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Churches and Lands


Churches and Lands

Buckinghamshire


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Burcot, Wing  -  Jean Yates

In around 1200 there are charters referring to land at Burkote. A virgate is granted in the first ‘which Siward held at a yearly rent of half a pound of pepper’, and this is confirmed by William Vinetarius de Neupord some twenty years later.

In 1238 Johannes rector of Whitchurch grants with his body a rent of 4s from a virgate in Burkote and this is also recorded in the Annals. The editor of the charters is unsure if these two references in 1200/20 and then 1238  to Burkote, are of one and the same place, wondering if the 1238 charter may be Burkote at Bierton, Buckinghamshire.



Cheddington  -  Jean Yates


Before 1227 William son of Svani granted 2 acres in Cheddington.1

 In 1292’ the canons  brought a suit  against the parson of Chellington for despoiling a tithe of some fields in his parish which had belonged to us of old.’2


Reference:

1Charters of Dunstable Priory by G Herbert Fowler, Beds Historical Record Society

2 Great Brickhill in the Dunstable Annals. David Preest publisher Boydell and Brewer


Chesham Church, land and Hundridge Chapel  -  Jean Yates



From the Annals;

'In the same year (1221)we made an agreement with the abbot and monks of Woburn that we would give up completely our rights to the vicarage of the church at Chesham, and that the abbot and the monks would pay in perpetuity a rent of three marks per annum. This agreement was arranged by the archdeacons of Bedford and Huntingdon.'


The rectory i.e. the land, church, Hundridge chapel and tithes that Woburn Abbey held in 1525 were let by the Abbot of Woburn for 21 years to the Cheney family.

John Cheney and son Robert Cheney rent the rectory of Chesham with all tithes of hay grain and other tithes.


The Priory retained their rights until the dissolution; in Valor Ecclesiasticus, 1535 Chesham is worth 40s per year.

















Hundridge Chapel courtesy Neil Rees



Hundridge Chapel  -  Neil Rees


Hundridge Manor was originally the home of Walter son of Richard de Broc who

lived at Great Hundridge in the 12th Century. He built a Chapel at Hundridge

attached to the Manor. It stood on the south side of the farmyard of the Manor

House. It was built of flint and measured 44 ft by 20 ft1 The Chapel was dedicated

to St Edward the Confessor, King and Martyr. In mediaeval times it was served

by the Cistercian monks of Woburn3, and was attached to the parish of Chesham.

It was later converted for use as a brew-house, and the west end converted into a

dwelling. In 1913 it was described as being in bad condition.5 Today it is a billiard

Room.


Reference: Faith in Chesham


Cublington  -  Jean Yates


The church at Cublington was granted to Dunstable Priory between 1131/41 by Hugo son of Gozelin. He also granted land at Gledele as he wished to lie with the canons at his death.

In 1186 Dunstable gave up the rights of presentation to the church for two marks a year to Hugo’s granddaughter Amabel and her husband Amalric le Despencer.


At a date between 1198 and 1209 Roger the rector grants Dunstable Priory 2lbs of wax a year in his lifetime.

In 1239 the Prior of Dunstable takes Robert de Lucy rector of Cublington before the magistrate. Robert confesses that he owes Dunstable two marks a year and promises to pay them in the future.


Ref; Charters of Dunstable Priory, Bedfordshire Historical Record Society Vol IX


Eddlesborough, Bradeham Mill and Dagnall  -  Jean Yates


Adam de Bello Campo (Beauchamp) is the main character here.

In return for getting Adam out of prison by paying a ransom, Adam, in the early 1200s grants the canons Bradeham, now Eddlesborough, Mill. He also gives them  land in Eddlesborough and Dagnall. Between 1217 and 1221 Adam undertakes not to let or sell the mill, keep it in good repair and pay four marks a year rent.

There is an agreement between 1225/50 with ‘Richard son of Walter for four years, for our mills at 4 marks, Bradeham’.

Further land in Eddlesborough is given around 1225.

 About 1247 Simon the chaplain at Eddlesborough having been received as a brother by the canons, gives after his death rents in Dunstable and land in Eddlesborough that he is renting.


Reference; Dunstable Priory Charters BHRS Vol IX



Great Brickhill  -  Jean Yates


Dunstable was partly given and partly rented churches/land in Great Brickhill and Shenley. These villages were either partly or wholly owned by St Evroul in Normandy.

This rental may be as a result of a huge gift of churches and land in Derbyshire, and thus needing overnight stopping places for the canons travelling on the A5. There is a record of accommodation and a change of horses being provided at Pattishall and at Grymmescote for the Prior on his way to his manor at Derby and Brickhill and Shenley would make further convenient night halts.


Dunstable was given half the church at Great Brickhill by Anor Maubance and this was confirmed in 1205. The cleric Walterus ‘acknowledges at the same time that he is bound to pay yearly to the canons at the feast of St Botulph 11s, for two thirds of tithes,  and of all obventions from the whole demesne of Brichull’, and for other tenements which are the right of the church of St Ebrulf.’


Just nine years later in 1214 there is a dispute over tithes; the Prior stated that he held the tithes on perpetual farm from the monastery of St AEbrulf. The rector agreed to pay yearly 20s in lieu of the tithe and land. In 1218 the charters record that the Abbot of Ebrulf grants tithes and lands forever in Great Brickhill, Shenley and Newbottle for a yearly rent of 40s.


These tithes were paid by Dunstable to Ware priory, a cell of St Evroul in Normandy.


What is interesting  – is that Dunstable rented from St Evroul at one price (40s) and made a profit renting out  Brickhill at 20s, Shenley at 25/6d and for land at Newbottle, 23/4d per year in 1256. The Prior therefore  received 68/10d and kept for himself buildings, adjacent messuage and reserved income from other lands, the mill and the church lands at Newbottle.

Confusion over who owned what and when did not deter the Prior from making a handsome profit in his dealings with St Evroul.



Reference: Charters of Dunstable Priory by G Herbert Fowler, Beds Historical Record Society



North Marston Bucks  -  Jean Yates


North Marston Church was gifted about 1140-42 to Dunstable Priory according to the Charters. This then seems to have been half the church with Eynsham having been given the other half in 1154.1 In 1158 there is an agreement that they will jointly appoint a priest who will pay a moiety of service to each church.

In Letters and Charters of Gilbert Foliot: - 1180-1, notice of settlement by a papal judge delegate of the case between the Knights Hospitallers, the abbot of Eynsham (Oxford, Benedictine) and the prior of Dunstable, on the church of Marston, Oxon; half the church is recognised to belong to Dunstable priory, the other half is surrendered by Eynsham abbey to the Hospitallers in exchange for 1 mark paid in rent at Oxford per annum.

Dunstable made a presentation to North Marston church in 1223.1

Certainly Dunstable had the advowson in 1233 when ‘on the death of Robert, rector of the church at Marston, Alan took his place as our appointment. He was to pay us £5 each year, of which we would pay 4 marks to the hospital’2

Two years later there is a dispute over the price paid to the Hospitallers, but it remains at four marks. More than fifty years later the Prior is accused of being in arrears concerning these payments, the arrears were for fifty years! Eventually some years later in 1295, the Prior of Dunstable is sued by the Prior of the Hospital of St. John Jerusalem in England and has to repay some of his debt.2

In 1290 a new rector was appointed, John Schorne. Soon after he arrived he ir reputed to have struck the ground close to the church and out gushed clear fresh water. Of great benefit to the village, this drinking water, and John Schorne, soon had the reputation of being able to cure the sick. John Schorne was rector here for 24 years and when he died he was buried in the church. A shrine covering his remains attracted pilgrims, from England and abroad. It was said that apart from Walsingham and Canterbury, no shrine attracted more pilgrims than North Marston.3

King Edward IV brought all this to an end when he built St George’s Chapel at Windsor in 1475. Wanting pilgrims to go to Windsor, the Dean obtained permission from the Pope to transfer John Schorne’s bones from North Marston to Windsor.

The advowson and rectory were conveyed in 1480 by Dunstable Priory to the collegiate church of Windsor.

 Reference:

1 Victoria County History

2 Dunstable Annals Preest 2013 Boydell and Brewer

3 Parsons through the Ages. John Houghton



Shenley  -  Jean Yates


Dunstable was partly given and partly rented rented churches/land in Great Brickhill and Shenley. These villages were either partly or wholly owned by St Evroul in Normandy. Between 1218/1233 Roger Alebol of St Ebrulf granted tithes and land in Great Brickhill, Shenley and Newbottle (1)


Half of Great Brickhill church had been given to Dunstable in 1205. Newbottle church in Northamptonshire had been given to Dunstable  between 1148 and 1166.It is possible that Dunstable then rented more land from St Evroul at a later date.


This desire to rent Shenley may be as a result of Dunstable being given a  gift of churches and land in Derbyshire, and thus needing overnight stopping places for the canons travelling on the A5. There is a record of accommodation and a change of horses being provided at Pattishall and at Grymmescote for the Prior on his way to his manor at Derby and to own all of Great Brickhill and Shenley would also make convenient night halts.


What is interesting  – is that Dunstable rented from St Evroul at one price (40s) and made a profit renting out  Brickhill at 20s, Shenley at 25/6d and for land at Newbottle, 23/4d per year in 1256. The Prior therefore  received 68/10d and kept for himself buildings, adjacent messuage and reserved income from other lands, the mill and the church lands at Newbottle.

Confusion (for me) over who owned what and when did not deter the Prior from making a handsome profit in his dealings with St Evroul.


In 1216-1217 there was a dispute over the demesne tithes between the Prior of Dunstable;  and William Mansel  and Ralph Toylebois, the rectors of Shenley. Interesting that there are two rectors at Shenley. The rectors settled the dispute and agreed to pay 25/6d a year to Dunstable.


In 1219 William Prior of Snelleshalle is granted 2 sheaves of  the tithe for 3 marks to be paid at Dunstable.


1200-1220 Ware Priory of Abbey of St Evroul of which it was a cell, received the 40/- agreed in 1218-1233, for the tithes of Gt Brickhill, Shenley & Newbottle

1535 in Henry VIII’s valuation Valor Ecclesiasticus, under Dunstable Priory, is Shenley, Bucks.

Valet p annu in quadam pencion ann. folat’/solat  monast’ pdco p rector ibm   valued at 10 shillings


Reference: Charters of Dunstable Priory, Beds Historical Record Society,(BHRS) Vol. IX



Stoke Hammond, Chelmscott, Soulbury and Stapleford Mill  -  Jean Yates


Lipscomb in The History and Antiquities of the County of Buckingham tells us that a third part of the manor of Stoke Hammond was dissevered from the principal manor and was possessed by a family named Stoke. Henry de Stoke ‘levied a fine of lands here to the use of Geoffrey, Prior of Dunstable, and of the canons there; and in that convent this Manor continued till the dissolution of that house in 1540’.


Within four years of Dunstable Priory first acquiring land in 1245 at Stoke, they had built a hall, a large barn and a byre.1


In 1277 they rented out the manor at Stoke at an annual rent of five marks for twenty years.1


The manor was granted again in 1289 to a Henry Spigurnel, who was also given money by the Priory ‘to look after our interests in the business.’1


In the late 1100s there are charters relating to land in Chelmediscot and Soulbury. Also rent for Stapelford mill.2


At a fourteenth century valuation list of the Priory’s property recorded in the Charters, Stokehamund was valued at 5 marks.


The Court of Augmentation;2

Farm of Manor of Stoke Hammond- with all lands, tents., returns, meas., past., herbage and pasturage ……within lands and boundaries of said manor and other lands pertaining to said monastery, …. with all profits and courts belonging to said manor and farm also all other lands and tenements in Chelmyscote (Chelmscott in Soulbury) and Soulbury pert., to said monastery. Valued at 66s 8d.


Reference:

1 Dunstable Annals, David Preest, 2013 Boydell and Brewer  

2.Court of Augmentations Accounts for Bedfordshire. Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Vol 63, 64.