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 RELIGIOUS HOUSES In a cheste nere to ye prior's chamber. An olde vestement with decon and subdecon and a cope of blew or purpur velvyt ; an olde cope with a vestment and a decon and subdecon off olde blew sarsnet worne and nothynge worthe ; an old cope of olde copper gold and sylk ; iij copys or vestmentes decon and subdecon off blake sylke and worne no- thynge worthe ; an olde syngle vestment off blake velvyt ; ij olde vestments the on off whyt. . . the other grene worne and lytell worthe ; iiij olde copys off sylke nothynge worthe ; a fayer chalesse per' at X Oz di' ; a lytyll crosse of wode playtyd with sylver where ys conteynyd certeyn relyques ; ij other pecys of wode playtyd with sylver ; x sylver sponys pond viii Oz di', at iij/. in]d. ther oz. Inventories were also taken of the contents (for the most part ordinary and poor) of the little chamber next the prior, the guest chamber called bakehouse, brewhouse, storehouse, and bailifPs chamber. The cattle consisted of 20 swine, 5 kine, 125 sheep, 40 lambs, and 13 horses and mares for the plough. The standing corn on 68 acres was estimated at ^i^ I2j., and the barley, pease, and oats on 97 acres at ,^14 i is. gd. The total of the inventory estimate came to ^12835. 9<^. On 24 January, 1537, Richard Southwell was again at Hempton and paid various small sums as'rewardes' to twelve different persons attached to the monastery in sums varying from lox. to 20d., and including 6s. Sd. to ' the daye wyff.' Opposite the name of Henry Salter, prior, is nil. On the following day (25 January) the goods of the house were sold ; they realised ^^73 131. 6^d. With these papers is given the sworn deposi- tion of the prior before the commissioners, to the effect that — the howse ys of th order of seynt Augustyne and ys a hede howse havynge a convent seale. Item ther ben of religious persones within the same howsse ij requyryng capacities. Item there of servants xv, hindes x, and waityng servants v. The lead on the steeple, transepts, quire, south chapel, gate-house, and cloister was esti- mated at twenty-one fodders, worth £6;^. The four bells in the tower weighed 24 cwt., and were valued at ^^25 41. The debts of the prior -were ^^8 175., whilst there was £6 16s. owing to him. The priory debts included 10;. for beef owing to the butcher, and I id. due to the The priory obtained a pension of ^^4 1 31. ^.d. on 10 December, 1537.^ On 22 March, 1537, Francis Bedingfield, of London, obtained a lease of the priory site and demesne lands.' The site of the priory, with the manor and appropriated rectory, were granted in 1546 to Sir William Fermer and Catharine his wife. ' Suppression Papers (P.R.O.), 17,270 ; also S^K ' Aug. Off. Books ccxxxii, fol. 3. ' Ibid, ccix, fol. 5 7 3. Priors of Hempton Simon,^ before 1 165 Richard,' occurs 1269 Giles,' occurs 1297 Richard de Westacre,' elected 1 301, occurs 1305* Alexander de Lenn,' elected 1324 Nicholas de Kettleston,*" elected 1339 John de Snoring," elected 1386 John Pensthorp,'- elected 1393 Richard,'' occurs 1438, 1450 Stephen Wighton,'* elected 145 1 John de Lexham, a/ias Penton," elected 1481 William Fakenham," occurs 15 14 John Sambrook,'' occurs 1529 Henry Salter, a/ias Salt," occurs 1534, last prior The thirteenth-century seal of this house is oval (2 X i^ in.) and shows St. Stephen standing between two great candles under a gothic canopy ; below was apparently a half-length figure (? of the prior), but in the only known specimen '' this part is broken. Legend : — sigillO commv DE HEMPTONN 28. THE PRIORY OF HICKLING This small Austin house was founded by Theobald, son of Robert de Valoines, in the year 1185, and was dedicated to the honour of St. Mary, St. Austin, and All Saints, the obser- vances in use being those of the Essex house of St. Osyth, from which four canons came for a while to Hickling to instruct the brethren in the rule of their order."" Li January, 1 204, King John confirmed Theobald's foundation charter, by which he had granted to the canons of Hickling his lands at Arlum, together with the churches of Hickling, and of Parham and Hasketon in Suffolk. By the same charter were confirmed the gifts by William de Muntchanesy, of his land at Kessing- land, Suffolk ; by Robert de Waxham of a moiety of the church of Waxham ; and by Henry de Fleg of the other moiety of the same church.^* About the same time the king granted them a Friday market at Hickling. ^^ Ibid. " Ibid, vi, 1 19. Ibid. " Ibid. ' Assize R. 591, m. I 5 </. ' Norw. Epis. Reg. i, 114. '" Ibid, iii, 24. " Ibid. 184. " Blomefield, Hist. o/Norf. vii, loi. '* Norw. Epis. Reg. xi, 27. '' Ibid, xii, 82. '* Tanner, Norw. MSS. i, 344. " Ibid. " Rymer, Foedera, xiv, 503. " Ackn. of Supr. (P.R.O.), 62. '■' Oxenedes, Chron. Minor (Rolls Ser.), 433. ''Ibid. No. 116. 383
 * Walles chamber,' the hall, buttery, kitchen,
 * Butter Wyffe ' for butter.*
 * Blomefield, Hisl. o/Nor/. vii, 101.
 * ' Chart. R. 5 John, m. 15, No. 117.