Bilsington Priory

• Bilsington, Kent.
• OSGB – TR04333552.
• Scheduled Monument.
• Monument Number – 462936.

Medieval Moated Manor House: Augustinian Priory: Gatehouse.

The moat is a rough square shape. The monastery was around a square cloister yard. The gatehouse stood to the north-east, and there were two fishponds located to the north.

1253                 Augustinian monastery founded by Sir John Marshall, Lord Chief Justice of England. William was Prior.

1255                 Walter was Prior.

1266                 The priory was vacant, so Henry III granted custody to Simon de Daunteseye.

1272                 Simon de Daunteseye granted the manor and priory to the Abbots and Cannon of St. Mary, Boulogne. However, this appears to have not been carried out.

1276                 John de Ramanale was Prior.

1279                 Hamo de Clopton was Prior.

1293                 John de Sandwyco was Prior.

1317                 Simon de Havekashall was Prior.

1320                 John de Wy was Prior.

1327                 A Licence was granted to drain, enclose and cultivate 60 acres of marsh in Lydd, but it cost too much.

1328                 Licence granted for the Advowson of the church of Bilsington.

1337                 Another Licence was granted to lease 40 acres of the enclosed marsh in Lydd, to tenants, to drain.

1342                 John de Romene was Prior.

1349                 Edmund de Cantuaria was Prior.

1353                 Visited by the Priors of Tonbridge and St. Gregory’s, Canterbury.

1361                 John de Aldman was Prior.

1363                 John de Romene was Prior.

1390                 Thomas Brenchesle was Prior.

1402                 The Archbishop if Arundel issued injunctions and forbade the entry of women, and sales of wood without the consent of the Archbishop.

1411                 John Broke was Prior.

1426                 William Peers (Pyers) was Prior.

1435                 Roger Erle was Prior.

1439                 William Mungeham was Prior.

1441                 Hamo Betrysden was Prior.

1442                 Laurence Wattes was Prior.

1444                 Confirmed in a Foundation Charter by Henry VI.

1457                 Paul Pyre was Prior.

1460                 Robert Carpenter was Prior.

1466                 Foundation Charter confirmed by Edward IV.

1491                 Thomas Andrewe was Prior.

1510                 An enquiry by the Archbishop found that the Prior, William Tilman, had neglected his spiritual duties and let the House run into debt. The Prior of Leeds, asked, and was granted, permission to sell off some of the goods to cover the debts.

1513                 William Tischertse was Prior, and he resigned. Richard Cotyndane was Prior.

1528                 Arthur Sentleger was prior, and he resigned. John Tenterden (or Moyse) was the last Prior.

1534                 John the Prior, and six others took an Oath of Acknowledgement of Royal Supremacy during the Reformation.

1535                 The value of the property was given as £122 0s 8d

1536                 Dissolved and dismantled. Building material used to build a farmhouse on the site. The Prior and Convent surrendered the property and the Prior was granted £10 a year as a pension.

1537                 Granted to Anthony Seyntleger.

1538                 The lease on the site was reversed and most of the possessions were granted to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

1952                 Excavated,

1963                 Field Investigation.

1999                 Scheduled.