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The Project in Detail;     The Priory’s Lands and Churches


The Manager


Jean Yates Project Officer & Chairman Town Guides


 With help from


Tony Stephens, Vivienne Evans, Ann Sparrow and Hugh Garrod



A year ago when we first thought about this project we believed that the Priory owned land or churches in a dozen or so Bedfordshire villages. The latest count is in excess of 100 places stretching across seven counties.


 Researching what the Priory owned in these places has now become a project in its own right which we have added on to our original list.


The current list of places we are researching is below. These are all mentioned in either, the Priory Annals or Charters (c1200-c1300), the Court of Augmentation, the Valor Ecclesiasticus (1535) or by other historians. Those places found in the Annals, Charters and Valor Ecclesiasticus were obviously related to the Priory for more than 300 years.


They may in some cases not be owned by Dunstable, just mentioned by the scribe. There is much work to do!


Bedfordshire


1. Aspley Guise,  Charters church  vicarage, 1223 fraud

2. Barwith/Barworth, Studham Chantry Chapel, Annals, Charters

3. Battlesden Charters, Valor 207

4. Bedford ( St Peter Dunstable, St Mary, St Cuthbert)  207 Valor, Annals, Charters

5. Bideham (island) Charters

6. Bokelshore/ Buckleshore, Studham Annals, Charters

7. Brademore near Tingrith?Annals

8. Bradewine near Studham Common Annals ct of aug

9. Buckwood wood (now Herts) Charters

10. Caddington, Cadingdon Annals, Valor, Charters

11. Calcote, Caldecote , manor, 207 Valor at Houghton Regis

12. Chalgrave, Morwell, Valor, Annals, Charters

13. Chalton  207 Valor, Annals, Charters

14. Dunstable 206 Valor, Annals, Charters, hospitals, vineyard, herbarium

15. Eaton (Eyton, Bray) Valor, Annals, Charters

16. Eversholt, Charters, land

17. Flitton, Flitte, mills, church,Worthing, Annals, Charters

18. Flitwick, Flylwick, mill, causeway. Annals, Valor, Charters, *see Rokesac

19. Gladley , Neyrescum Gladley; Annals, Valor (under Bucks)

20. Grenfeeld, Greenfield mill, 208 Valor, Charters

21. Hares, Herne, Toddington Annals, Charters

22. Harlington Rectory  207 Valor, Annals, Charters

23. Higham Gobion Valor, Charters

24. Hockliffe 207, Hospital, Valor, Annals

25. Houghton (Regis)Hocton 207 Valor & Annals, Charters

26. Humberston, Humbershoe Studham (now Herts)   207 Valor, Charters

27. Husborne Crawley – Woborne Crawley rectory, 207 Valor, Annals, Charters

28. Ickwell, Chikewell, Gikewell, Annals, Charters, a carucate of land

29. Kensworth Annals, Charters

30. Leagrave, Lyttgrave , Lightegrave , (Luton) Annals, Charters

31. Leighton ( Buzzard) Charter 958 Taxation

32. Lidlington Annals, Charters

33. Luton,  207 Valor, Charters

34. Maulden Annals, Charters

35. Milton Bryan, Middleton Valor, Charters

36. Pottesgrave Valor

37. Pulloxhill, Polloxhyll, Hipwell, mill 206 Valor, Annals, Charters

38. Ridgemont, Valor

39. Rokesac, Ruxox; in Flitwick, cell of canons, Annals, Charters

40. Segenhoo, Segenow  207 Valor, Annals, Charters

41. Sewell Annals, Charters

42. Sharpenhoe, Sarpenhoe and land at Radcroft Annals

43. Shortgrave near Studham 206  Valor, Annals, Charters

44. Sirinctone in Dunstable?

45. Slademede Valor under Dunstable

46. Stanbridge, Charters

47. Steppingley 207 Valor, Charters

48. Stopsley, Luton, Annals

49. Streatley, Strateley, Valor

50. Studham, 207 Valor; Annals,Charters Vivian’s Croft, Annals

51. Sundon, Valor, Annals

52. Tebworth Annals, Charters

53. Tingrith annals

54. Tilsworth Valor

55. Toddington Valor, Annals, Charters (also see Wadlowe)

56. Totternhoe  207 Valor, Annals, Charters

57. Wadlowe ( hunting reserve near Toddington) 207 Valor; Annals, Charters

58. Wardon Annals a small rent charge, (Warden Abbey main landowner)

59. Westoning, Weston, Annals 207 Valor, Charters

60. Worthing, Westworthing  Annals

61. Whypsnade, Wibesnade   207 Valor, Charters

62. Wingfield Annals, Charters Wyndesales, Wyndeseldes + rectory 207 Valor

63. Wymington annals, Charters


Buckinghamshire

64. Bradenham, Bradeham Mill, Eddlesborough. Charters

65.  Brickhill (Great) Annals, Charters

66. Burcot, Burkote, Wing Annals, Charters, 30 acres in 1220

67. Cheddington  Charters

68. Chessham half the church 207 Valor; Annals, Charters

69. Cublington, Cobilington Annals, Valor, Charters

70. Dagnall Charters a hide of land

71. Eddlesborough Charters

72. Hundridge chapel, under Chesham

73. Leighton Buzzard, Charters, a tax of 10s on a rent in 14th C

74. North Marston  annals, Charters, advowson

75. Shenley 208 (  Shenley; Wood, Church & Brook End ) Valor, Charters

76. Soulbury, Bragenham, Chelmscott, Chelmediscot, Stapelford Mill, Charters

77. Stokehamon ( Stoke Hammond) 207 Valor; Annals


Derbyshire


 The Derbyshire story is the big surprise. A gift in 1205 by Sir Gaufridus le Cauceis of the parish of Bradbourne, followed by the Priory purchasing more land in the Peak some years later, means that the wool trade played a large part in the Priory’s economy. There is a mention of wool being sold to a Cahors merchant and there is also reference in the Annals to lead mining in the Peak.

This story has also intrigued the historians in the Ashbourne area. They have formed their own group and are now researching the medieval period in the Peak, including the medieval sheep and wool trade.


78. Aldwark Tithes, Grange and Tithe Farm Annals, Charters

79. Atlow Chapel  Annals. Charters

80. Ballidon Chapel Annals, Charters

81. Bradbourne Church, Rectory, Great Grange, Stables, Stew pond  207 Valor, Annals, Charters

82. Brassington Chapel, tithes, lead mines, Annals, Charters

83. Cardylhey; Land purchased by Dun Pr Annals  207 Valor

84. Friden Grange (Ron Weston)

85. Griffe Grange (Wolley)

86. Hoe Grange/ Beggarshoe (Wolley)

87. Ilam,  Annals

88. Lee/Lea Hall & Mill  Annals, Charters

89. Mowderich/Moldrichyt/ Mouldridge Grange 207 Valor, Annals, Charters

90. Stanedge Grange (Ron Weston)

91. Thorpe Mill  Annals

92. Tissington Chapel 207 Valor; Annals, Charters

93. Haukeswell and Unthank unknown places (Wolley)


Hertfordshire

94.  Berkhamsted, Charters

95. Dedington Annals (land at Markyate)

96. Flamstead, Bradnynge Charters

97. Ickleford Annals

98. Wodenhale, Annals, Charters, now Hudnall wood at Little Gaddesden



Leicestershire

99. Cadeby ,Cateby, Naneby church, vineyard 208 Valor, Annals, Charters

100. Lytterworth 208 Valor


Northants

101. Charlton Annals, Charters farmstead

102. Coldehygham Rectory 208 Valor, Charters

103. Grymscote, mill  208 Valor; Annals, Charters

104. King’s Sutton –tithe from Charlton due to church

105. Newbotell Rectory & Vicarage 208 Valor, Charters

106. Pattishall, Patyshull, 208 Valor; Annals, Charters, moiety of rectory, vicarage and moiety of manse and croft at   Edwinescote

107. Rushden/Rushton  Annals

108. Tyffield  Rectory, Valor

109. Weedon Bec, Weeton Rectory, Vicarage & Cant. Valor 208


Oxfordshire

110. Sydenham Syddenham 207 Valor, Charters

111. Tame  207 Valor; Annals, Charters


Dunstable to Derbyshire


The route that the canons took from Dunstable to Bradbourne in Derbyshire was we believe via the A5, Watling Street, a Roman road, and then turning directly north on the A447. Looking at the villages mentioned in the various sources we can see that they could have stayed at their own properties at Brickhill, Shenley, Pattishall, Weedon Bec and Cadeby where they had a vineyard. The medieval crossing of the River Trent at Repton is directly on their route to Bradbourne. Repton School is built on a 12th century Augustinian Priory and was on the banks of the river in those days.

North of the Trent an old Roman road headed north west and joined the A515 near Hartington. This road actually crossed their land at Cardlehey.  

If they were travelling on palfreys, the journey would have been slow, especially with muddy roads in winter, and could have taken between one and two weeks to cover 110miles.


This has also led us to look at the way the Prior moved lead from Derbyshire to Dunstable and the waterways seem to be the answer.

We are working with historians in Derbyshire and the lead mining historian Dr James Rieuwerts.


For more information follow the Canons Route on our Map at Canons Route


Author Jean Yates


Priory Churches and Lands