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 RELIGIOUS HOUSES shire, 1 and the manor of Chicksand. 2 The priors of Chicksand held in 1284 two knight's fees of the barony of Beauchamp, and a frac- tion of a fee in Warden 3 ; in 1302 a fraction of a fee in Tadlow (which was still held in 1428 and had increased to a quarter of a fee 4 ); in 1 316 half a fee in Campton and a quarter in Southill and in Sandy, with a small frac- tion in Stanford B ; in 1346 one fee in Camp- ton and half a fee in Chicksand, with one- tenth in Houghton 8 ; in 1428 half a fee in both Campton and Chicksand, and a fraction in Stanford. 7 In 1535 the income of the priory was stated at £212 3J. $d. 8 ; and just after the dissolution at £259 6s. 2d., including the manors of Meppershall, Stotfold, Chippen- ham (Suffolk), Wolverton (Bucks) and Har- grave (Northants), and the rectories of Keysoe, Cople, Stotfold, Haynes and Linslade. 9 Priors of Chicksand Walter, 10 occurs 1204-5 ana " 1209-10 Simon, 11 occurs 1224 Thomas 12 occurs 1240 Hugh, 13 occurs 1245 William de Hugate, 14 occurs 1309 Simon 16 John de L'isle, 18 occurs 13 16, 1324, 1325 John Bruton, 17 occurs 1388 Ralf, 18 occurs 1409 1 Feud. Aids, i. 150, 190, 189 ; L.T.R. Memo. R. 12 Edw. IV. 2 Pat. 10 Edw. II. pt. 2, m. 29. 3 Feud. Aids, i. 5. « Ibid. 150, 170, 189. 6 Ibid. 19, 20. « Ibid. 31, 32. 7 Ibid. 42. s Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv. 195. » Dugdale, Mon. vi. 975. i° Feet of F. (Rec. Com.), 5 John, 55 ; ibid. 10 John, 82. G. prior of Chicksand occurs 1 186 (Gorham, History of St. Neots, II. bcxiv.). » Pat. 8 Henry III. m. 3. " Add. MS. 24465, f. 54b. 13 Ibid. 5827, f. 175b (Cole, from MS. notes of Browne Willis). '« Harl. MS. 3656, f. 77. 16 Alluded to in Close, 17 Edw. II. m. 4, as having recently demised a manor to the same merchant with whom his successor was negotiating. 1° Feud. Aids, i. 19 ; Close, 17 Edw. II. and 18 Edw. II. (These latter only mention the name of John, and perhaps do not refer to the same prior.) 17 Cal. of Pap. Letters, iv. 273 ; made a papal chaplain. 18 Line. Epis. Reg. on the institution of a priest to the church of Chicksand. Stephen, 19 occurs 1473 John Atoun, 20 occurs 1481 and 1493 John Spencer, 21 occurs 1529 and 1535 John Plomer, 22 occurs 1538 Prioresses of Chicksand Emma, 23 occurs 1482 Margaret Burton and Margaret Graynger 24 were the two prioresses in 1538 Four different seals of this priory are ex- tant. The one appended to the deed of sur- render is bright red, and represents the An- nunciation ; the angel kneeling and holding a cross, and our Lady standing, each under a canopy, a figure kneeling below. Legend : S. CONVE. . . CHIKESAND AD CAVSAS. 26 Another seal also represents the Annuncia- tion, and is similar to the above, but both figures are standing. 26 Legend : s' conventvs SCE MARIE DE CHIKESAND AD CAVSAS. A small round seal has our Lady with the holy Child, and another figure on the right. 27 Legend destroyed all but the letter E. The fourth has our Lady crowned, holding the Child on her left arm ; to the right a monk kneeling, and possibly St. Catherine on the left, holding up her hands in prayer. 28 >» L.T.R. Memo. R. 12 Edw. IV. 20 Instituted to Linslade 148 1 (Lipscombe, Buckinghamshire, iii. 467) and to Woughton in the same county 1493 (Add. MS. 5827, f. 175b). 21 John, in the Convocation Lists, L. and P. Hen. Fill. iv. 6047 ; and. . . Spencer in the Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.) These may not be the same. 22 John appears in the Deed of Surrender (P.R.O.), 56 ; but it is said that John Plomer sub- scribed to the Royal Supremacy (Add. MS. 5827, f. 175b). 23 Mentioned with John, prior, in Harl. Ch. 44, C 27, dated 7 Nov. 22 Edw. IV. 24 Margaret Burton signed the Deed of Sur- render as prioress ; and her name is followed by that of Margaret Graynger, who still had a higher pension than the other nuns in 1553 (Willis, History of Abbeys, ii. 2). The lists of priors and prioresses of Chicksand are most unsatisfactory and frag- mentary, because no institutions are recorded at Lincoln, nor are to be obtained from any of the ordinary sources. « Deed of Surrender (P.R.O.), 56. A cast of the same seal (B.M. lviii. 31). 26 B. M. Seals, lviii. 32. « Harl. Ch. 44, C 26. 2 *» Ibid. 44, C 27.