Copies of the original charters are given in Bigsby’s History of Repton, Dugdale’s Monasticon, and Stebbing Shaw’s article in vol. ii. of the Topographer. The charters containing grants extend from Stephen’s reign (1135–1154) to the reign of Henry V. (1413–1422), and include the church of St. Wystan, Repton, with its eight chapelries of Newton Solney, Bretby, Milton, Foremark, Ingleby, Tickenhall, Smisby, and Measham; the church at Badow, in Essex; estates at Willington, including its church; and property at Croxall.
Very few events have been handed down to us in connection with the story of the priory. In November, 1364, Robert de Stretton, Bishop of Lichfield, was holding a visitation in the chapter house of the priory of Repton. For some reason unknown, the villagers, armed with bows and arrows, swords and cudgels, with much tumult, assaulted the Priory Gatehouse. The bishop sent for Sir Alured de Solney and Sir Robt. Francis, lords of the manors of Newton Solney and Foremark, who came and quickly quelled this early “town and gown” row without any actual breach of the peace. The bishop soon after proceeded on his journey, and on reaching Alfreton issued a sentence of interdict on the town and parish church of Repton, with a command to the clergy in the neighbouring churches to publish the same under pain of greater excommunication, and publication was to be continued until they merited the grace of reconciliation.
By the advice of Thomas Cromwell—malleus monachorum—Henry VIII. issued a commission of inquiry into the condition, etc., of the monasteries of England. An Act was passed in 1536 suppressing those which had revenues less than £200 a year. Those notorious men, Doctors Thomas Leigh and Richard Layton, had visited Repton the year before, and gave the amount of revenue as £180 per annum; they reported that the canons were not living up to their vows, and added a note to their report; but all competent historians agree that these reports are quite untrustworthy.
Under the heading of superstitio the visitors made the interesting entry that pilgrims came to the Priory of Repton to visit (a shrine of) St. Guthlac and his bell, which they were wont to place on their heads for the cure of the headache. This relic formed an interesting link between the early pre-Conquest Abbey and the Norman Priory.
On June 12th, 1537, John Yonge, or Young, was re-appointed prior by the Crown; letters patent were granted exempting the priory from suppression on the payment of a fine of £266 13s. 4d. But this only delayed the surrender, which happened on October 26th, 1538. Prior Yonge died three days before that event. Ralph Clerke, sub-prior, signed the deed handing the priory and contents to Dr. Leigh, who, writing to Thomas Cromwell from Grace Dieu, said, “On coming to Repton they found the house greatly spoiled, and many things purloined, part of which they recovered.”
In the Public Record Office there is a very full inventory of the goods and possessions of the Priory. A transcript of this inventory is given by Mr. W. H. St. John Hope in vol. vi. of the Derbyshire Archæological Journal, 1884. This inventory affords a very good and detailed account of the Priory and its contents. It is termed a list of—
“all suche parcells of Implements or houshould stuffe, corne, catell, Ornamments of the Church & such other lyke found within the said late pirory at the tyme of the dyssolucon therof sould by the Kyngs Commissioners to Thomas Thacker the xxvj day of October in the xxx yere of or sov’agn lorde Kyng henry the viijth.”
A memorandum added to the list recounts that—
“(Thomas) Thacker was put in possession of the scite of the seid late priory & all the demaynes to yt apperteynyng to or sov’aigne lorde the Kynges use.”
Thomas Thacker died in 1548, leaving his property to his son Gilbert; the latter, according to Fuller,