THE
KNIGHTS HOSPITALLER
The Order of St. John of Jerusalem was a medieval international military order which, amongst other
things, provided hospitals. They followed the rule of St. Augustine. Their distinctive habit was a large
black cloak with the white amalfi cross over the left breast. There were about seventy commanderies
or cells within England with their headquarters at Clerkenwell in London.(4)
The Hospitallers were suppressed in England by Henry VIII in the 1530s, together with all the
other monastic orders. The Order was briefly re-established by Queen Mary in the 1550s, as part
of her attempt to reverse the actions of her father against the Catholic church, but it did not
survive Mary's death.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CONNECTIONS
The Hospitallers held a number of manors and lesser properties in Northamptonshire in the medieval
period. Some of these they acquired, as elsewhere in England, when the Knights Templar were
suppressed by Pope Clement V in 1312. Others they acquired following the confiscation of the
properties of the Alien Priories, direct dependencies of continental monastries.
The properties of the Hospitallers were confiscated by Henry VIII in the 1530's as part of the
dissolution of the monasteries.
When the Knights Hospitaller were revived by Queen Mary in the 1550s she appointed Sir Thomas
Tresham of Rushton in Northamptonshire as Lord Prior.
PROPERTIES OF THE ORDER IN
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
There were three major holdings in the county: Dingley, Guilsborough and Harrington, which had
attached to them a wide range of lesser properties, rents and dues in other villages across the county.
DINGLEY
The preceptory at Dingley was by far the most important and wealthy of all the Hospitaller properties
in Northamptonshire. It was founded prior to 1154. In 1338 it had a gross value of 79 pounds and
included 13 persons. In 1461 the estate was merged with the Hospitaller property at Battisford.
The Dingley preceptory had property in various Northamptonshire villages:
Clopton: lands and messuages;
Passenham: various lands which had been granted to the Hospitallers by the Earl of Ferrers in the
reign of Henry II;
Towcester: North Mill;
East Farndon: land;
Croughton: lands and tenements;
Long Buckby formerly of the Abbot of Grestein. In 1282 and 1346 one third of a knights fee was held
by the Prior of St.John;
Cold Ashby: tenants and lands;
Yelvertoft;
Arthingworth: a manor in 1315, held in 1493 with suit of court at Harrington;
Kelmarsh : property;
Braybrooke: 2 virgates and 4 tofts, given to Pipewell abbey and later recorded as being 20 virgates
held of the Hospitallers in 1295 and known as the Westhall Fee. Elsewhere it is recorded as a manor
with a grange with 13 virgates. It was worth 228 shillings in 1291.
Glendon: a small fee acquired from Grestein Abbey;
Brampton Ash;
Ashby St.Ledgers;
Boddington;
Eydon;
Flore;
Harpole;
Ravensthorpe;
Whitfield
At the dissolution the Preceptory comprised(2):
Dingley manor, with rents, demesne lands, meadows etc.
Rents in East Farndon, Sibbertoft, Brampton, Earls Barton, Little Bowden, Braybrooke, Passenham,
Towcester, Deanshanger in Passenham, rents and pension of the rectory of Holcot; pension of the
rectory of Hardwick.
Other property in Leicestershire: Swynford manor and rectory
Easton Maudit.(3)
At the dissolution the estate was worth 2160 pounds.
After the dissolution, in 1540 the property was granted by the king to Edward Hastings and in 1568
it passed to Edward Griffiths.
GUILSBOROUGH
The camera at Guilsborough : founded before 1285 and dissolved before 1338, when it was worth 53
pounds. The property comprised that manor of Nortoft, which was the northern part of the village of
Guilsborough and included tenants in nearby Hollowell.
HARRINGTON
The camera or preceptory at Harrington which was also worth 53 pounds in 1338. This manor had
been acquired from the Abbey of Grestein in Normandy when the alien priories were dispossessed.
The Harrington preceptory also had property in the adjacent hamlet of Newbottle, now a wholly
deserted settlement.
Properties of the Abbey of St.Mary Grestein, some of which passed to the
Hospitallers after 1291:
Newbottle: in 1086 half a hide - passed to Hospitallers
Braybrooke : two hides in 1086, worth 25 shillings in 1291- passed to Hospitallers
Glendon : half hide and a third of a hide in 1086 - passed to the Hospitallers
Rushton : eighth of a hide in 1086
Harrington : five and one third hides in 1086 - passed to Hospitallers
Weston Favell : one and a half hides in 1086
Preston & Cosgrove: 210 shillings in 1291
Grafton Regis : four hides in 12th century - the manor passed to the de la Pole family in 1359-60.
Other Hospitaller property in the county included:
Barton Seagrave: land formerly of the Knights Templars.
Glapthorn: in 1292 the Templars had held 1 messuage and 1 virgate and a few tenants. It is uncertain
as to whom it was then granted.
Cosgrove: 6 virgates held of the Earl of Ferrers by the Templars in 1295 - this probably passed to
the Hospitallers.
Blakesley In 1202 the manor of Little Blakesley, now Woodend, paid eight and a half marks to the
Hospitallers. In the 13th century the Hospitallers held the manor, comprising one knights fee. In 1315
the manor included messuages, a mill, one and half virgates of land, a wood and a messuage with 2
virgates of land. It also had attached to it the manor at Kirby. They were held by the Zouche family
from the Hospitallers.
NOTES
1. Pevsner, N., 1973, The Buildings of England : Northamptonshire, p.397.
2. PRO, ????? Henry VIII no.7272 m.14-15d, 31-32 Henry VIII.
3. PRO, ???? Henry VIII, no.7273 m.11, 32-33 Henry VIII.
4. Bottomley, F., 1981, The Abbey Explorer's Guide.
Copyright © Glenn & Anne Foard 1998
Northamptonshire : Knights Hospitaller - created 27 February 1998 - last updated 5th April 1998