HOUSE OF KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS
17. THE COMMANDERY OF HOGSHAW
The Commandery of Hogshaw was probably founded during the reign of Henry II.
on lands which were originally the gift of
William Peverel. (fn. 1) The commandery was
never an important one. There was a survey
taken of its lands, income, expenses, etc., in
1338, (fn. 2) when there was a preceptor in residence with one other knight. It had then all
the ordinary accessories of a small monastery
—a court, garden, mill and dove house, with
arable land and pastures attached; the chaplain serving Hogshaw Church, with the chaplain who served the house, and a certain
Thomas Fitz Neel, who held a knight's corrody, sat at table with the preceptor and his
brother. There were the usual servants in the
house, an attendant squire, a porter, a cook,
a pistor, and two grooms for the preceptor.
Twice a year the prior of the Hospitallers in
England visited the house. (fn. 3) Beyond this
little is known of its inner or outer life. It
was suppressed with the rest of the commanderies of the order in 1541.
The manor of Wydende or Widmer in
Great Marlow also belonged to the Hospitallers, and the remains of a chapel, with a
crypt below, have been thought to indicate
the existence of a small commandery there. (fn. 4)
In 1338 however the 'camera' of Wydende
was being farmed by William de Langford,
and there were no knights there (fn. 5) ; it is quite
uncertain whether there were any at an earlier
date. The survey of the property of the
order in 1314 merely states that the manor of
Wydende, as well as that of Hogshaw, had
always belonged to the Hospitallers and not
to the Templars. (fn. 6)
The commandery of Hogshaw was originally endowed with the manor of Hogshaw
and the churches of Cholesbury, Hogshaw, (fn. 7)
Oving, Addington, Creslow and Ludgershall. (fn. 8)
In 1302 the lands at Hogshaw were held as
half a knight's fee; in 1312 the preceptor also
held half the vill of Drayton. (fn. 9) Its valuation
in 1338 amounts to £74 14s. 10d., including
pensions from the churches of Oving, Addington, Creslow and Ludgershall, and the whole
revenue of Hogshaw Church (only nine
marks); the expenses of the household, with
the chaplains who served the house and the
church, amounted to £28 16s. 4d. (fn. 10) At the
dissolution the lands of the Hospitallers at
Hogshaw and Claydon, were valued only at
£2 12s. annually.
The name of the preceptor in 1338 was
William Warde (fn. 11) : no others are at present
known.