PRIOR EDMUND DE BROUGHYNG
1350–1355.
On the death of Pekesden, the escheators seized the possessions of
the monastery for the king (as mentioned above); (fn. 1) but on the same
day as the king granted licence to elect a new prior (May 25th) he
issued letters close to the escheators of London, of Middlesex, of
Essex and Hertford, and of Bedford and Buckingham, to remove
the king's hand, quoting the decision in the matter by his grandfather
in the year 1297.
Edmund de Broughyng, on whom the election fell, was one of the
canons of the house. The king, having approved his election, granted
his assent and signified the same to the Bishop of London on the
3rd June. On the 23rd of the same month, he issued a mandate to
the escheator in Middlesex to deliver the temporalities to the new
prior as his election had been confirmed by Ralph de Stratford, Bishop
of London, and he had done fealty to the king.
Edmund de Broughyng had been prior for barely five years when
he resigned. During those five years there are but few events to
chronicle.
In the year 1349, whilst Pekesden was still prior, Edmund de
Grymesby, the king's clerk, had obtained licence to alienate in
mortmain (fn. 2) to the prior and convent 100 acres of land in Acton
5 in 'Kentiston', 3 in 'Iseldon', and 33 in Theydon Bois, in order
to find a chaplain to celebrate in the conventual church every year
on the anniversary of his death, and to feed five poor persons on
the same day for ever. In his will, dated 10th October, 1353, (fn. 3) in
which he is described as 'rector of the church of Barewe' (Barrowupon-Humber), Grymesby bequeathed to the prior and convent his
tenements in the parishes of St. Leonard's, St. Botolph Aldersgate,
and in 'Fleterstreete'; also two shops in 'Wendegayneslane' in
the parish of St. Sepulchre, and elsewhere, on condition that they
maintained a chantry for the good of his soul; failing which the
bequest was to go to the chantry at Grimsby, to the chaplain of which
he left a missal and a gilt chalice. That the prior and convent accepted
the bequest is clear, because these tenements are among the gifts
for obtaining which without a licence the prior and convent were
fined in the year 1374. (fn. 4)
There are numerous entries in the Close Rolls during the priorate
of Edmund of bonds given by him and the convent which were
apparently in connexion with grants to the monastery.
Thus, in the year 1350, the prior and convent gave a bond of £40
to the Edmund de Grymesby mentioned above. (fn. 5) In 1352, the prior,
with Jordan de Barton, gave a bond to Richard de Thorsby, clerk,
for 40 marks; (fn. 6) and, in 1354, the prior and convent gave the same
man a bond for £20. (fn. 7) In the same year they gave a bond to David
de Wollore, clerk, for £40 (fn. 8) (which was cancelled on payment to one
of the executors of David's will); and a deed is enrolled, dated
February 6th of the same year, testifying that, although the prior
and convent were bound to this David in £60, he grants that if they
pay him £30 in the church on the morrow of Trinity following (June 9th)
then the bond should be null. (fn. 9) In the same year, 1354, the prior
and convent gave a bond to Simon de Hathefeld of London, potter,
for £100 (cancelled on payment); (fn. 10) and to John Mayn for £40 (cancelled on payment). (fn. 11) On the other hand, in the year 1350, John,
son of John de Carleton (which was the name of the next prior), gave
a bond to the prior (fn. 12) for £10.
We have already described, when dealing with the monastery, (fn. 13)
how, in the year 1352, the vicar of Tudley was cited to appear before
the prior to answer various charges preferred against him.
Prior Broughyng would have consented to the election of Stephen
de Maydenhythe to the mastership of the hospital in the year 1354,
but no further records concerning his doings have been found.
The licence to the sub-prior and convent to elect on their petition
'showing that the church was void by the cession of Edmund de
Broughyng the last prior' was granted the 18th April, 1355, (fn. 14) and
it may be assumed that the date of his resignation was one or two
days before.