RELIGIOUS HOUSES HOUSES OF AUSTIN CANONS 5. PRIORY OF HOLY TRINITY OR CHRISTCHURCH, ALDGATE The priory of Holy Trinity, Aldgate, was founded in 1107 or 1108^ by Maud, queen of Henry I,^ on a spot once occupied by a church in honour of Holy Cross and St. Mary Magda- lene. The abbey of Waltham had some kind of right there, but relinquished it on compensation by the queen,' and the new priory was freed from all subjection save to the bishop of London.* Besides the site of the house the queen gave to the canons the gate of Aldgate, with the soke pertaining to it,* including the churches of St. Augustine Pappey, St. Edmund Lombard Street, and Allhallows on the Wall,' and two-thirds of the ferm of Exeter, which amounted to £2^ I2S. 6dJ It is said that by her will she made other grants to the priory, but that while the king allowed the canons to have the relics and ornaments, among which were a piece of the True Cross and a wonderful basket of gold, silver, and precious stones sent to King Henry by the Emperor of Constantinople, he refused to let them have the lands bequeathed to them, or to allow her to be buried in their church.* Whether this was so or not, Henry showed him- self on other occasions well inclined to them, granting them sac and soc, toll and team,' &c., in their lands ; acquittance of all gelds and scots, aids and customs,'" wardpenny and forfeitures ; '^ and the exclusive right of trying their own ' 1 107 A.D. is the date given by Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 134; Matt, of Westm. Floret Hist. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 40. In Lansd. MS. 448, fol. 6, the date of foundation is given as 1 108. ' The foundation has also been ascribed to Richard de Belmeis, bishop of London, see Dugdale, Mon. jingl. vi, 152, and to Norman, the first prior, see Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 134, but there can be little doubt that the queen was the founder. ' Cart. Antiq. R. N. i. •Ibid. N. 13. ' Lansd. MS. 448, fol. 3 ; and Cart. Antiq. R. N. 14.
- Stow, Surv. of Lond. (ed. Strype), ii, 5.
' Lansd. MS. 448, fol. 3 ; Cart. Antiq. R. N. I 5. It was £zty 'ad scalam,' Cott. Chart, vii, 2 ; see Madox, Hist, of Exch. i, 276, 277.
- Guildhall MS. 122, fol. 16. This is a transcript
of the register of Holy Trinity, now at Glasgow. Stevens's account of the priory in Hist, of Abbeys, ii, is taken from the register. ' Anct. D. (P.R.O.), A. 6242 (Rec. Com.), 460, 461. '» Anct. D. (P.R.O.), A. 6286 (Rec. Com.), 460, 471, 472. ii, 79. " Cart. Antiq. R. N. 4. '» Lond. Plac. de Quo Warr. Pkc. de Quo Warr. tenants in their court.'^ He had, moreover, by royal charter " permitted them to close with a wall the road between the church and the city wall. The priory received enthusiastic support from the citizens, pious women supplying the canons with food " in the early days of the foundation. But the best evidence of the feeling with which it was regarded is the grant which connected the house henceforth in such a peculiarly intimate way with the City, the gift of the soke of the English cnihtengild in 1125," in virtue of which possession the prior became the alderman of Portsoken Ward. The success of the house must doubtless be attributed largely to the first prior, chosen by Anselm's advice. Norman, an Englishman by birth, had studied under An- selm in Normandy, and is famous for introducing the rule of St. Augustine into England for the benefit of St. Botolph's, Colchester, of which he had been a canon.'* He considered that a prior, except in his greater responsibility, ought to differ in no way from the canons, and made rules that his successors should live in common with the brothers, and sleep in the dormitory ;" provisions not always observed by them.^" Norman died in 1147, and was succeeded by Ralph who had been made sub-prior some time before to relieve Norman of the burden of administration. His management of the affairs of the house is said to have been exceedingly "Anct. D. (P.R.O.), A. 6286 (a.d. 1108-28); Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 460, 471, 472. " Cart. Antiq. R. N. 2. " Guildhall MS. 122, fol. 12 ; Stevens, op. cit. ii, 77- " Cart. Antiq. R. N. 3. Confirmation of the grant by Henry I, Cart. Mon. de Ramesaia (Rolls Ser.), i, 133. Convention between Reginald abbot of Ramsey and Prior Norm.in, by which the abbot gave up the claim which he had over the land of the gild which had been given to Holy Trinity church in return for the relinquishing of Norman's claim over the chapel and garden of the abbot (i 1 14-30). '* Guildhall MS. 122, fol. 639 ; Round, Commune of Lond. 98. Stow gives 1 1 1 5 as the date, op. cit. ii, 3. "Guildhall MS. 122, fol. 11 ; Stevens, op. cit. ", 75- " Stevens, op. cit. ii, 77. He was absolved from his obedience by Arnulph, prior of St. Botolph's, when he was appointed head of Holy Trinity. The priory of St. Botolph appears to have claimed some kind of right there, c. 1223, for the arbitrators ap- pointed by Pope Honorius III referred the matter to the bishop of London who decided that as the con- vent of Holy Trinity was only subject to the bishop of London, it was free from all visitation, &c. Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. ix, App. i, 24. "Guildhall MS. 122, fol. 18; Stevens, 465 op. cit. Epis. Reg. Baldock and Gravesend, fol. ;. 59
