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184 THE PLACE OF CAERWYS IN WELSH HISTORY.

lineam ad aquam de Croyken ad viam apud ubi descendit in quendam rivulum qui vocatur Calghok (? Galghok), et sic sequendo illum rivulum usque aquam de Willar, et sic sequendo illam aquam, et bundas terrarum domini Reginaldi de Grey dimittendo illas terras extra bundas usque predictum crucem ubi predicte bunde inceperunt. Et quia nolumus abbreviare vel minuere in aliquo proficua nobis pertinentia de hominibus manentibus infra dictas metas et bundas, seu de tenentibus eorundem hominum infra easdam extra villam de Cayrus, nec relevia vel servicia alia quæcumque de predictis hominibus, et eorum tenentibus nobis debita extinguere, vel in aliquo minuere, volumus quod Ballivi ejusdem libertates per preceptum nostrum, seu vicecomitis nostri de Fflynt, aut ragloti nostri de Englefeld, qui pro tempore fuerint, faciant executionem pro predictis proficuis et serviciis nostris predictis infra dictas metas et bundas et de eisdem proficuis et serviciis nobis, aut vicecomitibus et raglotis nostris predictis integre ad opus nostrum respondere teneantur. In cujus rei testimonium has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentes, hiis testibus, venerabili patre Johanne, Assaven' episcopo, Bartho' de Burgherssh, justiciario nostro Cestrie, Reginaldo de Grey domino de Ruthyn, Reginaldo Lestraunge domino de Ellesmere, militibus John de Delves, locum tenentem prefati justiciarii nostri, Johanne de Brunham sum'one Camerario nostro Cestrie, et aliis. Data apud Cestrie, sub sigillo scacarii nostri ibidem, vicesimo die Augusti, anno regni domini E[dwardi] Regis patris nostri tricesimo. [A.D. 1357.]

Nos autem concessiones et voluntatem predictas ratas habentes et gratas eas pro nobis et heredibus nostris, quantum in nobis est, dilectis nobis Burgensibus Burgi predicti et eorundem heredibus et successoribus Burgensibus Burgi illius concedimus et confirmamus sicut carta predicta rationabiliter testatur et prout iidem Burgenses et eorum predecessores Burgum predictum hactenus tenuerunt et libertatibus et acquietantiis predictis rationabiliter usi sunt et gavisi. In cujus rei testimonium has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentes. Teste me ipso apud Westmonasterium die Junii anno regni nostri secundo [A.D. 1379].

Nos autem concessiones voluntatem et confirmacionem predictas ratas habentes et gratas eas pro nobis et heredibus nostris quantum in nobis est dilectis nobis nunc Burgensibus Burgi predicti et eorundem heredibus et successoribus Burgensibus Burgi illius concedimus et confirmamus sicut carta et littere predicte rationabiliter testantur, et prout iidem Burgenses et eorundem predecessores Burgum predictum hactenus tenuerunt et libertatibus et quietanciis predictis rationabiliter usi sunt et gavisi. In cujus rei etc. T. R. apud Westmonasterium primo die Septembr'. [A.D. 1408.]

LINGEBROOK PRIORY.

BY R. W. BANKS, ESQ.

LELAND, in his Itinerary (vol. v, p. 10), mentions this house in his list of abbeys in Herefordshire as "Lynebroke, a place of nuns, within two miles of Wigmore, in the Marches between Herefordshire and Shrewsburyshire", and adds that the Mortimers, Earls of March, were its founders. Dugdale, in his Monasticon, unfortunately included it in his list of the alien abbeys, which were finally dissolved in the reign of Henry V, as "Limbroke, Heref., Aveney in Norm. (Pat. 26, Ric. II.") Tanner, in his Notitia Monastica, considers the reference to Aveney to be an error for Aulney, which had a cell in Lincolnshire called Limbergh. Dugdale's error has, nevertheless, been continued, and has been treated as correct in the recently published Diocesan History of Hereford. A careful search in the Extents of the lands of alien priories, co. Hereford, 3 Ric. II, and in the list of alien priories in Miscellanea of the Exchequer Rolls, 23 Edward I, makes it certain. that Lingebrook, which has been gradually altered to its present name of Limebrook, was never an alien priory. Tanner, after referring to the supposed error, says that it is more certain that about a quarter of a mile from the left bank of the river Lugg was a priory of nuns of the Order of St. Austin, founded by some of the Mortimers as early as Richard I, which continued until the general suppression.

The site of the Priory is marked as "Abbey" in the first Ordnance Survey, in the parish of Lingen, near the road which leads past Kinsham to Wigmore, by the side of a small brook which soon afterwards finds its way into Lugg. Nothing remains but a few ruined walls of rubble-work and foundations, which give no indications of monastic occupation.

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It remains to give a brief narrative of what may now gathered relative to the Priory and its possessions. In the Taxatio of Pope Nicholas (1291), the lands within the diocese of Hereford, of the nuns of Lyngebroke, in Erleslen (Eardisland), Upton, Bodenham, Burton, and Morton, are taxed at £6:8: 8. The church of Clifton, in the deanery of Burford and archdeaconry of Salop, also then belonged to the Priory. A note of a different reading of the MS., at the foot of the page, adds "pauperum" to "monialium", a term which appears to have been well applicable down to the time of their suppression.

In 1227 the Prioress of Lingebrok was summoned to make answer to the coheirs of Walter Muscegros deceased, whose lands, by reason of trespasses imputed to him during the then late disturbance in the kingdom, had been given by King Henry III to John L'Estrange deceased, viz., lands in Wlfreton, Rettir, and Bodenham, to hold according to the form of the Dictum of Kenilworth, the coheirs being prepared to redeem the same according to the said Dictum; but the Prioress had entered the tenements in Bodenham, and detained them. The Prioress said in answer that the said Walter enfeoffed John L'Estrange of the said tenements, and that he enfeoffed Walter de Ebroicis (Devereux), who enfeoffed Nicholas Duredent, who enfeoffed Master John de Croft, who gave the same to the Prioress in frankalmoign; whereupon the Court ordered the Rolls of Chancery to be searched for the alleged gift by Henry III to John L'Estrange. The result of the suit is not stated.2

In May 1281 the royal licence was granted to Richard de la Legh to give 24s. of rent in West Bradeleye to the Prioress and nuns in frankalmoign; and in May of the following year licence was granted to John de Croft

1 Drawn up on the surrender of the Castle of Kenilworth to the King. Under it the rebels were enabled to redeem their forfeited lands on payment of a certain number of years' value, calculated with reference to their offences.

2 Coram Rege Roll, March, 6-7 Edward I, No. 42.

to give to the Priory one acre of meadow in Ayston.1 Elizabeth and Joan, two of the daughters of Edmund Lord Mortimer, are recorded in the history of Wigmore Abbey (Dugd., Mon.) as having been nuns of Lyngebroke Priory.

On the 20th of June 1309, a pardon was granted to the Prioress and nuns for acquiring, in the time of Edward I, after the passing of the Statute of Mortmain, from Roger de Mortimer the advowson of the church of Stoke Blez (Blisse), which was held of the King in chief, without licence, with power to appropriate the same; and on the 23rd of December 1336 a pardon was granted to the Prioress for acquiring 116s. 6d. of rent in Adforton, co. Salop, from Thomas de Baryngton without licence."

On the 20th of February 1351, on payment by the Prioress of 100s. into the Hanaper of the Chancery, licence was granted to Adam Esger, clerk, to give and assign the manor of Brokkeswode Power to the Prioress and nuns for celebrating the anniversary day of William Power in the Priory, according to the ordinance of the same Adam; and on the 10th of July 1355, in consideration of the great poverty and miserable indigence of the Prioress and nuns, and of 30s. paid by them into the Hanaper, licence was granted to William de Waldebeof to give and assign to the Priory one messuage and 80 acres of land in Draycote, to celebrate the anniversary of the said William and Joan his wife after their deaths.3

It also appears by the Inquisitions post Mortem of Roger de Mortimer (22 Ric. II) and of Edmund de Mortimer (3 Henry VI) that the Prioress held of these Earls a fourth part of a fee in Brokeswode.

The Priory was surrendered to the Commissioners by Julian Barbor, the last Prioress, on the 28th of December 1539. In the Ministers' Accounts, 31, 32,

Pat. Rolls, 9 Edward I, m. 20; 10 Edward I, m. 13.

2 Pat. Rolls, 2 Edward II, p. 2, m. 2; 10 Edward III, p. 2, m. 9. 3 Pat. Rolls, 25 Edward III, p. 1, m. 31; 29 Edward III, p. 1, m. 30.

Henry VIII, No. 96, the site of the late house, with the buildings there, is said to be "most apt for the farmer", with gardens, orchards, and fisheries. It was then leased by the Crown to John ap Richard.

These notes may well conclude with an extract from Gasquet's Henry VIII and the English Monasteries, vol. ii, p. 464, and with an account of the possessions of the Priory on its dissolution :

"The nuns had fallen under the Act for the suppression of the lesser monasteries, having an income of only £12 a year, but had purchased from Henry the perpetual continuance of their Convent by a payment of £5368.1 At the close of 1539, however, they were called upon to surrender to the King, and the five nuns were promised pensions, the Prioress £6, and each of the others 53s. 4d.; in all, they were to have £16:13:4 a year. The following are the charges made for obtaining that sum for them:

"William Thomas to John Scudamore, inclosing a Bill for getting the Pensions of the poor Nuns of Linbroke.

First, to write to Mr. Chancellor's clerk for making the warrant, and getting it signed

£ s. d.

6 8

Item, to Mr. Duke's clerk for writing out the pen

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Item, paid to Glascocke to dispatch them from the seal

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Item, my Lord Privy seals fee for the head of the

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