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 A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE Philip de Broi, 1 one of the canons, whose name has become famous in connection with the quarrel between Becket and the king. This man was accused of homicide, and cleared himself by oath ; but the evidence was so much against him that Simon Fitz Peter, the king's justiciar, summoned him to a new trial. On receiving the summons, Philip broke out into such angry words and insults against the justiciar that the king considered his own authority slighted in the person of his delegate ; and the archbishop, fearing that a very severe punishment would follow, inter- posed and passed sentence upon the offender in his own court. This sentence — the loss of his prebend, and further some penance for two years only — was considered by the king as a glaring instance of the failure of the ecclesiastical courts in dealing with serious crimes ; it contributed something towards the estrangement between him and the arch- bishop, 2 and also made it advisable for the canons to change their place of residence. This story has quite good authority, but it has probably no casual connection with the foundation of Newnham Priory. The change of St. Paul in the presence of many witnesses. 5 The old canons were six in number : Nicholas archdeacon of Bedford, was one of them. 6 They probably kept some portion of their prebends for the term of their lives ; perhaps being presented to or left in possession of churches in the gift of the house. The priory was specially rich in churches : four- teen are named in the first charter of Simon de Beauchamp, and eleven of these were still the property of the house in 1535. Simon's endowment was a generous one ; his mother and other benefactors added to it, 7 but his own title to the name of founder is unquestionable. During the first century of their existence the canons of Newnham had a good deal to endure. They had first to suffer from the violence of Fawkes de Breaut6, who with the consent and approval of King John actually pulled down the greater part of the church of St. Paul to strengthen the fortifications of Bedford Castle ; he was probably an oppres- sive neighbour all the time he lived there, until the capture of the castle in 1223 by Henry III. The losses of the canons were partly made good to them by the gift of the from secular to regular canons was going on church of Tinden, and by a present of stones many religious houses at this time ; the scandal of Philip de Broi can only at the most have hastened an event already inevit- able. All that Simon de Beauchamp says 3 is that prudent and religious men had often counselled him to turn the gifts and endow- ments of his ancestors to a use more productive of reverence to God and honour to true religion, and that he was at last convinced of the wisdom of their advice. He names the king, Henry II., Pope Alexander III., Blessed from the dismantled castle. 8 It was in the same year (Easter term 1223) that the priory was involved in a very in- teresting suit for the church of Aspley Guise. There were three claimants in the field, namely Fawkes de Breautd and the priors of Dunstable and of Newnham. The last parson, Nicholas, has been presented by Roger de Salford, who held a knight's fee of Simon de Beauchamp in 11 66. This Roger had then given the advowson to the church of Dun- Thomas the Martyr and Bishop Robert of stable, his charter being confirmed by Simon Lincoln as having given their consent. 4 The transference of all the endowments of the secular canons to William, first prior of Newnham, was solemnly made in the church de Beauchamp and by Robert Bishop of Lincoln (1147-66). The prior of Newnham 1 Mr. Round is of opinion that he was related to Robert de Broy, a feudal tenant of Simon de Beauchamp in 1 166. He is called ' nobilis genere ' by William of Canterbury in Materials for the Life of St. Thomas (Rolls Series), i. 12. 3 The story is told with some variations in Materials for Life of St. Thomas (Rolls Series), i. 12, 13, iii. 45 ; and Ralph de Diceto, Tmag. Hist. (ibid.), i. 213, under the date 1 164. 3 Had. MS. 3656, f. 14b. 4 The death of Robert de Chesney in 1166 fixes the decision of Simon to that year at the latest : nor could it have been very much earlier, partly because of the consent of Archbishop Thomas, and partly because of the age of Simon, who could not have been born earlier than 1 146. His mother's first husband, Geoffrey de Mandeville, died 1 144. 6 Simon's third charter (Harl. MS. 3656, f. 16). The same parties are named as consenting ; and one of the witnesses is ' Count Alberic, my uncle ' — Aubrey de Vere, his mother's brother. 6 The others were named William, Philip, Gilbert, Richard and Ralf. The foundation charter of Chicksand promises the church of Haynes ' after the death of Philip de Broi ' ; the churches of Southill, Salford and Aspley certainly belonged to the old canons (Harl. MS. 3656, ff. 18, 49b ; ibid 1885, f. 24). 7 Leland represents Countess Roais as the prime mover, and her son only confirming the act of his mother : but the charters give exactly the opposite impression. s Pat. I Henry III. m. 13; Matth. Paris, Chron. Majora, iii. 87. Close 8 Henry III. makes the stones of the castle a recompense for furnishing mangonels, etc., for the siege. 378