A Priory of Black Canons, it appears, who afterwards became Canons of St Austin, was begun here by Oliver the parish priest and his son, Walter, in the time of King William Rufus, King William II (1087 - 1100 AD), under the protection of the then lord of the manor, Ralph de Tony, who confirmed the grants made to the same. 

In the time of Edward IV (1461 - 1483 AD) this Priory had the manor of Godscroft, then valued at £15l. per annum. 

Westacre had also the patronage of the following Churches, or Vicarages, their rectories being appropriated to it: Appleton, Ashwicken, Breccles, Lesgate, Marham, Narford, Rougham, South Lynn, West Barsham, Wigenhale St Mary, with two parts of the rectory of Narburgh, and the rectory appropriated of Necton.  

The net value of this Priory in the 26^th Henry VIII (1491 - 1547 AD), amounted to £260l 13s 6¼d.  

PRIORS OF WESTACRE 

1. Oliver was the first Prior.

2. William, 10 Ric.I.

3. Henry, about 1210.

4. Godwin, temp Joan.

5. William, 12 Hen.III.

6. Robert, 16 and 21 Hen.III.

7. John, 52 Hen.III.

8. Henry de Acra, adm.1300.

9. William de Wesenham, 1320.

10. John de Swafham, 1349.

11. John de Stow.

12. Geffrey de Warham, 1367.

13. Nicholas de Buttele, 1372.

14. Peter Bishop, resigned in 1382.

15. John de Acre, 1390.

16. John de Watlington, 1414.

17. John de Westacre, 1417.

18. John Fakenham, 1450.

19. John Cosyn, 1460.

20. Rihard Pawe, or Palle, 1467.

21. Richard or Thomas Clark occurs in 1503.

22. William Louth, 1520.

23. Thomas Bryget STP, 1522

William Wingfield, 1526. He subscribed to the King’s supremacy in 1534, and with eight of his monks surrendered the Priory to the King, January 14^th, 29 Henry 8th. At the dissolution he received a pension of £40l per annum, and was recorded as still living in 1555. He became rector of Burnham Thorpe in Norfolk in King Edward VI’s reign, and was a married priest. 

King Henry the Eighth, March 15^th, in the 30^th year of his reign, granted the Site of this Priory, with the manor and appropriated rectory, to Mary Duchess of Richmond and Somerset, for her life. The reversion was granted 7^th Edward VI to Sir Thomas Gresham.

The goods, ornaments, plate, bells, etc, of this Monastery were valued at the time of the Dissolution at £508l 8s 9d. 

The Common Seal of this House is engraved in the Vetusta Monumenta of the Society of Antiquaries. The obverse bore this Inscription:  + SIGILLVM . CAPITVLI . BEATE . MARIE . ET . OMNIVM . SANCTORVM . DE . WESTACRE . +  The reverse, + MVNDVS . AGIT . MVNDVM . CONTERE . MVNDVS . ERIS . + 

Of the Priory the Gatehouse is now the chief remains, ornamented with the Arms of four principal benefactors; viz, Tony, Guy Earl of Warwick, and Beauchamp and Tarquin Earls of Warwick.  

Massingham Magna and Woburn were Cells to this House. 

Abstract of roll, 32 Henry VIII, Augmentation Office, lists the following seventeen manors and twelve rectories which came into the possession of Mary Duchess of Richmond and Somerset:- 

• Appulton - Rectoria

• Breales – Firma rector

• Bylney - Terra

• Eastwalton – Maner et rector

• Fraunsham Parva - Maner

• Goddescrosse – Maner

• Goodwyke – Maner

• Grymston – Maner

• Iselington – Maner

• Knypton – Maner

• Knypton cum Wysename – Curs’ faldag’

• Marreham – Maner et Rectoria

• Masingham – Maner

• Myddelton – Maner

• Narborough – Maner et rectoria

• Narford – Maner et rector

• Necton – Portio decimarum

• Newhall – Maner

• Rougham - Rectoria

• Rowdham – Maner et rector et reddit’ assis’

• Runhale - Rectoria

• South Lynn – Rector

• South Pykenham – Maner

• Westacre – Maner et rector

• Westacre in Grymston et Gongham – Maner

• Wigenhall – Rector