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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
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