16. THE PRIORY OF COLD NORTON
The priory of Cold Norton was founded by
'Avelina domina de Norton,' in the days of
Robert bishop of Lincoln. (fn. 1) Avelina is well
known as the daughter of Ernulf de Hesding,
lord of the manor of Norton in 1086. Her first
husband was Alan Fitz-Flaald; her second, who
was alive after 1135, was Robert Fitz-Walter;
she outlived both and died before 1158. (fn. 2)
Bishop Robert de Chesney says that at the
presentation of Avelina, the lady of Norton, he
has 'canonically instituted the priory of the
church of St. John the Evangelist, the hospital
house of Cold Norton, and the church there
built,' and that it was endowed with the tithes
of her demesne and with lands. We can therefore fix the date of this foundation between
1148 and 1158. It seems that a priory with a
church was built in the hamlet of Cold Norton,
and also a hospital, the latter probably under the
patronage of St. Giles; for several of the earliest
grants are 'to God, St. John the Evangelist, and
St. Giles.' Bishop Walter de Coutances
(c. 1183) confirmed the possessions of the priory
in general terms; (fn. 3) but its history is blank until
we reach 1201, when Reginald, count of Boulogne and Ida his wife, who by some means
had become lords of Norton, confirmed to the
priory 348 acres in Norton. (fn. 4) Three years later
the property returned to the family of Fitz-Alan,
and William Fitz-Alan confirmed the lands of
the priory, mentioning among them 'the manor
of the house,' (fn. 5) i.e. the manor of Cold Norton;
for the Domesday manor of Norton contained
the vills of Chipping Norton, Over Norton, and
Cold Norton. (fn. 6)
In 1229 we have a charter of confirmation (fn. 7) by Henry III, enumerating the scanty
property of the canons, and in 1263 the bishop (fn. 8)
admitted them to the tithes of the demesne
of Adam de Brimton of Middle Aston, granted
by him.
The possessions of the priory in 1291 were
worth only £16 a year, all being in Oxfordshire
with the exception of half the rectory of Thenford,
Northamptonshire, which had been appropriated. The house was always afflicted with
poverty. In July, 1304, the bishop granted an
indulgence to all those who should contribute
towards the maintenance of the canons of Cold
Norton, and the archdeacons of Bucks, Oxon, and
Northants were instructed that if representatives
of the canons come to the faithful to ask for
alms, they should welcome them, and by word
and example forward their business. (fn. 9) No other
monastery in Oxfordshire was ever reduced to
this step. In 1363 the church of Steeple Aston,
Oxon, was given to the canons, (fn. 10) and in 1377
they were allowed to appropriate it; (fn. 11) also in
1370 they were given a manor in Rollright to
support two canons who should pray for the soul
of the donor; (fn. 12) yet in 1399 the priory was so
poor that the pope gave permission that the prior
might hold a vicarage or rectory, and that the
vicarage of Steeple Aston in addition to the
rectory should be appropriated to the priory and
the church be served by a canon; (fn. 13) and in 1401
their income was stated to be only 20 marks. (fn. 14)
Among the charters of Brasenose College, Oxford,
is a rental of about 1440, which gives the income
as £44, of which the manor of Cold Norton
produced £14, and the manor of Rollright £5;
it does not mention what the necessary outgoings
were.
For a subsidy, (fn. 15) collected about 1460, the
priory was estimated to have an income in Oxfordshire of £22; but it is noticeable that the
land at Cold Norton is not valued. It is a
natural conjecture that this, having been set
apart for the support of the hospital rather than
the priory, was exempt from payment to a
subsidy, as was all land that belonged to hospitals. If to this £22 we add a moiety of the
church of Thenford, and the demesne land of
Cold Norton, we reach a total of about £41.
We have no knowledge of the internal affairs
of the house from any visitations, for it is not
mentioned in the reports of Bishop Alnwick;
but we have a letter from the bishop in 1396
describing what allowance was to be granted to
Robert de Enstan, the prior who had just
resigned. The bishop says that for his negligence and idleness, whereby the priory is burdened
with debt, and short of vestments and books, he
deserves punishment rather than honour; but
having compassion on his old age, the bishop
allows that he should eat at the prior's table,
unless a worthier person be present, in which
case he must sit among the brethren. He is to
attend all the services, and shall be allowed one
servant at the expense of the priory. (fn. 16)
About twenty years later Bishop Repingdon
issued a commission to hold a visitation of the
priory and inquire into the excesses and crimes,
of which there is public talk, especially the
wasting of goods by the present prior, and his
contumacy; if it is necessary, he is to be deposed. No date is given, but it must be in
Dec. 1415 or Jan. 1416. (fn. 17)
In 1507 the prior died, and as he was the
only inmate, it was impossible to elect a successor.
The house was surrendered by the patron, the
lord of the manor, into the king's hands, (fn. 18) and by
him given to the dean and canons of the chapel
of St. Stephen's, Westminster. Among the deeds
at Brasenose College is a record that they were
offered 1150 marks by Bishop Smith of Lincoln,
the founder of Brasenose, for the priory and its
possessions. (fn. 19) This would suggest that its income
was about £50.
Priors of Cold Norton, Oxford
S., occurs 1212 (fn. 20)
Ralf, occurs 1235, (fn. 21) deposed 1236
Walter de Wilton, appointed 1236, (fn. 22) occurs
1241 (fn. 23)
Adam, c. 1260 (fn. 24)
Simon de Rollesham, elected 1264, (fn. 25) died
1284
Adam de Wodford, elected 1284 (fn. 26)
Peter de Wadington, elected 1285 (fn. 26)
Walter de Stratton, elected 1290, (fn. 26) resigned
1292
Robert of Ravenesdene, appointed 1292, (fn. 27)
resigned 1297
William de Tywe, elected 1297, (fn. 28) resigned
1322
John de Wotton, elected 1322, (fn. 29) died 1330
John de Thenford, elected 1330, (fn. 30) resigned
1334 (fn. 31)
William de Hokenorton, elected 1335, (fn. 32) deposed
1343
W. de Tewkesbury, elected 1343 (fn. 33)
Robert de Enstan, elected 1357, (fn. 34) resigned
1396 (fn. 35)
Thomas de Bradeley, occurs 1399 (fn. 36)
William Dadington, occurs 1405, (fn. 37) resigned
1417
William Islep, elected 1417 (fn. 38)
William, occurs 1429 (fn. 39)
John Haseley, occurs 1452, (fn. 40) died 1469
John Stanton, elected 1469, (fn. 41) occurs 1481 (fn. 42)
John Wotton, the last prior, died before
February, 1507 (fn. 43)
The twelfth-century seal of Cold Norton (fn. 44) is
a pointed oval, representing a church, viewed
from the east or west, with a central tower and
transepts; there are slender turrets at the end
of each transept, and the tower has a pointed
roof; the nave and the tower are of the same
width; no windows can be detected. Legend:—
[S]IGI[llum]: ECLESIE . SA[n]CTI . IOHA[n]IS. ET .
CONVE[ntus] . DE . NORT'. †