RELIGIOUS HOUSES hands of John de Cheverston.' Five years later the priory obtained the additional endowment of 1 80 acres of land at Anmer from Thomas Balle and others.^ At this latter date there were five canons here, in addition to the prior. In 1383 the priory received a grant of lands and rents of the annual value of JOs. 2d. from Thomas de Flitcham and Nicholas Barome, to find a canon-chaplain to celebrate three days a •week for the good estate of the donors whilst living and their souls after death. ^ These and other grants brought the income of the priory up to just double its former amount, the clear annual value in 1535 being ^55 5/. 6d.* Edmund Litchfield, appointed prior of Flitcham in 1498, was consecrated bishop in partibus of Chalcedon in 1502, and acted as suffragan in Norwich diocese ; he was followed as prior by John Martin. The priory was visited on 12 July, 15 14, by Bishop Nicke. John Martin, the prior, stated Canon Thomas Hokar had handed £1 1 to the prior of Walsingham. Canon Geoffrey Swaff- ham said that the barns and other buildings of the priory required repair, and that agriculture ■was neglected. He further stated that the prior and John Stinge had made a compact for the delivery to the latter, at a date now passed, of a hundred combs of barley for the sum of £6 or £1 ; and because the prior had failed to deliver the barley at the appointed time he would have to hand over 160 instead of 1 00 combs. He also alleged that the house was in debt for barley to William Fuller, of Castle Acre, and for sheep to Master Fyncham, of Marshland, and that the common seal of the priory was in the exclusive keeping of the prior. As a consequence of this visitation, the prior was summoned to Norwich. The brief entry relative to this priory in the visitation of 1530 is illegible through injury to the MS.' The county commissioners of 1536 reported that 'the priory of Chanones of Flychame ys namyde to be a cell to the priory of Chanones of Walsynghame.'^ In consequence of this it •escaped at the time of the destruction of the smaller houses, but fell with Walsingham on 4 August, 1538.' Priors of Flitcham Philip,' occurs 1256' Fulk Briton,'" occurs 1300 Vincent de Flitcham," elected 1332 ' Inq. p.m. ; 39 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, 20. ' Ibid. 44 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, 44. ' Cal. of Pat. 6 Ric. II, pt. iii, m. 15.
- Fa/or Eal. (Rec. Com.), iii.
' Jessopp, Nortv. Fisit. (C.imd. Soc), 1 10, 168. ' Chant. Cert. Norf. No. 90. ' L. and P. Hen. Fill, xiii (2), 11. ' Blomefield, Hist, of Not/, viii, 417. ' Assize R. 567, m. 58. '° Blomefield, loc. cit. "' Nonv. Epis. Reg. ii, 53. John de Flitcham,'- elected 1349 Lawrence de Weston, 1374 John de Hillington,'^ elected 1375 John Flitcham,'* elected 1404 Thomas Berdon," died 1438 Thomas Pope,^ elected 1438 John Leson,'* elected 1448 John Dorking," elected 1458 William Wiltshide,-" elected 1467 Richard Gottys, LL.B."' elected 1490 Edmund Litchfield,^^ elected 1496 John Martin," occurs 15 14 Thomas Podishe,^^ occurs 1526 Richard Vowell,-' occurs 1535 27. THE PRIORY OF HEMPTON^^ This house was at first a hospital, founded in the reign of Henry I by Roger de St. Martin,^' in conjunction with Richard Ward,-' who after- wards became an Austin Canon and the first prior. The house was situate at the end of a dam or causey between the towns of Fakenham and Hempton, and hence was sometimes known as Damnesende. Soon after its first foundation it was changed into a small priory, dedicated to the honour of St. Stephen, for three or four canons of the order of St. Augustine. The priory eventually held the rectory of Hempton, the manors of Hempton, Waterden, and Tofts, parcels of land in various parishes, two fairs, a market, a water-mill, and extensive rights of pasturage for sheep. In the year 1 200 John, archdeacon of Wor- cester, gave a palfrey to the king in acknowledge- ment of his grant of a fair to be held on Whit- sun Tuesday for the use of the brethren of St. Stephen's by the causey of Fakenham. The taxation of 129 1 showed that this priory held lands or tenements or rents in no fewer than forty of the Norfolk parishes ; but they were mostly small parcels and only produced a total income of ;^29 2;. 0515^. Licence was granted to the prior of St. Stephen's in 1302, after inquisition ad quod damnum by the sheriff and payment of a fine, to bring back to its old bed a watercourse which used to run through the court of the priory.-" " Ibid, iv, 102. » Ibid. 40. "= Ibid. X, 19. •» Ibid, xi, 15. 'Mbld. 161. Ibid. 205. " Ibid, vi, 29. " Ibid. 308. " Ibid. " Ibid. 107. " Ibid, xil, 144. " Jessopp, Nortv. Fisit. 1 10. 38i " Tanner, Norw. MSS. i, 259. " Fa/or Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iii. '* Blomefield, Hist, of Norf. vii, 1 00-2. The priors are taken from this account, where there is no other reference. ■' Lcland, Collectanea, i, 60.
- ' Weever, Antient Funeral/ Monuments, 824.
Pat. 30 Edw. I, m. 16.
