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Rh churches of Lavendon, Lathbury in this county ; Wootton and Shelton in North- amptonshire ; Stowe, Kirkby, Tombstone in Norfolk ; the place called Snelshall and the chapel of Tattenhoe ; with other parcels of arable land, wood and meadow in the neigh- bourhood. The churches of Wootton, Shel- ton, Kirkby, Stowe and Tombstone, as well as Snelshall and Tattenhoe, passed out of the abbot's hands in the thirteenth century. The churches of Aston near Bozeat (Northants), and Shotwell (Warwicks) were appropriated during the fourteenth century. In 1284 the Abbot of Lavendon answered for half the vill of Lathbury and one sixth of a knight's fee in Lavendon ; in 1302 for half a fee in Willen ; in 1346 for only one quarter of a knight's fee. The temporalia of the abbey were valued in 1291 at £34 4s. 2d. ; in 1535 its whole re- venue amounted only to 79 13s. 8d. The Ministers' Accounts after the dissolution amount to .90 cxr. 4^., including the rec- tories of Lathbury, Lavendon, Aston and Shotwell.

David, first abbot Austin, occurs 1236 and 1237 Jordan, occurs 1254 and 1271 Philip, occurs 1279 John of Lathbury, elected 1312 Richard of Emberton, occurs 1350, died William of Leicester, elected 1380 Nicholas of Lathbury, occurs 1413 Robert Helmdon, occurs 1478 William Curlew, occurs 1491 William Gales, last abbot, occurs 1529

Pointed oval twelfth century seal, taken from a cast at the British Museum, the im- pression of which is imperfect, represents St. John baptizing our Lord. Overhead a tre- foiled arch with a spire capped by a cross. Legend : +SIGILL'. . . BAPTISTS DE LAVEN-DUNE.

A fragment of a seal still exists attached to a charter dated 1375, the colour is creamy white, and it is very imperfect and indistinct.

The College of Bonhommes at Ashridge, was founded in 1283 by Edmund, Earl of Corn- wall in honour of The Precious Blood, on one of his manors which lay on the Hert- fordshire border, and now forms a part of that county. It was the only house of this order in England, except the small college at Edington in Wiltshire : the rule obeyed by the brethren differed however very little from that of the Austin Canons, though the dress they adopted was more distinctly monastic, consisting of a grey habit and scapulary, with a long grey cloak and cowl.

The endowment was not at first very large, and provided only for seven brethren who were to be all priests, and were to receive six marks yearly from the Earl's treasury for their support. The chronicler of Dun- stable tells us that there was at the time little hope that the house would continue, as the foundation was so insufficient, and some of the brethren had not at first a very good character, in spite of their name. The founder however seems to have been satisfied with his work ; the conventual church was dedicated in 1286 by Bishop Sutton, and enriched by a very valuable relic a phial containing a portion of the Precious Blood, bought in Germany by Richard King, of the Romans and divided between this house and the Abbey of Hailes. In 1290, Edward I.