14. THE PRIORY OF FINESHADE OR CASTLE HYMEL
Leland, in his delightful gossiping Itinerary,
when passing in 1538 from Deene to Collyweston, on his way through Northamptonshire,
says:—
'Almost yn the Middle Way I cam by
Finshed, lately a priory of Blak Canons, leving
it hardly on the righte hond, it is four miles
from Stamford. Here in the very place where
the Priory stoode was in times past a Castel
caullid Hely, it longgid to the Engaynes: and
they dwellid yn it, ontylle such tyme that one
of them for lak of childern of his owne began a
Priory ther, gyving them Landes even thereabout: whereby after the Castelle was pullid
doune to make up the Priory, so that now there
remaynith almost no token that ever ther was
any Castel there.' (fn. 1)
Castle Hymel was demolished at the commencement of John's reign, when Richard Engayne the elder founded the priory for Austin
canons at a little distance to the north-east of
the castle. His son's confirmation charter (Leland was mistaken about the founder being
childless) is given in the Monasticon, from which
we find that the priory was originally known as
the church of St. Mary of Castle-Hymel, and
though soon afterwards popularly known as the
priory of Fineshed, the official title of the foundation charter was retained on the common seal
of the convent up to the dissolution. The
founder endowed the priory with lands and
messuages in Blatherwycke and Laxton, and
died on 23 April, 1208. His elder son Richard,
who was a bachelor, confirmed and increased the
endowment, and dying soon after his father was
buried at Huntingdon. He was succeeded by
his brother Vitalis, who gave Linwood to the
convent. Vitalis in his turn was succeeded by
his son Henry, who died in 1261. Henry
Engayne gave to the canons the churches of
Blatherwycke and Laxton and the manor of
Woodnewton, which donation was subsequently
confirmed with additional lands by his nephew,
John Engayne. (fn. 2)
On 2 May, 1223, Honorius III. issued a grant
of protection and confirmation of their possessions
to the prior and canons of St. Mary, Castle
Hymel, with various privileges and immunities,
and in the same year the pope confirmed an
ordinance made by Richard Engayne their
founder and patron, whereby the convent obtained the right to elect priors without the consent of the said patron or his successors. (fn. 3) Pope
Alexander IV. in 1255 granted to the prior and
canons of St. Mary's, Fineshade, described as
'wholly founded and built on the public road,'
licence to appropriate the church of the Holy
Trinity at Blatherwycke of their patronage, and
of the annual value of eight marks, the grant to
take effect on the next voidance, with the assent
of bishop or archdeacon, a due portion being
reserved for the vicar. (fn. 4)
With the exception of entries recording the
election or appointment of successive heads, little
information can be gathered respecting this
priory. The name of the first prior has been
lost. William Engayne of the founder's family,
the third son of Vitalis, is the first superior who
can be identified; he was probably the second
prior. (fn. 5) A commission was appointed in 1319
to hear the complaint of William de Bernak that
Richard, prior of Fineshade, and Robert de
Benyfeld, his fellow canon, with many others,
had broken his close at Blatherwycke, felled his
trees, and carried away timber and other goods. (fn. 6)
Prior Richard held office for over thirty years,
and on his death, in 1341, was succeeded by John
Bacon, a canon of the house. (fn. 7) He died within
two years, and the bishop, who in the previous
year had ordered a commission to inquire into
alleged excesses within the house, (fn. 8) appointed in
1343 William Spalding as prior on the plea of
irregularity of election. (fn. 9) A disastrous fire
occurred at the priory early in the episcopate of
Bishop Fleming, 1420-1431, and in December,
1422, the bishop sanctioned the appropriation of
the church of Laxton on this account; the advowson had belonged to their house. (fn. 10) Only one
visitation of this house is recorded, that of Bishop
Gray, 1431-1436. His injunctions are of a
purely formal character and throw no special
light on the internal condition of the house. (fn. 11)
During the rule of Prior John Markfield in
1522 the house was called on to contribute the
large sum (for so small a house) of £20 as a loan
towards the king's expenses in connexion with
his claim to the French throne. (fn. 12) The clear
annual value of the house according to the Valor
of 1535 at that time amounted to £56 10s. 11½d. (fn. 13)
Christopher Harringworth, who became prior in
1526, subscribed with six fellow canons to the
acknowledgement of the king's supremacy on
26 August, 1534. (fn. 14) The house came under the
statute for the suppression of the smaller monasteries. On Palm Sunday, 1536, Humphrey
Stafford wrote to Cromwell from Blatherwycke
to beg for the gift of the priory of Fynshed, a
house of canons in the county of Northampton.
In the same letter he preferred a request for the
house of canons of Worspring (Somerset) for his
father. (fn. 15)
Thomas Luffenham, recently elected, was
prior at the time of the actual surrender and
received a pension of 10 marks. (fn. 16) After the dissolution the site and demesne of the priory were
granted to John, Lord Russell, from whom they
passed shortly to Sir Robert Kirkham, (fn. 17) who
turned the conventual buildings into a residence. (fn. 18)
Priors of Fineshade
William Engayne, (fn. 19) elected 1226
Philip of Bedford, (fn. 20) elected 1233
Philemon, (fn. 21) occurs 1248
Ralph le Messag, (fn. 22) occurs 1248
John, (fn. 23) occurs 1258
William of St. Neots, (fn. 24) elected 1265, died
1275
Arnold of Slawston, (fn. 25) elected 1275, resigned
1289
Thomas of Tachebrok, (fn. 26) elected 1289, died
1305
Stephen of Stamford, (fn. 27) elected 1305, resigned
1310
Richard of Hold, (fn. 28) elected 1310, died 1341
John Bacon, (fn. 29) elected 1341, died 1343
William of Spalding, (fn. 30) appointed 1343
Robert, (fn. 31) died 1356
John de Piry, (fn. 32) appointed 1356
Henry Sutton, (fn. 33) died 1421
Richard Hemmingford, (fn. 34) elected 1421
Simon Bulwyk, (fn. 35) occurs 1480, died 1502
Robert of Exilby, (fn. 36) appointed 1502, died
1503
John Markfield, (fn. 37) appointed 1503, died 1526
Christopher Harringworth, (fn. 38) appointed 1526
Thomas Luffenham, (fn. 39) occurs at surrender of
the house
A very fine thirteenth-century pointed oval
seal of the priory, attached to the deed acknowledging the king's supremacy in 1534, now in
the Record Office, (fn. 40) represents the Virgin seated
on a carved throne under a canopy supported by
two columns, the Holy Child with nimbus
sitting on her left knee. On each side of her
head is an estoile of eight points. Her feet are
resting on a carved corbel. Legend:
S'ECCLESI(E) : BEATE : MARIE : DE : CA(STR)O :
YMIELIS.