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A deed issued by Henry V (picture below) in 1417, furthermore, forbade
anyone to ‘harass or molest’ the prior and monks of Pill. It is apparent from two records that Pill Priory had suffered some of the decline that characterised most Welsh monastic houses during the 15th century, but had escaped the worst. Indeed, only one less monk was present at Pill than at St Dogmaels Abbey. As a result of St Dogmaels' continuation of being regarded as a dependency of Tiron, it Pill Priory and its daughter houses were placed under episcopal jurisdiction and in April 1405 Pill Priory, under prior Walter Robjoy (who occurs as Prior in October 1399, 1406, 1409, 1415), was subject to its first episcopal visitation. It was alleged that Prior Walter had laid waste to the priory, alienating its goods and possessions (including a ship). Moreover, it was said he had a married woman as his mistress. Thus, the internal government of the house was placed in the hands of the cellarer, Walter Jordan, who in 1404 was officiating as tenant-in-chief of the secular manor of Pill. Pill Priory however possessed its own lands and churches,
issued its own charters and granted its own leases and the fiscal bond
with St Dogmaels was limited to the payment of a small annual pension,
which at the dissolution stood at £9 6s 8d.
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