him. Like many other first establishments of this nature, it was very early destroyed by fire, but no private benefactor to the Church came forward to re-establish what had once flourished, and it was left to the munificence of John de Oxford, Bishop of Norwich, to re-build the monastery in 1194. This he did, placing therein seven Canons and a Priest, which number was afterwards increased to twenty. The monks of the Holy Trinity held a high character in the town of Ipswich, and on many occasions their presence was deemed indispensable to the good regulation of the borough. At the period when the Corpus Christi Guilds were held, they formed a portion of the procession, were engaged in the important ceremonies, and indeed more than divided the honour of the occasion, with the brethren of the Priory of St. Peter and St. Paul. To the Holy Trinity were attached the advowson, medietus, or portion of the churches of St. Lawrence, St. Mary at Tower, St. Mary at Elm, St. Saviour, St. John Baptist, St. Margaret, Trinity, and St. Michael, in the town; also Tuddenham, Mourningthorpe, Bently, Higham, Foxhall, Willisham, Preston, Mendham, Rushmere, and Lecham. A mill in Hagenford, a fold course and pasturage for 400 sheep, free warren in 11 or more parishes, 140 acres of marsh in Moulton, Reedham, and properties in many other places. In the three well known valuations-Taxatio Ecclesiastica (1291)-Valor Ecclesiasticus 1534, and the Liber Val. the valuation of the Holy Trinity stood severally £47: 17: 41-£88 : 6 : 9-& £119: 16: 2. But although Leland calls Norman de Gastrode primus fundator," doubts exist whether he is entitled to this character. A charter to this monastery by King John speaks of Gastrode, but not in this capacity, and the church was not given to the monks by him but by Simon fil Osberni. Tanner seems to deny also that John de Oxford, Bishop of Norwich, rebuilt the premises after they were destroyed by fire. Indeed much of the generally received history of the Priory of the Holy Trinity is open to doubt and dispute, though perhaps not more so than that of other establishments, the era of the foundation of which dates at a remote period. The following Priors are known :— The Priory of the Holy Trinity was suppressed for the purposes of founding the Colleges of Cardinal Wolsey both at Oxford and Ipswich. But its revenues were never appropriated to this object, for on the disgrace of Wolsey it was granted on the 21st of March, 1544, to Sir Thomas Pope, Knight, afterwards distinguished as a munificent founder in the university of Oxford. From Sir T. Pope the site passed to the Herefords and from thence to its present possessors- the family of Fonnereau. The house now known as Christ Church, was erected by the first grantee Sir T. Pope.* Seal-the figure of Christ seated with a book resting upon his left hand and knee, his right hand raised in benediction. The seven candlesticks at his side, and the whole within a quarterfoil, shewing the emblems of the Evangelists. Legend, SIGILL: COMVNE: SCA XPI: GIPEWICENSIS. The PRIORY of St. PETER and St. PAUL, situate in the parish of St. Peter, was also a Priory of Austin Canons, and was founded in the reign of the same king as that of the Holy Trinity-Henry II. But little is known of its history. Thomas de Lacy and Alice his wife are said to be the founders, and there were attached to it the churches of St. Edmund a Pountney, St. Austin, St. Mildred, St. Nicholas, St. Peter, St. Mary at Kay, in Ipswich; and Thurleston, Cretingham, Crew, Wherstead, and Dokesworth. It also held the tithes of St. Matthew and the manor of St. Peter, also in Ipswich; Thorp and Letheringham, Harold in Burstall, and St. Peter in Cretingham and * Two Rentals of this Priory, circa Henry III and Edward I, have been given to the public in a privately printed volume, by Wm. Powell Hunt, Esq. Ipswich. |