HOUSE OF PREMONSTRATENSIAN CANONS
15. THE ABBEY OF LAVENDON
The abbey of St. Mary and St. John Baptist at Lavendon was founded, probably
during the reign of Henry II., by John de
Bidun, (fn. 1) who was sheriff of the county in 1154.
The abbey was much troubled by law suits
during the first century of its existence, and
lost nearly all the churches with which the
founder had endowed it. The charters of
John de Bidun and other benefactors, as Sibyl
de Aungerville, Ralf Earl of Chester, Ralf de
Bray, Richard de Beauchamp, were confirmed
by Henry III. in 1227: but the church of
Stowe had already been quitclaimed to John
de Rochford (fn. 2) ; and the place called Snelshall, with the chapel of Tattenhoe, was given
in the next year to the Benedictine priory of
that name. (fn. 3) In 1231 two of the daughters
of John de Bidun claimed the churches of
Wootton and Shelton in Northamptonshire.
The case was difficult to settle, as the last incumbent of Wootton had been presented by
John de Bidun; but while the abbot said he
was presented before the charter was made,
the heirs declared that he was presented after
the charter. The abbot vouchsafed to warrant two other daughters of John, but the
case was not settled at that time for want of
further evidence (fn. 4) : and it seems that it was
finally decided against the abbot, for he certainly lost the churches from this time forward. Again in 1225 he lost the church of
Tombstone in Norfolk, because it was finally
proved that the de Biduns had no right in the
church at all, and could not grant it to the
abbey; the last presentment, which had been
made by Sarah de Bidun, had been irregular. (fn. 5)
In 1237 the abbot secured the church of
Lavendon against John de St. Medard (fn. 6) ; in
1272 the church of Lathbury was claimed by
Robert Raynel, (fn. 7) and again in 1281 by Andrew
de Gatesden. (fn. 8) The church of Kirkby must
have been lost some time during the same
century.
In 1339 a quarrel arose with Simon of Norwich, a near neighbour of the abbot's in Lav
endon. Simon complained that whereas he
had impounded certain cattle in his fee of
Lavendon for default of service, the abbot
had rescued the cattle, broken his close houses
and doors, assaulted him, and carried away his
goods. (fn. 9) A month later the abbot brought a
complaint against Simon for having prevented
his tenants coming to his court leet, impounded
his sheep, plotted against his servants so that
they dared not go out to till his land, buried
a boat with nets for taking fish in his fishery,
and compelled his men to swear that they
would no longer serve him. (fn. 10)
There are a few notices of protection
granted to abbots of Lavendon among others
to cross the seas for the general chapters at
Prêmontrê. (fn. 11) In 1226 an abbot of this house
was the bearer of a special message from
Henry III., granting favours to the order, and
asking the benefit of their prayers at the coming chapter. (fn. 12) The wars of the next century
made these gatherings difficult for English
monks to attend. A petition sent to the
pope in 1397 from Lavendon shows that the
house, never very rich, had fallen into great
distress. It was hard by the high road, and
there were constant demands upon it for hospitality; but its revenues had been sorely
diminished by the results of the Great Pestilence: lands had become barren for want of
cultivation, labourers were few and wages very
high, and great exactions had been made from
religious during the wars, in spite of the burdens they had to sustain in maintaining the
poor and infirm. The church of Aston in
Northamptonshire, not two miles from the
monastery, was appropriated at this time for
their support. (fn. 13)
At the time of the dissolution there were
ten or eleven canons in this house, (fn. 14) but as its
revenue was under £200 it fell under the first
Act of Suppression. The surrender was taken
some time before 28 July, 1536, when William
Gales, the abbot, received a pension of £12. (fn. 15)
Perhaps some of the others may have received
benefices, but as the house was poor, no other
pensions were assigned.
All Premonstratensian houses were free of
episcopal jurisdiction, and the benediction of
the diocesan was not necessary even at the
election of a new abbot: consequently there
are few entries relating to them in the Lincoln
registers. As Bishop Bokyngham wrote a
letter to the pope however in 1397 on behalf
of the canons of Lavendon, we may conclude
that he was prepared to endorse their plea of
poverty, and had no reason to disapprove the
house. (fn. 16) The general visitation of the whole
order in 1478 tells us very little of this abbey:
its report simply states that the Abbot of
Soleby was its father abbot, and that the
canons had four churches to serve; no details
as to the order of the house are given. (fn. 17)
The original endowment of the abbey included the site and adjacent fields, with 29
acres besides, and a park and a mill; the
churches of Lavendon, Lathbury in this
county; Wootton and Shelton in Northamptonshire; Stowe, Kirkby, Tombstone in
Norfolk; the place called Snelshall and the
chapel of Tattenhoe; with other parcels of
arable land, wood and meadow in the neighbourhood. (fn. 18) The churches of Wootton, Shelton, Kirkby, Stowe and Tombstone, as well
as Snelshall and Tattenhoe, passed out of the
abbot's hands in the thirteenth century. The
churches of Aston near Bozeat (Northants),
and Shotwell (Warwicks) were appropriated
during the fourteenth century. (fn. 19) In 1284 the
Abbot of Lavendon answered for half the vill
of Lathbury and one sixth of a knight's fee in
Lavendon (fn. 20) ; in 1302 for half a fee in Willen (fn. 21) ;
in 1346 for only one quarter of a knight's fee. (fn. 22)
The temporalia of the abbey were valued in
1291 at £34 4s. 2d. (fn. 23) ; in 1535 its whole revenue amounted only to £79 13s. 8d. (fn. 24) The
Ministers' Accounts after the dissolution
amount to £90 0s. 4d., including the rectories of Lathbury, Lavendon, Aston and
Shotwell. (fn. 25)
Abbots of Lavendon
David, (fn. 26) first abbot
Austin, (fn. 27) occurs 1236 and 1237
Jordan, (fn. 28) occurs 1254 and 1271
Philip, (fn. 29) occurs 1279
John of Lathbury, (fn. 30) elected 1312
Richard of Emberton, (fn. 31) occurs 1350, died
1380
William of Leicester, (fn. 32) elected 1380
Nicholas of Lathbury, (fn. 33) occurs 1413
Robert Helmdon, (fn. 34) occurs 1478
William Curlew, (fn. 35) occurs 1491
William Gales, (fn. 36) last abbot, occurs 1529
Pointed oval twelfth century seal, taken
from a cast at the British Museum, the impression of which is imperfect, (fn. 37) represents St.
John baptizing our Lord. Overhead a trefoiled arch with a spire capped by a cross.
Legend: +SIGILL' . . . BAPTISTE DE LAVENDUNE.
A fragment of a seal still exists attached to
a charter dated 1375, (fn. 38) the colour is creamy
white, and it is very imperfect and indistinct.