with 4s. rent from the nuns of Wallingwells;
an oxgang and a half at Finningley, of whose
gift they are ignorant; half an oxgang at Morton,
of the fee of Lancaster, the gift of Robert le
Vavasour; a toft and about 30 acres of land
in Elkesley, of the fee of Lancaster, the gift of
Alexander de Kirkton; 4s. rent in West Retford, of the same fee, the gift of William
Doynel; 2 oxgangs in Torworth, of their own
buying, of the same fee; 3s. rent in Lound,
of the same fee, the gift of Roger de Osberton;
12d. rent in Lound, of the fee of Tickhill, the
gift of Matthew de Sutton; 4s. rent at the same
place and of the same fee, the gift of William
son of Hubert; 4 acres and a toft in Mattersey,
of the fee of Lancaster, the gift of Thomas, Dean
of Crumwell; 40 acres of land and a toft in
Clayworth, of the fee of Tickhill, the gift of
Henry son of Robert; 60 acres of the land of
the soke of Oswardbec, bought in the time of the
late king; 12 acres of land in Eaton, of the fee of
Tickhill, the gift of Robert de Ulrington; and
half a mark rent in Normanton, of the fee of
Lancaster, the gift of Thomas the chaplain. (fn. 7)
A severe fire wrought dire destruction at this
priory in the year 1279. On 20 November of
that year Archbishop Wickwane ordered an inquisition to be held concerning the destruction
of the charters and other muniments pertaining
to the pensions and possessions of the house
which had perished in the flames. The jury,
consisting of rectors and vicars as well as religious,
were to make minute inquiry on oath as to the
substance of the writings which had been burnt.
On 5 December a certificate was registered from
the official of the Archdeacon of Nottingham,
stating that the rectors of the churches of Elkesley,
Kirton, and Boughton, and the vicars of Wheatley, East Markham, West Markham, Walesby,
Elkesley, South Leverton, and Headon, with
other jurors, declared that the monastery of
Mattersey possessed before the fire a certain
document, under the seal of Archbishop Gray,
assigning to them an annual pension of 5 marks
out of the churches of Misson and Gamston on
Idle. Moreover the jurors declared that they had
formerly seen and read a composition between
Mattersey and the nuns of Wallingwells, whereby the patronage of the church of Mattersey was
assigned to that priory. (fn. 8)
In October 1280 the diocesan's licence for
the appropriation of the church of Mattersey to
the priory was obtained, in consequence of their
poverty through the fire. (fn. 9)
The Taxation Roll of 1291 estimates the
annual value of the temporalities of this priory in
Nottinghamshire at £35; there were also in
spiritualities the appropriated churches of Mattersey £5 and Misson £12, giving a total taxable
income of £52. (fn. 10)
The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1534 shows that
the priory held 100 acres of demesne lands worth
£9 a year, and other temporalities to the value
of £30 6s. 7d. The most valuable of their
spiritualities was a pension of £10 out of the
rectory of Bolton, Lancashire, whilst the appropriated rectory of Misson, tithes of certain oxgangs in Mattersey, and a pension from Gamston Church, brought their total income up to
£61 16s. 7d. The clear annual value, however,
was only £55 2s. 5d. (fn. 11)
Henry IV in 1403 granted the priory a weekly
market on Monday at Mattersey and two annual
fairs, the one on the vigil and day of St. John of
Beverley, and the other on the vigil and day of
Sts. Simon and Jude. (fn. 12)
This priory was visited by the notorious Legh
and Layton in 1536. They stated that they
found one of the canons incontinent, and he
desired release from his vows. The annual
value was returned at £60. They also stated
that the founder (patron) was Edward Thirland. (fn. 13)
The priory was surrendered on 3 October
1538 by Robert, Bishop of Llandaff, commendatory general master of the Order of Sempringham, and by Thomas Norman, Prior of Mattersey, Thomas Bell, sub-prior, and John Garton,
William Schylton, and Richard Watson,
canons. (fn. 14)
Pensions were assigned on 2 December 1539
of £12 to the prior, £2 13s. 4d. to the sub-prior,
and 40s. each to the three other canons. (fn. 15)
The site, with houses, church, steeple, churchyard, a warren of coneys, a water-mill, a windmill, fishery rights, and rectory and advowson of
vicarage of Mattersey, was granted to Anthony
Nevill, esq., of the Royal Body, and Mary his
wife, together with all the priories, manors, &c.,
on 4 November 1539. (fn. 16)
There is a cast in the British Museum from a
damaged impression of the original seal of this
priory. It is a pointed oval, and appears to have
the figure of a prior kneeling before St. John
Baptist, with a long cross, holding up his hand in
benediction. Legend:—
S' PRIORIS DE MARESEYA (fn. 17)
Priors of Mattersey
Walter, occurs 1247 (fn. 18)
A—, occurs 1266 (fn. 19)
John, occurs 1303 (fn. 20)
Thomas Norman, occurs 1538 (fn. 21)