they were allowed to pluck only jessamine and violets, except by special permission. These rules, however, were occasionally relaxed; they were permitted to cultivate music and dancing, and even to attend the village sports (Oliver, p. 67, note 8); and the Prioress, who by charter had free warren over the Priory lands, is said to have indulged in hawking and hunting (Placit. de quo Warranto, 22 Edwd. I.) {196b} This house was dissolved with more than 600 other monastic establishments by Henry VIII. in the 27th year of his reign (A.D. 1536); a year later he founded in its place, and with the same revenues, “for the good of his soul, and that of his Consort Jane,” a Premonstratensian house, which, however, only continued two years, when it, in turn, was abolished. The last Prioress under the old regime was Helena Key; the first and only Prioress, under the new regime, being Mary Missenden (Dugdale “Monast.,” iii., No. 81.) The estates, as already mentioned, were bestowed, on the final dissolution of this house, upon Robert Dighton. According to Speed, the historian, the value of the estates was £163 1_s._ 2½_d._, which was in those days a considerable sum. The steward for some of the Lindsey estates of the Priory was John Heneage, brother of Sir Thomas Heneage of Hainton; for others of the estates in the same division, Sir Robert Dymoke; for the estates in Kesteven, Sir Robert Hussey, a younger brother of Lord Hussey, of Sleaford; these two brothers having between them no less than 23 stewardships for religious houses, that post being one of no small emolument. Nothing now remains of the Priory itself, beyond some stone coffins lying close to the north wall of the parish church, which were found to the west of the Abbey Farm house. There remained, however, until 1846, when they were removed to give space for the present farm buildings, a postern gate, and the east end of the Priory chapel {197} with a window of the date of Edwd. III.; under the arch of the gateway were the arms of the Leake family of Lincolnshire carved on a truss of wood, “Argent a chief, gules, over all a bend engrailed, azure.” A rough sketch of these remains by Mr. Willson, architect, is in the possession the lord of the manor and from it a sketch is given by the Rev. J. A. Penny, late Vicar, in vol. iii., of “Linc. N. & Q.” p. 161. The moat round the Priory enclosed an area of about 4 acres, and was connected with the Witham, about three-quarters of a mile distant, doubtless for the conveyance of goods to the monastery, as well as for the renewal of the moat water, and that of the stew ponds, a matter of some importance where a supply of fish was required for the “fasting” diet of “the religious.” We now proceed to a description of the church, dedicated to St. Peter, which possesses features of more than usual interest. This was rebuilt in 1831, the architect being Mr. W. A. Nicholson, of Lincoln.