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Rh Henry called Medicus, elected 1272 William of Sherringham, died 1309 John of Thame, elected 1309 Richard of Crendon, occurs from 1331 to 1357 John of Winchendon, occurs 1367 and 1376 John of Chearsley," occurs 1379, died 1389 Nicholas Amcotes, occurs 1390 and 1395 Thomas, occurs 1397 William, occurs 1400 Nicholas Redding, occurs 1447 William Stanton, occurs 1457 till 1479 Peter Caversham, died 1503 Richard Peterton, elected 1503, died 1513 John Marston, elected 1513, resigned 1528 Robert Brice, elected 1528, died 1529 Richard Ridge, last abbot, elected 1529

Pointed oval seal of the twelfth century, taken from cast at the British Museum, 're- presents the Blessed Virgin with crown, seated on a carved throne, the Holy Child on her left knee, in her right hand a flower. +SIGIL-LVM : SANCTE : MARIE : DE : NVTLE.

A round seal of the fifteenth century taken from a cast, represents three Gothic niches, with canopies crocketed and pinnacled, the Blessed Virgin standing with nimbus and crown, the Holy Child with nimbus on her right arm, in her left hand a ball or orb, two saints on either side, the one on the left with nimbus holding a plaque, the other on the right with nimbus and mitre holds apparently a wheel. On tabernacle work at each side a shield of arms : that on the left, quartering I, 4, France (modern), 2, 3, England, that on the right uncertain. In base, under a square-headed arch, a shield of arms : a lion ram- pant. Legend : SIGILLUM c. . . MONAST' BE MARIE ET SCl' IQHANIS' BAPTISTE DE NOTTELE.

Another seal of the fifteenth century, the cast of which has been taken from an imper- fect impression, represents the Blessed Vir- gin standing on a corbel in a niche holding the Holy Child on her right arm, in her left hand a sceptre fleur-de-lize. Legend :. . . BEATE MA. .. .

12. THE PRIORY OF CHETWODE

The priory of Chetwode was founded in the year 1245 by Ralf de Norwich. A licence was granted by Bishop Grosstete for its foundation, and a canon was sent from Thur- garton in Nottinghamshire to be the first prior. The endowment was a small one, and it seems probable that there were never more than three or four canons. King Henry III. granted to the priory a carucate of land for the service of the hermitage or chapel of St. Werburga in the forest of Brill, and $os. be- sides for the service of the royal chapel when he kept his court at Brill ; the canons also served the churches of Chetwode and Barton Hartshorn.

During the first year of the existence of the priory there was a dispute with the founder concerning the lands which formed the en- dowment. A few years later the king's gift lost almost all its value because the deer in the royal forest could not be kept out of the canons' cornfields ; but Henry III., with that generosity which he always displayed towards the religious, made them a further grant, and allowed them to enclose their ploughlands. This right was disputed in 1313 by a certain Roger Pymme and other men of the neigh- bourhood, who claimed part of the land as common, broke down the enclosure, and fed their beasts on the grass there. The prior complained that he had suffered losses amounting to 40s. in value : but it is not known whether he recovered anything at this time.

The house was reckoned from the first among royal foundations, and the names of all its priors may be found on the Patent Rolls. We may gather from the record of the prior's death in 1349, that the Great Pestilence