Contents
The Manor of the Prior and Convent of Christchurch Canterbury
Up until the dissolution of the monasteries, the Manor of Deopham was known as The Manor of the Prior and Convent of Christchurch Canterbury, as for example in the Extent of 1488.
1538
It was recorded that on December 29th 1538 Thomas, the Prior of Christchurch Canterbury, sent a gift to Cromwell – presumably in the hope of a favourable outcome to the dismantling of his priory:
Sends 20l. in gold to the King for a New Year’s gift. Asks Cromwell to advise his servant how to deliver it. Sends also a poor token as a New Year’s gift for Cromwell, and beseeches him to continue good Lord to him and his brethren. Canterbury, Sunday. 29 Dec.1
1540
The following edict by which the monastic lands were confiscated was signed by Cromwell. There are many dates proposed for the surrender of Thomas, the Prior of Christchurch Canterbury, but none is confirmed by source documents.
The following has been reformatted for ease of reading, but the text is unaltered.
20 March. 1540
378. Christchurch, Canterbury, and Rochester.
Commission to the abp. of Canterbury,
– Sir Ric. Riche, chancellor of the Augmentations,
– Sir Chr. Hales, master of the Rolls,
– Walter Hendley, attorney of the Augmentations,
– Wm. Petre, LL.D.,
– Nicholas Bacon, solicitor of the Augmentations,
– John ap Rice2,
– Wm. Cavendishe, and
– Thos. Spilman,
(or any two of them) — forasmuch as the state of the monastery of Christchurch, Canterbury, neither redounds to God’s honour nor the benefit of the commonwealth — to
– take the surrender of the said monastery,
– cause the goods and chattels (except plate, jewels, lead, and bells) to be sold,
– despatch the head and the brethren, assigning them convenient pensions,
– commit the custody of the house, bells, and lead to some responsible person, and
– bring the plate and jewels to the Tower of London.
20 March, 31 Hen. VIII (1540)3
1541
The following edict was issued in May 1541 assigning lands confiscated from the monasteries to the Dean & Chapter of Canterbury. The two references to Deopham have been highlighted below. It can readily be seen that the Manor of Deopham and the Advowson of Deopham were a small part of the empire that was handed over to the Dean & Chapter of Canterbury. One wonders the extent to which the residents of Deopham noticed a difference as the Manor moved from one ecclesiastical body to another.
(The text below has been reformatted to improve readability but the contents are as issued.)
The dean and chapter of Canterbury.
Grant in frank-almoigne, of the manors of:
Ikeham alias Ikham, Addisham, Eastrye, Charteham, Monketon, Charte Magna and Parva, Holyngbourne, Apuldore, Mersham, Broke, Meopham, Boyeton, Leisdon, Orgarysweke, Bramblyng, Sesalter, Coxton, Selgrave, Hanymershe, Elverton, Lydeote, Brokysende, Fayrefeld, Aghonce, Kokyng, Barkesore, and Lose, Kent;
Myddleton alias Milton, Southchurche, Lawlyng, Borleigh, Stysted, and Bockyng, Essex;
Hadlegh and Illeigh alias leigh Monachorum, Suff.;
Deopham alias Depeham, Norf.;
Halton, Bucks; Fawkeshall and Walworth, Surrey; Wotton and Patchyng, Sussex, the messuage or college commonly called Canterburie Colledge, in the parish of St. Mary and St. Frideswide in Oxford, the site, &c., of the said college; and a garden enclosed with a stone wall called “the Colledge gardyne” in Oxford; and
the manor of Dockam, Devon; which belonged to the late monastery of Christchurch, Canterbury;
with appurtenances in these places, and in East-mersey and West-mersey, Essex, and in Lambehith and Newenton, Surrey.
And all possessions of Christchurch in the parishes of St. Mary Northgate, St. Sepulchre, St. Edmund, St. Michael, St. George, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Andrew, St. Alphege, All Saints, St. Peter, Holy Cross Westgate, St. Mary Breadman, St. Margaret, St. Mary de Castro, St. Mildred, St. Mary Bredne, in the city and county of Canterbury, and in the parishes of St. Paul and St. Martin in the suburbs of the same city, and in the county of the same city; and in Huntyngton alias Hunton, Graveney, Fernyngham, Whitstaple, Bleane, Herbaldowne, Tanington, St. Dunstan’s near the walls of Canterbury, Holy Cross in Westgate of Canterbury, Chartesham, Petham, Sheperswold, Warehorne, Newchurche, Suave, Geddynge, Wotton, Eastrye, Staple, Monketon, Chyllenden, Charte Parva, Kenyngton, Lymme, Dimchurche, Lydd, Snargate, Old Romeney, and New Romeney, Mongham Magna and Parva, Bonyngton, Southlangdon, Newenhato, and Hakkyngton alias Hakington, Boughton-under-Bleane, Preston near Feversham, Fordewiche, West-beare, and Sandwiche, Kent, and in the parish of St. Thomas in the island of Hartey, Kent.
Lands called Grymeslands, Meanelands, Parkehall, Ware, Colmans, Hysted, Ketepen, Ketemershe, Bekkard, and Stonebache, in the parishes of Rokinge, Apuidore, Newchurche, Chistlett, Hearne, Fayrefeld, and Sesalter, Kent;
lands in Stedeacres, Suss.;
a pension of 3s from the rectory of St. Michael in Lewes, Sussex; and
messuages, &c., in Estchepe and Westchepe in London, and in the parishes of St. Mary de Arcubus alias Bowe, St. Magnus, All Saints Breadstrete, St. Andrew, St. Peter, St. Laurence, St. Dionis Barkechurche, St. Michael Croked-lane, St. John Watlyngstrete, St. Mary Aldermarie, St. Pancras, All Hallows Lumberdstrete, St. Mary Magdelene Milk strete, S.S. Vedast and Amand, St. Michael in Royall, St. Margaret Barkyng, St. Leonard, St. Danstan, and St. Foster, in London, and in the parishes of St. Olave and St. Margaret in Southwerke; which belonged to Christchurch.
The rectories and advowsons of vicarages of Eastrye, Monketon, Byrchyngton, Meopham, Sesalter, and Fayrefeld, Kent; Westclyeff near Dover, Fernyngham, Eastpekham, and Halstowe, Kent;
Deopham, Norf.;
Pageham, Barsted, Mondeham, and Warneham, Sussex; which belonged to Christchurch. Of Willesborough, Middleton alias Milton by Sydingborne, Brokelande, Preston by Wyngham, Stone by Feversham (sic) Faversham, Littleborne, Tentwarden alias Tenterden, and Sheldewiche, Kent; and the rectories or granges of Osyngell, Calesgraunge, and Allange, Kent; and the rectory of St. Paul in the suburbs of Canterbury; which belonged to the late monastery of St. Augustine by Canterbury.
Of Samford and chapel of Hempsted, Essex; and
of Ikelsham, Sussex;
Ixning and Bramford, Suff.; and
Aylesham, Norf.; which belonged to the late monastery of Battle, Sussex.
Of Tyseherst and Assheborneham, Sussex;
Boughton under Bleane and Preston by Faversham, Kent; which belonged to the late monastery of Faversham. And of Cranebroke, Kent, which lately belonged to the archbishop of Canterbury.
Certain pensions from the rectories of Bramer and Norton, Suff.; lands in Trillo, Suff.; and the manor of Monehall and Cromhall, Suff.; which belonged to Battle mon[astery].
Two pensions from lands in the hundred of Middleton, Kent, which belonged to St. Augustine’s.
A pension from Ludenham rectory, Kent, which belonged to Faversham.
Certain pensions from the rectories of Ewhurst, Gyldford, and Longdytton, and the portions of tithes of two mills, the one in Carsalton, and the other in Tullesworth, Surrey; which belonged to Marton priory, Surrey. The pensions from the rectories of Bedyngton and Chayham, Surrey, the vicarage of Croydon, Surrey, and the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene, Barmondesey, Surrey, the rectories of St. Mildred in Bredstrete, St. Benet Sherehegge, Holy Trinity, commonly called the “little Trinitie,” and St. Mildred in the Poultrye, in London; which belonged to St. Mary Overey’s priory, Surrey.
Rent £308. 15s. 7d. in lieu of tenths and first-fruits.
Also release to:
Nic. Wotton4, now dean, and
Ric. Thornden5 alias Le Sted, S.T.P.6,
Arthur Seyntleger,
Ric. Champyon, S.T.P.,
Ric. Parkehurst,
Nic. Rydley, S.T.P.,
John Meneys,
Hugh Glasyer,
Will. Hadleigh alias Hunte,
Will. Sandwiche alias Gardyner,
John Wareham alias Mylls,
John Chillenden alias Danyell, and
John Baptista de Casia, D.C.L.7,
now prebendaries of the said cathedral, of the first-fruits and tenths due on their several portions.8
The Manor of the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury
Following the dissolution of the monasteries, the Deopham Manor was referred to as The Manor of the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury.
Footnotes
- ‘Henry VIII: December 1538 26-31’, in Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 13 Part 2, August-December 1538, ed. James Gairdner (London, 1893), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol13/no2/pp475-496 [accessed 5 July 2026]. ↩︎
- The “ap” in “John ap Rice” is Welsh, meaning “son of”.
John ap Rice (c.1502–1555) was a Welsh-born royal official who worked for Thomas Cromwell and played a significant role in the investigations preceding the dissolution of the monasteries. ↩︎ - ‘Henry VIII: March 1540, 11-20’, in Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 15, 1540, ed. James Gairdner, R H Brodie (London, 1896), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol15/pp133-150 Page 147 [accessed 5 July 2026]. ↩︎
- Nicholas Wotton (c. 1497 – 26 January 1567). In 1541, having already refused the bishopric of Hereford, he became the first post-Reformation Dean of Canterbury and in 1544 Dean of York. ↩︎
- Richard Thornden (c. 1490–1558): Warden of the manors of Christ Church, Canterbury, at the dissolution of the priory, he was appointed by the king as a Canon of Canterbury Cathedral on 8 Apr. 1541 ↩︎
- S.T.P. = Sacrae Theologiae Professor — literally, Professor of Sacred Theology although it need not imply a professorial chair; it was an earlier form of D.D. ↩︎
- D.C.L. stands for Doctor of Civil Law (Latin: Doctor Civilis Legis or Doctor Legum Civilium). In 1541, this was a university doctorate in Roman civil law, as distinct from English common law. Holders of the degree frequently served as ecclesiastical lawyers, judges in church courts, or advisers to bishops and archbishops. ↩︎
- https://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol16/pp409-429 paragraph 878, section 59. ↩︎
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| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 7/11/26 | Published |
