In 1158/9
Henry II of England donated around of land to the south of Hornchurch village (Suttons Manor) to the
Hospital of St Nicholas and St Bernard. In 1163 the
St Andrew's Church and adjacent land (Hornchurch Hall manor) was given by Henry II to the priory. The house was established on this land to the north of the church and was dedicated to St Nicholas and St Bernard. Land holdings were increased by gifted by local landowners. It was the only cell of the mother house in England. It was small, typically with four to eight members and never more than ten. Some accounts refer to the priory as a hospital, although there is no evidence it provided healthcare. The priory claimed exclusive spiritual authority within the ancient parish of Hornchurch (otherwise known as the
manor of Havering), providing priests for the church in Hornchurch and the chapels in
Romford and
Havering-atte-Bower. The priory lands were seized by
the Crown as a consequence of the
Great Schism. The
Parliament of England authorised the king to confiscate the property of alien religious houses that supported the
Avignon Papacy in 1379. Notice was given by 1384. The members of the priory left the house in 1385 and the property was confiscated. The site of the priory became Hornchurch Hall. It has been suggested that the priory is the origin of the Hornchurch placename because the priory used a bulls-head seal on official documents. However, the seal derives from the name and does not provide the origin. ==References==