The fourteenth century: Prior Edmund de Broughyng

PRIOR EDMUND DE BROUGHYNG

1350–1355.

On the death of Pekesden, the escheators seized the possessions of the monastery for the king (as mentioned above); (fn. 1) but on the same day as the king granted licence to elect a new prior (May 25th) he issued letters close to the escheators of London, of Middlesex, of Essex and Hertford, and of Bedford and Buckingham, to remove the king's hand, quoting the decision in the matter by his grandfather in the year 1297.

Edmund de Broughyng, on whom the election fell, was one of the canons of the house. The king, having approved his election, granted his assent and signified the same to the Bishop of London on the 3rd June. On the 23rd of the same month, he issued a mandate to the escheator in Middlesex to deliver the temporalities to the new prior as his election had been confirmed by Ralph de Stratford, Bishop of London, and he had done fealty to the king.

Edmund de Broughyng had been prior for barely five years when he resigned. During those five years there are but few events to chronicle.

In the year 1349, whilst Pekesden was still prior, Edmund de Grymesby, the king's clerk, had obtained licence to alienate in mortmain (fn. 2) to the prior and convent 100 acres of land in Acton 5 in 'Kentiston', 3 in 'Iseldon', and 33 in Theydon Bois, in order to find a chaplain to celebrate in the conventual church every year on the anniversary of his death, and to feed five poor persons on the same day for ever. In his will, dated 10th October, 1353, (fn. 3) in which he is described as 'rector of the church of Barewe' (Barrowupon-Humber), Grymesby bequeathed to the prior and convent his tenements in the parishes of St. Leonard's, St. Botolph Aldersgate, and in 'Fleterstreete'; also two shops in 'Wendegayneslane' in the parish of St. Sepulchre, and elsewhere, on condition that they maintained a chantry for the good of his soul; failing which the bequest was to go to the chantry at Grimsby, to the chaplain of which he left a missal and a gilt chalice. That the prior and convent accepted the bequest is clear, because these tenements are among the gifts for obtaining which without a licence the prior and convent were fined in the year 1374. (fn. 4)

There are numerous entries in the Close Rolls during the priorate of Edmund of bonds given by him and the convent which were apparently in connexion with grants to the monastery.

Thus, in the year 1350, the prior and convent gave a bond of £40 to the Edmund de Grymesby mentioned above. (fn. 5) In 1352, the prior, with Jordan de Barton, gave a bond to Richard de Thorsby, clerk, for 40 marks; (fn. 6) and, in 1354, the prior and convent gave the same man a bond for £20. (fn. 7) In the same year they gave a bond to David de Wollore, clerk, for £40 (fn. 8) (which was cancelled on payment to one of the executors of David's will); and a deed is enrolled, dated February 6th of the same year, testifying that, although the prior and convent were bound to this David in £60, he grants that if they pay him £30 in the church on the morrow of Trinity following (June 9th) then the bond should be null. (fn. 9) In the same year, 1354, the prior and convent gave a bond to Simon de Hathefeld of London, potter, for £100 (cancelled on payment); (fn. 10) and to John Mayn for £40 (cancelled on payment). (fn. 11) On the other hand, in the year 1350, John, son of John de Carleton (which was the name of the next prior), gave a bond to the prior (fn. 12) for £10.

We have already described, when dealing with the monastery, (fn. 13) how, in the year 1352, the vicar of Tudley was cited to appear before the prior to answer various charges preferred against him.

Prior Broughyng would have consented to the election of Stephen de Maydenhythe to the mastership of the hospital in the year 1354, but no further records concerning his doings have been found.

The licence to the sub-prior and convent to elect on their petition 'showing that the church was void by the cession of Edmund de Broughyng the last prior' was granted the 18th April, 1355, (fn. 14) and it may be assumed that the date of his resignation was one or two days before.