Religious Foundations of Medieval Stamford

John S Hartley and Alan Rogers 2017

There have been many requests for this book which is now out of print and not easily reprintable, so we have decided to create a .pdf of the book for free distribution.

We have taken the opportunity to list below additional information found since its original publication under each of the headings as below. This pdf may be copied freely - we hope that eventually it will be available for download on the website of the Stamford and District Local History Society

John S Hartley

Alan Rogers

February 2017

 The book can be read HERE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

GENERAL

Considerable information about the ownership of property in Stamford by all the religious foundations is to be found in the following volumes which have been published since this catalogue was first produced:

The Act Book of St Katherine’s Gild, Stamford, 1480-1534 edited Alan Rogers 2011 Bury St Edmunds: abramis ISBN 978-1-84549-509-1; 299 pages

People and Property in medieval Stamford: a catalogue of title deeds from Stamford, Lincolnshire, from the twelfth century to 1547 2012 edited Alan Rogers abramis ISBN 978-1-84549-548-0

Noble Merchant: William Browne (c1410-1489) and Stamford in the fifteenth century,  Alan Rogers 2012, abramis ISBN 978-1-84549-565-7

ALL SAINTS CHURCH

Robert rector of church of All Saints in the Market late 12th century PRO E326/4293, 4626

Proctor of the mass celebrated in the church of All Saints in the Market 1339-40, PRO E326/4690

Church taxed at 8 marks 1450 PRO E36/52

Stock of All Saints gild valued at £4 1524/5 PRO E179/136/315

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH

It would seem to have been located in the churchyard of St Michael - see PRO E326/4736 for mention of two churchyards; see also M E Briston and T M Halliday (ed) The Pilsgate Manor of the Sacrist of Peterborough Northants Record Society 2009 p 91  -  St Michael’s church paying a rent for two churchyards in Staunford, 1271-4

ST CLEMENTS CHURCH

Ascelin priest of St Clements church late 12th century PRO E326/4626

‘Parson’ of St Clements church taxed to lay [sic] subsidy 12d, 1450 PRO 179/276/44

Chantry certificate 1548 PRO E301/33/122

ST GEORGE’S CHURCH

This may be the church of St Gregory mentioned in PRO CP40/296 m42; Justin Simpson’s notes 1 p56 (in Town Hall, Stamford)

1450 church was untaxed - a pension of 16s was due to Fromond priory PRO E36/62

Stipend of the church in 1524/5 was £4 PRO E179/136/315

HOLY TRINITY/ ST STEPHENS CHURCH

Stock of the gild of Holy Trinity valued at £3 1524-25 PRO E179/136/315

CPSD letters

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

Valued at 17 marks without the pension to Fromond 1450 PRO E36/62

ST MARTIN’S CHURCH

Gild taxed at 6d in 1450 PRO E179/276/44; paid pension to sacrist of Peterborough PRO E36/62

Stock of St Martin’s gild valued at £3 in 1524-25 PRO E179/136/315

Chantry certificate 1548 in full in Justin Simpson’s notes 1 page 93

Inquiry into land of church 1617 Justin Simpson’s notes 1 pages 140-1

ST MARY’S CHURCH

Gild of Corpus Christi taxed at 6s in 1449-50, PRO E179/276/44

Gild of Our Lady, stock valued at £10 1524-25 PRO E179/136/315

ST MARY BYNEWERK

See Howgrave pp 10, 96

ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH

Pension in 1450 was 14s PRO E36/62

See St Andrews church

Gild in St Michael’s church: in 1524-25, the stipend of the church was valued at £2, the stipend of the gild at £6, PRO E179/136/315

ST PAUL’S CHURCH

For the gild of St Katherine which met in this church, see St Katherine’s Gild book listed above

ST PETER’S CHURCH

Valued at 14½ marks with pension to Lincoln of 20s in 1450 PRO E36/62

DEAN OF STAMFORD

Alexander dean early thirteenth century PRO E326/4548

Reiner dean teacher and dean; probably son of Herward PRO E326/ 4541, 4548, 4626

1442 the will of John Browne father of William Browne was proved in the court of the dean of Stamford held in All Saints church; Devon Record Office Simcoe 1038 M/T/9/2.

BROWNE’S HOSPITAL

The most up-to-date account of this hospital is to be found in Nick Hill and Alan Rogers 2013 Guild, Hospital and Alderman: new light on the founding of Browne’s Hospital, Stamford 1475-1509 abramis

The Wardens: managing a late medieval hospital (Browne’s Hospital, Stamford 1495-1518) edited Alan Rogers 2014 abramis and Stamford Survey Group.

ST GILES HOSPITAL

For Spittle Close in 1556, see Justin Simpson’s notes 1 pp 111-112

ST JOHN’S HOSPITAL

Justin Simpson’s notes 1 p 91 cites chantry certificate: the free chapel of St John is annexed to a spittell house being situated upon Stamford bridge and is no parish church; one stipendiary priest

SCHOOLS

John Cissor alumpnus quondam domini Henrici Engayne 13th century PRO E328/16

Master Peter alumnus of Reiner sometime dean of Stamford thirteenth century PRO E326/4541

ST LEONARDS PRIORY

Rent in St Mary’s parish, thirteenth century PRO E326/4553

1450 valued same as in 1291, PRO E36/62

1833 rebuilding John Chandler notes pages 188-9

See: Alan Piper, St Leonard’s Priory in Stamford Historian Nos 5 & 6

NUNNERY OF ST MICHAEL

Possessions in the whole diocese valued at £66 13s 4d 1450 PRO E36/62

AUSTIN FRIARS

Illustration on p.60 – the stone is now to be found on the inside face of the (rebuilt) town wall on the south side of North Street almost opposite the former Police Station, technically in the back garden of a Barn Hill property.

Contribution by Lady Margaret Beaufort to repairs at Austin Friars of £3-6-8 St John’s Cambridge D91.20 p.195

GREY FRIARS

First mention in 1240-45 in Calendar of Liberate Rolls 1240-45 p 253 [thanks to Martin Olle)

Excavations by Cambridge Archaeological Unit 2015-16 - report not available yet

BRAZENOSE SITE

See Nicholas Sheehan’s article at

MONASTIC HOUSES

ASHBY PRIORY: Rent of 2s given to canons of St Mary, Esseby, mid 13th century PRO E326/4760

BOURNE ABBEY held property in Stamford valued at £2 and free of court, 1450 PRO E36/62

BROOKE PRIORY: Valuation in 1450 same as 1291 PRO E36/62

CROWLAND: Valuation in 1450 same as 1291 PRO E36/62

CROXDEN ABBEY: Valued at £17 10s in 1450 - tax is paid by the tenants PRO E36/62

For sale in 1545, see Justin Simpson notes 1 p 27

CROXTON: Valuation in 1450 same as 1291 PRO E36/62

Bought by Thomas earl of Rutland in 1547 but came back to the king PRO E328/157

FINESHADE PRIORY: Valuation in 1450 same as 1291; tax paid by the tenants PRO E36/62

Rent of ½ mark in St Mary’s parish PRO E326/4551

Gable in west end of house used to support a beam, PRO E326/4747

House in Colgate PRO E326/4752

HUNTINGDON PRIORY : Valuation in 1450 same as 1291 PRO E36/62

See Justin Simpson’s notes 1 pp 28-29

PIPEWELL ABBEY: Valued at £2 6s 8d in 1450, PRO E36/62

SEMPRINGHAM PRIORY: Dispute between Elmes and Lee over a garden in the parish of St Peter which Lee claimed

Sempringham had leased to him in 1528, PRO E321/15/7

SWINESHEAD ABBEY: See Calendar of Patent Rolls Elizabeth 1 Vol 5 p.74-5, No. 554 21 March 1570:

Lease for 11 years to William Cecil lord Burghley of lands [...in Bourne ....] and (tenant named) in Stampford co Linc late of monastery of Swineshead .... rents a) £27-15-8 (detailed) and b) 8s. in consideration that three tenements on the premises have been burnt down and must be rebuilt - also costs of draining marshlands and repairing 2 mills badly decayed for which the Crown has been charged .......

VAUDEY ABBEY: Valuation in 1450 same as 1291 PRO E36/62

ANCHORESSES:

There are several references to be found in the papers of Lady Margaret Beaufort in St John’s College, Cambridge, D91; see also publications listed at head of this note; also, E A Jones Speculum Inclusorum: a mirror for recluses Liverpool University Press 2013.