Dunstable Priory. (Part Six).

Print of Dunstable Priory.

Published 24 December 1819.

Longman & Lackington & Co

and Joseph Harding, London.

Illustration: THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY

Text from Wikipedia — the free encyclopædia,

unless stated otherwise.

There were only thirteen Monks, besides the Prior, at the time of the Dissolution, and eleven Canons and two Lay Brothers; in the early days, there were probably more, though never a very large number.

Between 1223 and 1275, only twenty-five admissions to the Novitiate are recorded, and thirteen deaths; but the entries were perhaps not always made with equal care, and the entrance of Lay Brothers was not noticed at all.

Besides the Religious, there were a number of other inmates of the Priory; a “new house for the carpenters and wheel-wrights within the court” was built in 1250; there was accommodation also for the Chaplains of the Monastery, and for boarders who had bought corrodies (pensions), as well as pensioners in the Almonry. The Porter of the Great Gate was sometimes a Secular, unlike the custom of Benedictine Houses.[6]

Dunstable Priory, 

Bedfordshire, England.

Date: 11 October 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: JohnArmagh

(Wikimedia Commons)

There can be no doubt of the good order of the Priory during the time of Prior Richard de Morins; he would scarcely have been chosen twice to visit other Houses unless he had ruled his own with care and diligence.

During his forty years of Office, Canons of Dunstable were at least five times elected Priors to other Monasteries of the Order — at Caldwell, St. Frideswide's, Ashby and Coldnorton.

Bishop Grosseteste visited the House once in 1236, not so much to inquire into the daily life of the Priory, as to investigate its title to several appropriate Churches; but he exacted an oath on this occasion from all the Canons individually, and one of them fled to Woburn rather than submit to it.

The Bishop came again while Geoffrey of Barton was Prior. Henry de Bilenda, the Cellarer, upon whom so much depended, was incapable or untrustworthy, and, in 1249, fled to the Cistercians at Merivale, rather than render an account of his stewardship.

Dunstable Priory.

Date: 10 May 2015.

Source: Own work.

This File is licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution-

Share Alike 4.0 International licence.

Author: DrMoschi

(Wikimedia Commons)

In 1274, Bishop Gravesend sent a Canon of Lincoln to visit Dunstable, who left his corrections in writing; and, in Advent of the same year, he made a personal visitation. 

In November 1279, Bishop Sutton came and discharged his Office “strictly and without respect of persons.” The Sub-Prior and certain others were removed from their duties and forbidden to hold Office in future, and certain “less useful members” of the Priory were expelled.

In May 1280, he deposed the Prior, William le Breton, from all pastoral care. It seems most likely that these depositions were on account of mismanagement, rather than for any personal failings.

PART SEVEN FOLLOWS.