A HISTORY OF NORFOLK house. Thereupon Thomas Mead (usually called Thomas Medicus or Thomas the Phy- sician) was appointed prior about 1224. He had accompanied the earl's father in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and brought back his body from the East, giving it reverent interment in the priory church of Wymondham.^ In 1228 an agreement was entered into between the bishop of Norwich and the abbot of St. Albans, as to the jurisdiction of the diocesan in the cells of Wymondham and Binham, whereby it was arranged that the priors of both houses should be presented for institution to the bishop and should attend his synod and sit with the other priors.^ William of St. Albans, who had been ap- pointed prior in 1257, took part in the election of Roger de Norton as twenty-fourth abbot of St. Albans in 1260, and accompanied the abbot when he presented himself before the king,' he died on St. Gregory's day, 1262, and was buried in the quire of the church. On his death Isabel de Albini, countess of Arundel, claimed the sole power of confirming the prior of Wymondham, in accordance with the foun- dation charter. The abbot of St. Albans re- sisted, and a long suit began in the Roman courts. Eventually, on 14 September, 1264, the countess entered into acompromise with Abbot Roger, whereby William de Horton (her own nominee), was to be appointed prior, and on all future vacancies the countess and her heirs were to name three monks of St. Albans, one of whom was to be presented by the abbot to the bishop.* A joint letter, dated 8 November, was sent by both parties to their proctors at Rome, ordering them to stay further proceedings. In April, 1 300, a commission was appointed on the complaint of Abbot John III, of St. Albans, touching the persons who prevented him from visiting Wymondham priory, a cell to his abbey, as his predecessors had always been wont to do.' This was in consequence of the active resistance of Sir Robert Tateshall, patron. Hearing of the intended Sir Robert entered the priory and gates as well as the doors of the not only prevented the entry of III, but refused permission to the the then visitation, closed its church, and Abbot John prior or any representative to leave the priory to speak with the abbot.* Abbot John IV succeeded as twenty-fourth abbot of St. Albans in 1302, and in September of that year was present at the inaugural feast of the abbot of Bury St. Edmunds, where he met Sir Robert Tateshall. The abbot thought it prudent to put an end to all disputes, and by way of paci- ' Gesta Abbatum, i, 275. ' Ibid, i, 399.
- Ibid, i, 407-9.
' Cal. of Pat. 1 292-1 301, p.
- Gesta Abbatum, ii, 23.
Ibid, i, 278-9. fication restored to Sir Robert as patron of Wymondham, the livery of bread and ale from that priory, of which he had been deprived. The result was that the patron treated the abbot with great courtesy and there was peace for a time, although the abbot did not really recognize Tateshall's right to the patronage of the priory, which he had claimed on the death of the Countess Isabel.' Prior PuUeyn died on 25 December, 1303. The St. Albans annalist complains that during his rule he had complied more with the wishes of the patron than the abbot. On his death the escheator of the crown, acting in the name of the son and heir of Sir Robert Tateshall, who was under age and the king's ward, took pos- session of the priory, with a large following, seizing the keys and placing wardens at the gates and in all the offices. The convent pleaded that they held in free alms, but William Curzon, the escheator, persisted in taking possession. He also seized the grange at Happisburgh and in- flicted various hardships on the tenants. At last on 5 March, 1304, at the prayer of the abbot of St. Albans, a temporary arrangement was made till the matter could be brought before the courts, and the abbot presented John de Stevenache, one of his monks, to the priory. Finally the abbot obtained from the justices of the King's Bench at York a formal declaration as to the exemption henceforth of the priory of Wymondham from the authority of the escheator, and the temporalities were restored to John de Stevenache.* An order was entered on the Close Rolls in March, 1309, to deliver to Thomas de Cailli, kinsman and co-heir of Robert Tateshall, a tenant in chief of the late king, in whose ward- ship he died under age, the knights' fees and advowsons of the inheritance. The advowson of the priory of Wymondham was one of the possessions thus transferred, and with it was in- cluded the bread and ale that the lord was wont to receive each time he visited Wymondham.' In the beginning of the reign of Edward II the priory was in money difficulties, and the prior obtained a loan of 100 marks from Walter de Langton, bishop of Lichfield, the king's treasurer. When Langton was in disgrace with the king, the crown took into its own hands debts due to the bishop, and as there was a sum of 140 marks due from the crown to one William Inge of Norfolk, for arrears of wages and compensation for the loss of horses in the Scotch war, the king transferred to Inge, in part payment of the 140 marks, this debt of 100 marks from the prior of Wymondham.'" John de Hurlee was appointed prior in 131 7, by Abbot Hugh (1308-26). This abbot was 5+9- 338 ' Ibid, ii, 63-6. ' Close, 2 Edw. II, m. 9. '" Cal. of Pat. 1307-13, p. Ibid, ii, 83-9. 269.
