A HISTORY OF NORFOLK out of whom the convent of Bromholm should elect one for their prior.* During these four years the office of prior had been in abeyance, but on an election being held on the basis of the compromise of 1229, Vincent was chosen prior. All grievances were not, however, healed at once ; for ten years later Prior Vincent was writing to the abbot of Cluni on the differences between himself and the priors of Lewes and Castle Acre.* In 1275-6, Yves de Chassant, twenty-eighth abbot of Cluni, ordered a visitation of the English houses, and appointed for that duty John, prior of Wenlock, and Arnulph, the lord abbot's equerry. The visitors reached Bromholm on 12 March, 1276. They reported that the num- ber of the brethren was sixteen, who lived suf- ficiently well and regularly. The debts amounted to /i20. The same orders were issued by the visitors as are detailed under Castle Acre.^ In February, 1285, Roger, prior of Brom- holm, wrote to the abbot of Cluni excusing himself from personal attendance at the chapter- general at Cluni in consequence of his having legal business to attend to before the justices on circuit in Norfolk. In 1293 ^^^ same prior again excused himself from attendance at the chapter-general on the ground of his serious ill-health.^ In May, 131 3, a royal grant was made to the monks of Bromholm to put them in the same position which they had held during pre- vious voidances. Upon the voidance of their house by the death of their late prior, William de Tutingdon, the king, believing that the tem- poralities belonged to him during such voidance, caused the priory to be taken into his hands and placed in the custody of John de Norton, king's clerk, and John Pike. Afterwards it was found, by inquisition, that William de Glanvill, the first founder of the priory, and his heirs, and also Ralph and Edmund, earls of Cornwall, to whom the advowson of the priory successively fell, did not during void- ance receive anything out of the issues of the priory, but that on each voidance there had been a porter appointed, who was accustomed to have his sustenance out of the goods of the priory during voidance as a sign of dominion. Whereupon the king commanded John de Nor- ton and John Pike not to interfere with the custody of the priory, and to deliver without diminution to the sub-prior and convent all the issues they had levied or received.^ Adam Lumbard, who had long served the king and his father, was sent to the priory in 1 3 1 9 to receive lifis^ sustenance in the place of Adam Pullehare, deceased.* ' Duckett, Cfrart. and Rec. of Cluni, i, 198. ' Ibid, ii, 202. Nos. 451-3 of the Cluni charters. ' Ibid, ii, 127. * Ibid. 145-6. ' Pat. 6 Edw. II, pt. ii, m. 5. ' Close, 12 Edw. II, m. lid. In 1350, John de Karleton, monk of St. An- drew's, Bromholm, obtained an indult to choose a confessor for plenary remission at the hour of death.' Early in the reign of Richard II, the priory was in much distress. They paid 50 marks to the king, in 1385, to secure the appropriation of the church of Berdwell, of their own advowson,. valued at 26 marks yearly ; it is stated in the licence that the priory lands had been much wasted by the sea, and their house recently burned, and that if not relieved they would shortly have to cease divine service.* The brethren of Bromholm in 1298 numbered twenty-five, but they were reduced to eighteen by the time of a visitation held in 1390. At the latter date the house is described as directly subordinate to the mother house of Cluni. There were five masses celebrated daily, three were sung and two were said throughout. The visitors found that all statutes and monastic duties were well and thoroughly observed.' On 15 April, 141 8, John Paston was collated to the priory of Bromholm, vacant by the resig- nation of Clement Chandellier.'" This was ap- parently a papal appointment, and meanwhile Nicholas had been elected by his own convent. Prior Nicholas is the first witness to the will of Clement Paston, dated June, 1419. An undated letter, probably somewhat later than this, from Prior Nicholas to William Paston, states that John Paston had posted letters on Christchurch gates summoning the writer to Rome.** There can be no doubt that Nicholas, after a brief rule, was deposed in favour of the papal nominee. This prior was of some notoriety because of his connexion with the celebrated judge William Paston. Paston Hall was about a mile from the priory, and the Paston family regarded it with special interest. This John Paston claimed to be a kinsman of the lawyer, but the claim was never admitted, William Paston always maintaining that his true name was Wortes. He was originally a monk of Brom- holm, and Prior Chandellier took action against him as an apostate, engaging William Paston as his counsel in the prosecution. John retaliated by bringing the matter before the Roman court, and proceeded against both the prior and William Paston, with the result that the former was called upon to resign his ofHce, and the latter con- demned in the heavy penalty of ;^205. Con- trary to the advice of his friends William Paston contested the validity of the sentence, but only with the result of being for a time excommuni- ' Cal. Papal Reg. iii, 372. ' Cal. of Pat. 8 Ric. II, pt. ii, m. 4 ; also 9 Ric. II, pt. i, m. 40. ' Duckett, Visitatms of English Cluniac Foundations, 41-42. "> Ibid. Chart and Rec. of Cluni, ii, 198. " Paston Letters, iii, 448, 484. 36c
