A HISTORY OF NORFOLK alle Prystes of goode name and they require their dispensaciones. Persones havynge livynges ther Ixiiij, whereof weytinge servauntcs vij, hindes xl, childerne iiij, almes folke in the hospitalle xiiij.' The lead and bells were reported to be worth
- ^I00, but the house was in decay and ruinous.
The goods were worth 03"] "ji. i d. ; the movable goods and cattle £-] -js. lid.; and the corn £s^- There were no debts due, but the house owed £26 13;. d} On 30 April, 1536, Prior John Mathew wrote to Cromwell asking for his poor living and pension without further vexation and trouble, and said that Dr. Legh had assured him he should have ;^20 a year. He also begged for his chamber with two beds, one for himself and one for his servant.^ The pension eventually granted was one of ;^I5. The four commissioners for Norfolk certified, on 27 January, 1537, to the sale of goods of this house,' including the following interesting items : — Furst sold to Mr. Fermor, the table at the high altar . . . . xs Item sold to Mr. Fermor, the orgaynes in the quire .... iiij// Item sold, the table of alabaster in the quire to Sr. Thomas Strange . . v/ Item sold, a pece of lynen and another olde altar cloth .... iiijV Item sold to Master Fermor, the stuff in the churche .... vij; ]d The plate valued at 68j. id. was reserved in the charge of Richard Southwell. The site and possessions of the priory were granted in May, 1537, to Thomas, duke of Norfolk.* Priors of Coxford Matthew Cheney,' first prior Hubert,^ occurs 1 1 90, 1 2 19 William,' occurs 1232 Adam de Dalling,' occurs 1244 John,' occurs 1250 and 1257 Hugh de Elmham,'" occurs 1286 Reyner, occurs 1288 " Robert,^^ occurs 1299, 13^4 '^ William de Hampton,'* elected 1315 John Thorp,'* died 1342 John de Thornham,'^ elected 1342 Peter de Fleckenho," elected 1346 ' Chant. Cert. Norf. No. 90. ' Cott. MS. Cleop. E. iv, 269. ^ Suppression Papers (P.RO.),-|^. ' L. and P. Hen. Fill, xii (i), 605. ' Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. vii, 156. ' Ibid. ' Ibid. ' Ibid. ' Ibid. '» Ibid. " Assize R. 1282, m. 18 </. '• Pat. 27 Edw. I, m. 37. " Assize R. 593, m. 32 d. " Xorw. Epii. Reg. i, 61. '^ Ibid, ili, 56. "Ibid. '" Ibid, iv, 55. Henry de Elmham, c. 1369 John de Walsingham," elected 1404 Edmund de Snetisham," elected 1430 John de Dereham,-" elected 1438 Benedict de Snetisham,-' elected 1449 John Wichingham, resigned 1468 John Knollys,^^ alias Clement, died 1478 Henry Mileham,^' elected 1478 John Mathew,-* occurs 1 5 14 Henry Salter," occurs 1532 John de Coxford,^* alias Mathew, occurs 1 53^, last prior There is a cast of an imperfect impression of a fifteenth-century seal of this priory at the B.M. The seated Virgin bears the Holy Child on the left knee and holds a fleur-de-lis-headed sceptre in the right hand. On each side is a kneeling canon. In the base the prior kneeling. Legend : — ■f s' PRIORIS ET CONVENTUS BEATE MARIE DE COKISFORD " 26. THE PRIORY OF FLITCHAM This small Austin priory was founded about the beginning of Henry Ill's reign by Sir Robert Aguillon, as is proved by documents cited in Blomefield.-' Damietta de Flitcham is sometimes named as the foundress, but this lady merely gave the manor of Snoring in Flitcham parish to the priory of Walsingham. Although the priory of Flitcham became a cell of Walsingham at an early date, the manor of Snoring was held by Walsingham down to the dissolution indepen- dently of Flitcham Priory. In 1275 the jury of the hundred of Freebridge found that the prior and convent of Flitcham held a carucate of land in free alms of the gift of Robert Aguillon in times beyond their memory. The taxation of 1 291 shows that the priory had possessions at that date in eight Norfolk parishes, and its annual income was estimated at From the year 13 16 the vicars of the parochial church of Flitcham were presented by the priory, the great tithes being appropriated by the convent. The diocesan muniments generally term this house St. Mary ad Fontes or de Fontibus. Documents of the sixteenth century name it as the priory of St. Mary at the Welle. In 1365 the prior and convent received the fourth part of the manor of Flitcham at the >" Ibid. X, 21. ■' Ibid, xiii, 63. " Jcssopp, Norzc. Fisit. ill. 'Mbid. vi, 314. " Ibid, ix, 41. " Ibid, xi, 43. " Ibid. "Ibid. 169. " Rymer, Foedera (Rec. Com.), xiv, ;oi. '" B.M. Ixix, 14 ; Dugdale, Mon. vi, 369, ■" Blomefield, Hist, of Norf viii, 418. " Hund. R. (Rec. Com.), i, 463. 38c
