A HISTORY OF NORFOLK conventual church of Mountjoy on Christmas Day, Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter Day, As- cension, and Pentecost, as well as on the Nativity, Purification, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and on the festivals of St. John Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and St. Laurence.' An indenture of 8 June, 1490, relates that whereas the parish church of St. Andrew, Irming- land, with the patronage and advowson, were given many years ago to the convent of St. Lau- rence of Mountjoy, and the church, rectory, and tithes cannot now support a fit priest to officiate there, and the chancel and rectory house are ruined, and the parishioners wander elsewhere to hear divine service, William the prior and his convent demise the site of the rectory and the church and rectory to Thomas Bettes of Irmingland, with all tithes, for ninety years, to provide a priest there, power being reserved to remove such priest and institute another .- In 15 1 5 Thomas Clerke, B.D., was instituted by the bishop. On 28 June, I 517, Prior Clerke granted to Henry Fermour of East Barsham his foldcourse and pasture in Mountjoy and Fel- thorpe, with the great close and all liberties of pasturage for seven years, paying ;^I4, viz. jC^ in hand towards the sustentation and repair of the monastery, and 26s. 8d. each year till the last, and then 205. The prior was to provide a barrel of tar (for sheep marking ? ) every second year, and a close house with lock and key to lay the wool in till sold.' This priory was one of those intended to be suppressed by Pope Clement's bull of 1528 towards the endowment of Cardinal Wolsey's colleges at Ipswich and Oxford ; but his fall prevented this being carried out. The prior of Mountjoy was summoned to convocation in 1529 ; but probably this was an oversight, for on the attainder of Wolsey the priory was seized by William Hales, lord of Heveringland, the patron of the house, as an escheat to him, and was thus united to his lord- ship,' Thomas Clerke, the last prior, becoming rector of Moulton Parva. Priors of Mountjoy Vincent,' occurs c. 1200 Thomas,' occurs c. 1225 John Weting,' elected 1304 Thomas Carlevile,' elected 1305 Peter de Cleye,'" elected 1308 John," occurs c 1323 Simon de Fleg,'- elected 1349 ' Rymer, Toedtra (Rec. Com.), vi, 439. » Anct. D. A. 2739. ' Ibid. 2825.
- L. and P. Hen. nil, iv (3), 2699.
' Blomefield, viii, 231.
- Anct. D. A. 3012-3.
' Ibid. 2782-4. ' Norw. Epis. Reg. i, 17. ' Ibid. 19. '" Ibid. 28. " Anct. D. A. 2749. " ^O"^'- Epis- Reg- iv, 96. John Ewedon, occurs 1357 John de Cotton,'* Philip de Tideshale," 1379 Edmund Ayms,'* 140 1 Edmund de Walsingham, 1429 John Sudbury,'* Robert Snape," 1448 Thomas Everhard,-" 1465 John Clement,-' 1470 Christopher Brown,-' occurs 1479 William Lovell,23 William Kyrteling,-* elected 1 491 Thomas Grimston,-* elected 1502 Thomiis Clark,-* elected 15 15 31. THE PRIORY OF PENTNEY The Austin priory of Pentney, founded in the twelfth century by Robert De Vaux, was dedicated in honour of the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, and St. Mary Magdalen. The founder endowed it for the health of the souls of himself and his wife Agnes and his ancestors, with the manor of Pentney in the isle of Eya, with all its appurtenances, and especially with the mill of Bridgemill ; with two salt pans, the one at Lynn and the other at South Wootton ; the whole rent of Fulk de Cougham ; the assart belonging to the hermitage of Walney, with Ofifsey and Shortwood ; fifteen acres of land at Wadington, called Crundale ; thirteen acres of Richard the weaver at Wadington ; the mill at Shotesham ; the land of Ralph the son of the priest ; and the advowsons of his churches of Thurton, Chediston, Ketteringham, Shotesham St. Botulph, Houghton, and Shotesham All Hallows.-' William the eldest of the three sons of the founder, confirmed his father's grants with a small addition. William de Vaux, in his turn, left three sons, and was succeeded by Robert, as William his eldest son took holy orders, and eventually became prior of Pentney. John de Vaux, great-grandson of Robert, died in 1288, leaving two daughters, his co-heirs. Petronel the elder daughter, who married Sir William de Nerford, brought her husband the patronage of the priory. In 1 29 1 this priory held property in thirty- four Norfolk parishes, in addition to Chediston, " Anct. D. A. 2884. " Abp. Wittlesay, Reg. " Norw. Epis. Reg. vi, 64. " Blomefield, Hist, of h'orf. viii, 232. " Ibid. Ibid. " Norw. Epis. Reg. xi, 19. "Ibid, xi, 147. " Ibid. 178. " Blomefield, Hist. ofNorf. viii, 232. »' Ibid. " Ibid. "^ Ibid. « Ibid. " The foundation charter is given in Dugdale, Mm. vi, 67—70, from a chartulary at Belvoir ; Blomefield (W/i/. o/Norf.ix, 3S-41), cites largely from the same source. 3S8
