1321-01-14, Westminster

Memorandum, that whereas the king, upon being given to understand that the abbey of Abyndon, which is founded of the patronage and alms of him and his ancestors, [is distracted] by dissension arising from a composition between . . . . the late abbot and the convent concerning the division of the goods and possessions of the house, and was depressed otherwise by debts, and it was feared that its means were diminished and wholly destroyed, by reason whereof the alms of the king's progenitors there appointed ceased, religion was dissolved, and hospitalities were withdrawn, appointed, on 9 August, in the 14th year of his reign, R. bishop of Salisbury and Sir Hugh le Despenser, the elder, to enquire concerning the state of the abbey and the said composition. Afterwards in the parliament at Westminster in the octaves of Michaelmas, in the same year, the bishop and Hugh informed the king of the premises in this manner: This is the answer of the prior and convent of Abyndon to Roger, bishop of Salisbury, and Hugh le Despenser, the elder, to whom the king lately gave his commission to enquire of the points contained in the commission ; that is to say, that all the goods belonging to the church of Abyndon and the abbot and convent of the same are one body, and when the abbot dies, the king takes all the esplees and profits, and when a new abbot is appointed, he has the portions anciently ordained for him, and the convent likewise takes its portions for divers offices, and the abbot, with the assent and counsel of the brethren, appoints (met) and dismisses (oste) the obedientiaries, and audits (otent) their account every year, and this has been the custom from time out of mind. And if this manner ought to be called division, we leave it to your discretion (/e lessoums e a voz descrecions), and as to the ownership of the soil, there has been no division. They were asked if there were any division concerning the taking of the esplees and profits of the said soil, and to this they would not answer. They were asked if the . 351 Membrane 12d. Schedule could ordain concerning the goods and esplees issuing from the said and they answered that the abbot can come there for pleasure (tuwer). were afterwards asked if they had anything thereof of the king or his that affirmed any division to be between them; to which they that they did not know that they had anything thus, except a lately made between an abbot and the couvent, wherein no is made of the assent of the king or his progenitors. French. this relation had been made, and the above composition and the bull of Pope Alexander in this form Alexander, ete. , had exhibited, certain petitions were produced before the king on behalf prior and convent, one of which contained that John de Canynges, prior of Abyndon, was detained against his will in the custody of de Sutton, abbot of Abyndon, as if in prison outside his house at wherefore it was prayed that the prior might come before the and his council to defend his estate and the estate of the said house, said abbot there present confessed, in answer to the king, that the was in his company, and he was enjoined by the king to bring the before him and his council on the morrow. On which day, the abbot being before the king and his council, the king nominated John, his Stephen, bishop of London, and Hamo, bishop of Rochester, the bishop of Salisbury and Hugh le Despenser, the abbot of St. Albans, the of Redyngg , Sir Hugh le (ste) Courteneye, Sir Walter de Norwyco, of the exchequer, Henry le Scrop, chief justice, William de Bereford, Gilbert de Middelton, offic[ial] of the court of Canterbury, to the aforesaid matter, and to advise the king what should be done After deliberation, they reported to the king in the said parliathat they found that, after the election of the said brother John de as abbot of Abyndon, the king took the said abbot's fealty and the temporalities of the abbey to him, no division of the same supposed, and that the composition or division of the goods of the whereof mention is made above, was made without the assent of the progenitors and in diminution of the alms appointed for the souls of and his soul and in dissolution of the religion of the house, it seemed to them that the composition should be annulled. After relation, it was considered in parliament by the king and his council the composition should be annulled, and the king would deliberate sending men of religion and others to the abbey to ordain and so that the. goods of the house should be expended duly and suitably, the king afterwards nominated the aforesaid bishop of Salisbury, the of Redyngg , and William de Bereford for this purpose. MEMBRANE lld.