Austrey
The Polesworth convent was visited by Bishop Northburgh in 1352. The consequent decree, written in French, as was usual when sent to nuns, dealt merely after the general fashion with small matters of ritual, silence, and the exclusion of secular women. After the death of Abbess Agnes de Somerville, a return of the temporalities of Polesworth was made by John de Windsor, the king's escheator for Warwickshire, on 7 January, 1362. From this it appears that there was then at Polesworth a dove-cote of the annual value of 2s., 3 carucates of land, 30s.; 13 acres of meadow, 16s.; two water-mills, 2 marks; 5 virgates of land, yielding 30s. rents; seven cottars, paying 20s. rents, four tenants at Bromcote, paying 20s. 8d. rents; pleas and perquisites of the court of Polesworth half a mark, and two views of frankpledge a yeare 10s.
Matilda Botetourt, elected on 8 March, 1362, had to obtain an episcopal dispensation to hold office, being under 20 years of age. This early promotion was not the only mark of favour that this prioress obtained, for in 1399 the pope granted her exemption from the jurisdiction of the archbishop, or the bishop of Lichfield. Certain discords arose as to the election by the convent of a successor to the Abbess Katherine in 1414. For the avoidance of dispute the nomination of the new abbess was assigned by the chapter with the king's assent to Henry Chicheley, archbishop of Canterbury, and his choice fell upon Benedicta, one of the Polesworth nuns.
Polesworth abbey was visited by Bishop Boulers in 1456, when various irregularities were brought to light. The result was that decrees were issued in September of that yeare forbidding the residence of secular men and women within the precincts, and ordering their removal by the following February, and prohibiting the granting of corrodies or liveries. All the nuns were to take their meals in the refectory, and to be served by the nuns and not by seculars; they were to sleep in the one dormitory and in single beds; silence was to be observed in refectory and dormitory as well as in cloister; and no one was to leave the precincts without the express sanction of the abbess. The common seal was to be kept in an iron chest with three keys, there was to be no alienation of property or goods without the consent of the whole convent, and there was to be an annual presentment of accounts. The Valor of 1535 gave the clear annual value of the abbey as £87 16s. 3d. The definite alms to the poor included a yearly distribution of 26s. 8d. on Maundy Thursday, and a yearly charge of 26s. for rye bread distributed weekly to the poor at the monastery gate.
The Abbess and Convent of Polesworth held land in Austrey by grant of Hugh son of Richard (12th century), but there seems no further reference to it until 1545, when Richard, Roger, and Robert Taverner had a grant of property late of Polesworth Abbey, including a tenement in Austrey in the occupation of John Symond. The official report of the mixed commission of June 1536 stated the clear annual value of the house of the Black Nuns of St. Benedict of Polesworth to be £110 6s. 2d. The number of religious was fourteen with the abbess and 'one ancress,' . . . they are described as being of 'a very religious sorte and living and in vertue very excellent oon of theym beyng upon the poynt of a c yeres olde.' All of them desired to continue in their religion there, or to be transferred to other houses. The number of dependants that had their living of the house was 38, namely 3 priests, 8 yeomen, 17 hinds, 9 women servants, and one very old and impotent creature, sometime cook of the house, who had her living there by promise. The value of the lead and bells £52; the house in good and convenient repair; the value of stocks, stores, and movable goods £127 13s. 8d.; one hundred and eight acres of great woods, about 100 years old, £114 10s.; and debts owing by the house £27 3s. 4d.
The Commissioners wrote to Cromwell on 28 July, 1536, from Maxstoke, describing their survey of Polesworth at greater length than in their formal report. The abbess, Dame Alice Fitzherbert, sixty years old, was a very discreet religious woman, and had ruled there for twentyseven years. There were twelve virtuous nuns under her of good repute in the county, and none of them would leave their habit. They advised Cromwell to mediate with the king so that the house might escape suppression. Thirty or forty gentlemen's children were often brought up in the house. They thought that the town would be ruined if the nunnery was abolished. The result of this appeal was, that on the payment of £50, made in January 1537, Polesworth was granted royal letters patent to remain undissolved.
The abbey was, however, 'surrendered,' notwithstanding its recent purchase of exemption, on 31 January, 1539, by Alice Fitzherbert, the abbess; but there are no signatures to the document. Dr. London assigned to the abbess a pension of £26 13s. 4d., to Joan Penge, the prioress, and to Margaret Todye, who were aged, 53s. 4d. each, and 40s. to each of the twelve other nuns. In a letter to the Chancellor of the Augmentations, asking for confirmation of these sums, London wrote of the abbess as a lady of virtuous reputation and great age, and well deserving of this pension, as she had lately at great cost purchased the continuance of her house, and yet left it in a good state.
Henry VIII sold the site and demesnes of the abbey in 1544 to Francis Goodyear.