House of Knights Hospitallers: The commandery of Hogshaw

HOUSE OF KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS

17. THE COMMANDERY OF HOGSHAW

The Commandery of Hogshaw was probably founded during the reign of Henry II. on lands which were originally the gift of William Peverel. (fn. 1) The commandery was never an important one. There was a survey taken of its lands, income, expenses, etc., in 1338, (fn. 2) when there was a preceptor in residence with one other knight. It had then all the ordinary accessories of a small monastery —a court, garden, mill and dove house, with arable land and pastures attached; the chaplain serving Hogshaw Church, with the chaplain who served the house, and a certain Thomas Fitz Neel, who held a knight's corrody, sat at table with the preceptor and his brother. There were the usual servants in the house, an attendant squire, a porter, a cook, a pistor, and two grooms for the preceptor. Twice a year the prior of the Hospitallers in England visited the house. (fn. 3) Beyond this little is known of its inner or outer life. It was suppressed with the rest of the commanderies of the order in 1541.

The manor of Wydende or Widmer in Great Marlow also belonged to the Hospitallers, and the remains of a chapel, with a crypt below, have been thought to indicate the existence of a small commandery there. (fn. 4) In 1338 however the 'camera' of Wydende was being farmed by William de Langford, and there were no knights there (fn. 5); it is quite uncertain whether there were any at an earlier date. The survey of the property of the order in 1314 merely states that the manor of Wydende, as well as that of Hogshaw, had always belonged to the Hospitallers and not to the Templars. (fn. 6)

The commandery of Hogshaw was originally endowed with the manor of Hogshaw and the churches of Cholesbury, Hogshaw, (fn. 7) Oving, Addington, Creslow and Ludgershall. (fn. 8) In 1302 the lands at Hogshaw were held as half a knight's fee; in 1312 the preceptor also held half the vill of Drayton. (fn. 9) Its valuation in 1338 amounts to £74 14s. 10d., including pensions from the churches of Oving, Addington, Creslow and Ludgershall, and the whole revenue of Hogshaw Church (only nine marks); the expenses of the household, with the chaplains who served the house and the church, amounted to £28 16s. 4d. (fn. 10) At the dissolution the lands of the Hospitallers at Hogshaw and Claydon, were valued only at £2 12s. annually.

The name of the preceptor in 1338 was William Warde (fn. 11) : no others are at present known.